Skadi Winter is the author of HEXE, the story of young girl, born during the coldest winter people could remember in a remote German village shortly after WWII. I am deeply moved by her review of my novel, Apart From Love:
Uvi Poznanski's book is fascinatingly different from the usual love story or family affair story.
We are introduced to a dysfunctional, broken family relationship of a father, Lenny, his son Ben, his wife, a music artist called Natasha and to Anita.
While Natasha is suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer's disease and is living in a care home and Lenny has divorced her, Ben thinks for years that his mother is on a world tour and has left them. Because of an affair of his father with Anita, an ice cream parlour waitress, whom he later takes as his second wife, Ben has left home and returns only after 10 years while his father has been taken to hospital.
While the story unfolds, we learn from an old tape recorder, which Lenny is using to spy on the most intimate thoughts of his son under the premise to use the recordings to write a book.
The tape recorder functions more and more as a diary of Ben and Anita, who are drawn to each other behind Lenny's back as Anita only is insignificantly younger than Ben. The reader , in my view, functions as a keyhole viewer or maybe a psychoanalyst, watching the dynamics of the family unfold from a safe place. But, is this such a safe place? Have we not all, the readers, more or less experienced similar scenarios in our own life?
Each of the characters tells us about their situation from their point of view over the tape recordings, thus emotionally involving the reader: dependency, love, rivalry, hurt, mistrust, need, secrets and betrayal - insight into a family world we all know.
I only have discovered Uvi Poznanski recently and after reading 'Apart from Love' I downloaded two more books of her, 'Home' and 'Rise to Power'.
Uvi brilliantly portrays the different characters in 'Apart from Love' and successfully involves the reader to reflect on them. Her language is very skillful and calm, even gentle and thus never fails to paint the picture of society's life 'behind the scene'.
It certainly is not the average 'every-day-book', it is great writing art. I admit, I will read the book again, to finally let it sink in. All I can say now is, I loved it.
I strongly recommend Uvi's books to readers who are looking for more then shades of colours or blood thirsty creatures. Uvi is a writer who's books will stay with you, the fine art of a most sensitive and skillful artist. If there were more than 5 stars, I sure would add them.
Apart from Love - a beautifully written unusual novel, June 17, 2014
This review is from: Apart From Love (Kindle Edition)
Uvi Poznanski's book is fascinatingly different from the usual love story or family affair story.We are introduced to a dysfunctional, broken family relationship of a father, Lenny, his son Ben, his wife, a music artist called Natasha and to Anita.
While Natasha is suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer's disease and is living in a care home and Lenny has divorced her, Ben thinks for years that his mother is on a world tour and has left them. Because of an affair of his father with Anita, an ice cream parlour waitress, whom he later takes as his second wife, Ben has left home and returns only after 10 years while his father has been taken to hospital.
While the story unfolds, we learn from an old tape recorder, which Lenny is using to spy on the most intimate thoughts of his son under the premise to use the recordings to write a book.
The tape recorder functions more and more as a diary of Ben and Anita, who are drawn to each other behind Lenny's back as Anita only is insignificantly younger than Ben. The reader , in my view, functions as a keyhole viewer or maybe a psychoanalyst, watching the dynamics of the family unfold from a safe place. But, is this such a safe place? Have we not all, the readers, more or less experienced similar scenarios in our own life?
Each of the characters tells us about their situation from their point of view over the tape recordings, thus emotionally involving the reader: dependency, love, rivalry, hurt, mistrust, need, secrets and betrayal - insight into a family world we all know.
I only have discovered Uvi Poznanski recently and after reading 'Apart from Love' I downloaded two more books of her, 'Home' and 'Rise to Power'.
Uvi brilliantly portrays the different characters in 'Apart from Love' and successfully involves the reader to reflect on them. Her language is very skillful and calm, even gentle and thus never fails to paint the picture of society's life 'behind the scene'.
It certainly is not the average 'every-day-book', it is great writing art. I admit, I will read the book again, to finally let it sink in. All I can say now is, I loved it.
I strongly recommend Uvi's books to readers who are looking for more then shades of colours or blood thirsty creatures. Uvi is a writer who's books will stay with you, the fine art of a most sensitive and skillful artist. If there were more than 5 stars, I sure would add them.
I had the great pleasure to review Uvi Poznanski's book 'Apart from Love'. Definitely 5 stars from me.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Skadi, LOVE your review!
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