The Retrospective - Hardcover

Yehoshua, A. B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0547496966 ISBN 13: 9780547496962

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013

Synopsis

Winner, Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger

An aging Israeli film director has been invited to the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela for a retrospective of his work. When Yair Moses and Ruth, his leading actress and longtime muse, settle into their hotel room, a painting over their bed triggers a distant memory in Moses from one of his early films: a scene that caused a rift with his brilliant but difficult screenwriter—who, as it happens, was once Ruth’s lover. Upon their return to Israel, Moses decides to travel to the south to look for his elusive former partner and propose a new collaboration. But the screenwriter demands a price for it that will have strange and lasting consequences.

A searching and original novel by one of the world’s most esteemed writers, The Retrospective is a meditation on mortality and intimacy, on the limits of memory and the struggle of artistic creation.

About this title

Review

Winner, 2012 Prix Medicis etranger
Winner, 2012 Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger
A" New York Times Book Review"Editor's Choice
"[Yehoshua] achieves an autumnal tone as he ruminates on memory s slippery hold on life and on art." "The New Yorker
"
"Yehoshua s prose penetrated to a level of psychological understanding that moved me deeply. . . [His] stories remind us that Israeli literature rightly joins the literature of those other cultures that have earned the right to make of ordinary lives a metaphor for such soul-destroying weariness." Vivian Gornick, "The Nation"
"An ambitious, engrossing, playfully testamentary novel." "Moment"
"A pure pleasure. . . Yehoshua's best book in years." "Maariv" (Israel)
"Genius. . . In "The Retrospective," Yehoshua evokes the complexities of growing old for men and women, and for a country that is no longer fledgling and the entrapments of regrets and broken memories that make it hard to part 'from what might have been but was not.'" "Jewish Daily Forward"
"Yehoshua is concerned with the inadequacies in our quotidian sense of history, our inability to comprehend its violent grandeur. Though the history he has in mind may be Jewish and Israeli, the final words of Ralph Ellison s "Invisible Man" may apply: 'Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?'" Robert Pinsky, "New York Times Book Review"
""The Retrospective" is intelligent, sensitive fiction . . . In his inimitable style, Yehoshua crafts a powerful and engaging allegory of modern Israeli Jewish identity. " "Haaretz"
"Yehoshua delivers a stunning explanation of the ethics of art. . . A fluid and absorbing novel of ideas; highly recommended." "Library Journal," starred review
"A truly international book, a serious set of reflections about coming to terms with the past with a surprising ending. . . His recent novels have a wonderful restraint, an increasingly elegiac feel." "Jewish Chronicle"
"Yehoshua's intelligent and refined novel. . . about an aging Israeli director reviewing both his films and his life. . . recalls once again Faulkner's famous dictum that 'the past isn't dead. It isn't even past.'" "Kirkus, " starred review
"With beautiful wordsmanship, Yehoshua entangles dignity and humiliation, repugnance and rapture, showing us how difficult they become to distinguish." "Booklist"
"A compelling meditation on art, memory, love, guilt A hugely pleasurable read, it shows that in his seventies, A. B. Yehoshua is still producing some of his best work." "Independent "(UK)
"Fascinating. . . Beautiful." "Ha'ir" (Israel)
"Richly plotted." "Jewish Week""

Winner, 2012 Prix Medicis etranger
Winner, 2012 Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger
A" New York Times Book Review"Editor's Choice
"[Yehoshua] achieves an autumnal tone as he ruminates on memory s slippery hold on life and on art." "The New Yorker
"
"Yehoshua s prose penetrated to a level of psychological understanding that moved me deeply. . . [His] stories remind us that Israeli literature rightly joins the literature of those other cultures that have earned the right to make of ordinary lives a metaphor for such soul-destroying weariness." Vivian Gornick, "The Nation"
"An ambitious, engrossing, playfully testamentary novel." "Moment"
"A pure pleasure. . . Yehoshua's best book in years." "Maariv" (Israel)
"Genius. . . In "The Retrospective," Yehoshua evokes the complexities of growing old for men and women, and for a country that is no longer fledgling and the entrapments of regrets and broken memories that make it hard to part 'from what might have been but was not.'" "Jewish Daily Forward"
"Yehoshua is concerned with the inadequacies in our quotidian sense of history, our inability to comprehend its violent grandeur. Though the history he has in mind may be Jewish and Israeli, the final words of Ralph Ellison s "Invisible Man" may apply: 'Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?'" Robert Pinsky, "New York Times Book Review"
""The Retrospective" is intelligent, sensitive fiction . . . In his inimitable style, Yehoshua crafts a powerful and engaging allegory of modern Israeli Jewish identity. " "Haaretz"
"Yehoshua delivers a stunning explanation of the ethics of art. . . A fluid and absorbing novel of ideas; highly recommended." "Library Journal," starred review
"A truly international book, a serious set of reflections about coming to terms with the past with a surprising ending. . . His recent novels have a wonderful restraint, an increasingly elegiac feel." "Jewish Chronicle"
"Yehoshua's intelligent and refined novel. . . about an aging Israeli director reviewing both his films and his life. . . recalls once again Faulkner's famous dictum that 'the past isn't dead. It isn't even past.'" "Kirkus, " starred review
"With beautiful wordsmanship, Yehoshua entangles dignity and humiliation, repugnance and rapture, showing us how difficult they become to distinguish." "Booklist"
"A compelling meditation on art, memory, love, guilt A hugely pleasurable read, it shows that in his seventies, A. B. Yehoshua is still producing some of his best work." "Independent "(UK)
"Fascinating. . . Beautiful." "Ha'ir" (Israel)
"Richly plotted." "Jewish Week""

