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Review
“In this fast-paced thriller, the philosophical wrestling matches the action blow for blow.”—Hadassah Magazine
“Sharp, biting prose distinguishes this first novel from Israeli author Mandelman… The author deftly blends a murder mystery with a nuanced examination of the intransigent Israeli-Arab conflict.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An absorbing and captivating novel that bridges the uncomfortable political gap between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A first-rate debut novel that tackles current issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict while revealing the paradoxes of Israeli life for those who embrace the arts yet must deal with violence on a daily basis.” —Booklist, starred review
“…a literary thriller that powerfully confronts uncomfortable paradoxes around the founding of Israel. The issues it raises are as near as the headlines, and the novel seems likely to be as controversial as the play that forms its centerpiece.”—Library Journal
“Sharp, biting prose distinguishes this first novel from Israeli author Mandelman… The author deftly blends a murder mystery with a nuanced examination of the intransigent Israeli-Arab conflict.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An absorbing and captivating novel that bridges the uncomfortable political gap between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A first-rate debut novel that tackles current issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict while revealing the paradoxes of Israeli life for those who embrace the arts yet must deal with violence on a daily basis.” —Booklist, starred review
“…a literary thriller that powerfully confronts uncomfortable paradoxes around the founding of Israel. The issues it raises are as near as the headlines, and the novel seems likely to be as controversial as the play that forms its centerpiece.”—Library Journal
Product Description
Winner of the 2011 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Crime Novel
In Middle East lore the Debba is a mythical Arab hyena that can turn into a man who lures Jewish children away from their families to teach them the language of the beasts. To the Arabs he is a heroic national symbol; to the Jews he is a terrorist. To David Starkman, “The Debba” is a controversial play, written by his father the war hero, and performed only once, in Haifa in 1946, causing a massive riot. By 1977, David is living in Canada, having renounced his Israeli citizenship and withdrawn from his family, haunted by persistent nightmares about his catastrophic turn as a military assassin for Israel. Upon learning of his father’s gruesome murder, he returns to his homeland for what he hopes will be the final time. Back in Israel, David discovers that his father's will demands he stage the play within forty-five days of his death, and though he is reluctant to comply, the authorities’ evident relief at his refusal convinces him he must persevere. With his father’s legacy on the line, David is forced to reimmerse himself in a life he thought he’d escaped for good.The heart-stopping climax shows that nothing in Israel is as it appears, and not only are the sins of the fathers revisited upon the sons, but so are their virtues—and the latter are more terrible still. Disguised as a breathtaking thriller, Avner Mandelman’s novel reveals Israel’s double soul, its inherent paradoxes, and its taste for both art and violence. The riddle of the Debba—the myth, the play, and the novel— is nothing less than the tangled riddle of Israel itself.
In Middle East lore the Debba is a mythical Arab hyena that can turn into a man who lures Jewish children away from their families to teach them the language of the beasts. To the Arabs he is a heroic national symbol; to the Jews he is a terrorist. To David Starkman, “The Debba” is a controversial play, written by his father the war hero, and performed only once, in Haifa in 1946, causing a massive riot. By 1977, David is living in Canada, having renounced his Israeli citizenship and withdrawn from his family, haunted by persistent nightmares about his catastrophic turn as a military assassin for Israel. Upon learning of his father’s gruesome murder, he returns to his homeland for what he hopes will be the final time. Back in Israel, David discovers that his father's will demands he stage the play within forty-five days of his death, and though he is reluctant to comply, the authorities’ evident relief at his refusal convinces him he must persevere. With his father’s legacy on the line, David is forced to reimmerse himself in a life he thought he’d escaped for good.The heart-stopping climax shows that nothing in Israel is as it appears, and not only are the sins of the fathers revisited upon the sons, but so are their virtues—and the latter are more terrible still. Disguised as a breathtaking thriller, Avner Mandelman’s novel reveals Israel’s double soul, its inherent paradoxes, and its taste for both art and violence. The riddle of the Debba—the myth, the play, and the novel— is nothing less than the tangled riddle of Israel itself.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eye Opening Novel,
By
This review is from: The Debba (Paperback)
This is an interesting book and took me to a world that I know nothing about. It's worth reading - complicated and unpredictable, unlike many mysteries & thrillers that I have read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
This is a damn good book; NOT an easy book.,
By
This review is from: The Debba (Paperback)
3.5 STARS Oddly enough, I should have liked it more. For an atheistic goy I am a rather extreme judaphile/Israeliphile. Over the years I have read just about everything written by Wouk and Uris; short stories by Singer (English!) ancient and modern history including (recently) "One Palestine: Complete" an excellent history of the British Mandate. I have washed my hands in the Red, Dead, Med and Sea of Galilee.But I was still floundering in `The Debba'. how could most literate gentiles focus on the quality writing without being very distracted? Still, I would encourage them to stick with it. When there is a second printing (I think there will be) a glossary and cast of characters would be a HUGE help. My major issue however is the protagonist. I don't like him. More to the point I find him annoying. Not that I have a problem with flawed or evil protagonists. I enjoy Burke (Vachss), Flashman (Fraser), von Shrakenberg (Stirling), Lestat (Rice) and countless other monsters, drunks, fools and scoundrels. David Starkman twitches, sweats and mumbles too much. Though his worst character flaw (which seems to be a pointless sub-plot) leads to a brilliant twist at the end. Other reviewers have summarized the plot quite well. I disagree with some, as I much preferred the last hundred pages to the first. Truth IS stranger than fiction. The entire history of Israel often defies belief, so I do not consider the resolutions in this novel too `Hollywood'. It is by no means tidy, pretty or perfect. (And middle aged men DO punch walls). The author is fiendishly intelligent. There are likely many nuances that I have missed. For example try searching `debba' or `were-hyena'. Has the author created his own mythology? And how to rationalize the haram hyena as an Arab folk hero? Not critiques- just more things for the book club.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
a strange book,
By
This review is from: The Debba (Paperback)
A tale of tangled loyalties in a land poisoned by hate. The author's bio says Mandelman was born in Israel and that he served in the six-day war, so I have to assume he knows whereof he writes. I wonder if, like his hero, he was driven to emigrate by his memories.A complex story and a good read, with an unexpected twist at the end.
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