- Paperback: 196 pages
- Publisher: Dedalus (July 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1873982399
- ISBN-13: 978-1873982396
- Product Dimensions: 20 x 12.9 x 1.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 200 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,454,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Inspired by the apocryphal biblical book of Tobit, prolific French author Germain (The Book of Nights, etc.) here offers a solemn, atmospheric tale of family loss and redemption set in the provincial Poitevin Marais region of France. For nearly 100 years, Grandmother Deborah, a Jewish ?migr? from Poland, has witnessed the death or disappearance of her relatives, one by one. At the novel's outset, a riding accident decapitates Anna, the wife of Deborah's grandson, Theodore; the disappearance of her severed head plunges Theodore into madness and poverty. After Deborah's death, Theodore and Anna's son, Tobias, is sent to Bordeaux to collect some money owed to Theodore. True to the biblical tale, Tobias meets a modern-day incarnation of the archangel Raphael, an attractive androgyne, and together they embark on a meandering mission. On the way, Tobias falls in love with his ill-starred cousin Sara, whose previous seven suitors have all died mysteriously. Instructed by Raphael, Tobias is able to overcome the curse. Although the plot is stiltedAeach chapter is preceded by its biblical epigraph, and the novel seems to be following instructionsAone reads Germain for the epic power of her prose. The story of Grandmother Deborah's religious anguish is an especially powerful reminder of the weighty, relentless course of history. A peasant woman so overcome with sadness at the death of her family members that she is unable to cry, she begins to confuse the lamb of the Christian altar with the smiling goat Mejdele from her childhood home: "Only that smile succeeded in relieving the burden of tears gathered inside her." (Aug.) FYI: Donougher's translation of The Book of Nights won the TLS Scott Moncrieff Prize for best translation in 1992.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In this elegant and carefully translated novel, Germain, the French-born author of nine previous novels (e.g., The Medusa Child), combines the grotesque with genuine tragedy in a tale of startling originality. The plot itself is improbable: a woman out horseback riding does not see a wire strung across the road and is instantly beheaded. Her headless body is brought back by the horse, while her son, Tobias, remains out in a storm that has blown up. The father, distraught at not finding his wife's head, suffers a stroke, and the child ends up being raised by his Jewish grandmother, Deborah. As Tobias grows up into manhood, he befriends a young woman whose seven previous lovers died. The archangel Raphael joins Tobias in his travels and enables him to find his mother's head. What this bare-bones summary cannot show is how this superb novel plumbs the depths of human relationships, revealing in particular the importance of family. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.DAnn Irvine, Montgomery Cty. P.L., MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous!, Jan 3 2005
By Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Book of Tobias (Paperback)
It doesn't do the book justice to say that it is a contemporary retelling of the story of Tobias from the Old Testament. This book was so elegantly written (at least in the English translation, which I am assuming was probably still not as good as the original French) that I was just stunned. I read portions to my family who were as enthralled by the beautiful descriptions as I was. The basic story is a history of a family from the perspective of Deborah, a young Jewish woman who loses everyone she loves, one by one, to disaster. Over her long life, God is silent, but she is still faithful. Of course, anyone who has read the original bible story knows that an angel, Raphael, assists the family -- and how beautifully that is portrayed in the book. I recommend this book without reservation and look forward to reading Ms. Germain's books.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outside my Box, May 19 2010
By Donna L. Koehn "DK10" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Book of Tobias (Paperback)
If you dont venture Outside your box every now and again, growth will not be part of your Life. I am so glad I didn't miss this poetic love story. God will lead you.
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