Winner, 2012 Prix Medicis etranger
Winner, 2012 Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger
A New York Times Book ReviewEditor's Choice
"[Yehoshua] achieves an autumnal tone as he ruminates on memory s slippery hold on life and on art." The New Yorker

"Yehoshua s prose penetrated to a level of psychological understanding that moved me deeply. . . [His] stories remind us that Israeli literature rightly joins the literature of those other cultures that have earned the right to make of ordinary lives a metaphor for such soul-destroying weariness." Vivian Gornick, The Nation
"An ambitious, engrossing, playfully testamentary novel." Moment
"A pure pleasure. . . Yehoshua's best book in years." Maariv (Israel)
"Genius. . . In The Retrospective, Yehoshua evokes the complexities of growing old for men and women, and for a country that is no longer fledgling and the entrapments of regrets and broken memories that make it hard to part 'from what might have been but was not.'" Jewish Daily Forward
"Yehoshua is concerned with the inadequacies in our quotidian sense of history, our inability to comprehend its violent grandeur. Though the history he has in mind may be Jewish and Israeli, the final words of Ralph Ellison s Invisible Man may apply: 'Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?'" Robert Pinsky, New York Times Book Review
"The Retrospective is intelligent, sensitive fiction . . . In his inimitable style, Yehoshua crafts a powerful and engaging allegory of modern Israeli Jewish identity. " Haaretz
"Yehoshua delivers a stunning explanation of the ethics of art. . . A fluid and absorbing novel of ideas; highly recommended." Library Journal, starred review
"A truly international book, a serious set of reflections about coming to terms with the past with a surprising ending. . . His recent novels have a wonderful restraint, an increasingly elegiac feel." Jewish Chronicle
"Yehoshua's intelligent and refined novel. . . about an aging Israeli director reviewing both his films and his life. . . recalls once again Faulkner's famous dictum that 'the past isn't dead. It isn't even past.'" Kirkus, starred review
"With beautiful wordsmanship, Yehoshua entangles dignity and humiliation, repugnance and rapture, showing us how difficult they become to distinguish." Booklist
"A compelling meditation on art, memory, love, guilt A hugely pleasurable read, it shows that in his seventies, A. B. Yehoshua is still producing some of his best work." Independent (UK)
"Fascinating. . . Beautiful." Ha'ir (Israel)
"Richly plotted." Jewish Week"

Winner, 2012 Prix Médicis étranger
Winner, 2012 Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger
A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice

"[Yehoshua] achieves an autumnal tone as he ruminates on memory's slippery hold on life and on art."--The New Yorker

"Yehoshua's prose penetrated to a level of psychological understanding that moved me deeply. . . [His] stories remind us that Israeli literature rightly joins the literature of those other cultures that have earned the right to make of ordinary lives a metaphor for such soul-destroying weariness."--Vivian Gornick, The Nation

"An ambitious, engrossing, playfully testamentary novel."--Moment

"A pure pleasure. . . Yehoshua's best book in years."--Maariv (Israel)

"Genius. . . In The Retrospective, Yehoshua evokes the complexities of growing old -- for men and women, and for a country that is no longer fledgling -- and the entrapments of regrets and broken memories that make it hard to part 'from what might have been but was not.'"--Jewish Daily Forward

"Yehoshua is concerned with the inadequacies in our quotidian sense of history, our inability to comprehend its violent grandeur. Though the history he has in mind may be Jewish and Israeli, the final words of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man may apply: 'Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?'"--Robert Pinsky, New York Times Book Review

"The Retrospective is intelligent, sensitive fiction . . . In his inimitable style, Yehoshua crafts a powerful and engaging allegory of modern Israeli Jewish identity. "--Haaretz

"Yehoshua delivers a stunning explanation of the ethics of art. . . A fluid and absorbing novel of ideas; highly recommended."--Library Journal, starred review

"A truly international book, a serious set of reflections about coming to terms with the past--with a surprising ending. . . His recent novels have a wonderful restraint, an increasingly elegiac feel."--Jewish Chronicle

"Yehoshua's intelligent and refined novel. . . about an aging Israeli director reviewing both his films and his life. . . recalls once again Faulkner's famous dictum that 'the past isn't dead. It isn't even past.'"--Kirkus, starred review

"With beautiful wordsmanship, Yehoshua entangles dignity and humiliation, repugnance and rapture, showing us how difficult they become to distinguish."--Booklist

"A compelling meditation on art, memory, love, guilt... A hugely pleasurable read, it shows that in his seventies, A. B. Yehoshua is still producing some of his best work."--Independent (UK)

"Fascinating. . . Beautiful."--Ha'ir (Israel)

"Richly plotted."--Jewish Week

Book Description

From the internationally acclaimed author of Mr. Mani and A Woman in Jerusalem, a thrilling novel that explores the relationship between life and art through the eyes of a film director, his screenwriter and their muse.

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0547496966
• ISBN 13: 9780547496962
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336