Review by bluehawaii -- Keys to Tetouan by Mois Benarroch
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bluehawaii
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Review by bluehawaii -- Keys to Tetouan by Mois Benarroch
[Following is a volunteer review of "Keys to Tetouan" by Mois Benarroch.]
2 out of 4 stars
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Keys to Tetouan has some bold and insightful things to say about belonging and finding a sense of place in the Jewish diaspora. This Israeli novel follows the Benzimra family through several generations, in a non-linear pattern. This Jewish family had roots in Tetouan, Morocco, although they were originally expelled from Spain in 1492, an event that still haunts the family in many subtle ways.
As constant immigrants, migrants and refugees, the Benzrimra clan charts a course throughout Europe, North America, South America, and, significantly, Israel, but Tetouan seems to have a unique hold on several of them. Author Mois Benarroch explores the complications of building a sense of identity when you are a part of a people group that has been rejected time and time again in so many places and ways. We feel this through the perspective of an elderly grandfather who came back from the holy land to spend his last days in his homeland of Tetouan, the writer in Paris, and the Spanish man who recently discovered he was Jewish.
There are two threads at work in Tetouan; the main narrative passes throughout several Benzimra men, and the other, smaller thread is a running dialogue between the family patriarch as a young boy and his mother while the family emigrates to Israel. Both threads are fascinating, sad, and hungry for a homeland that they never really feel settled in.
Benarrach makes post-modern choices with his writing, most notably eschewing periods in his sentences which can be disorienting. Although the end of the novel weaves the patchwork of narratives together in a completely unexpected way, the jarring narrative changes feel jerky and confusing throughout, holding the reader at arm’s length from the characters. The novel also has a very internal feel to it. There is no action; every page is full of either conversation or reflection.
I rate this book two out of four stars, because although the male narrators are striking, written with depth and feeling, readers will ultimately feel too busy struggling to get their bearings to truly become emotionally entangled with the characters. The arch of the story is weakened because it not only lacks true closure, but none of the characters are around long enough to truly develop.
That said, Tetouan has some glimmeringly beautiful language, and a truly moving meditation on Morocco’s relationship to outsiders, contradicting widely-held perspectives on Middle Eastern anti-Semitism. These passages are among the strongest and most vibrant of the novel. You would enjoy Keys to Tetouan if you love untraditional novels with a dense narrative style.
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Keys to Tetouan
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2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Keys to Tetouan has some bold and insightful things to say about belonging and finding a sense of place in the Jewish diaspora. This Israeli novel follows the Benzimra family through several generations, in a non-linear pattern. This Jewish family had roots in Tetouan, Morocco, although they were originally expelled from Spain in 1492, an event that still haunts the family in many subtle ways.
As constant immigrants, migrants and refugees, the Benzrimra clan charts a course throughout Europe, North America, South America, and, significantly, Israel, but Tetouan seems to have a unique hold on several of them. Author Mois Benarroch explores the complications of building a sense of identity when you are a part of a people group that has been rejected time and time again in so many places and ways. We feel this through the perspective of an elderly grandfather who came back from the holy land to spend his last days in his homeland of Tetouan, the writer in Paris, and the Spanish man who recently discovered he was Jewish.
There are two threads at work in Tetouan; the main narrative passes throughout several Benzimra men, and the other, smaller thread is a running dialogue between the family patriarch as a young boy and his mother while the family emigrates to Israel. Both threads are fascinating, sad, and hungry for a homeland that they never really feel settled in.
Benarrach makes post-modern choices with his writing, most notably eschewing periods in his sentences which can be disorienting. Although the end of the novel weaves the patchwork of narratives together in a completely unexpected way, the jarring narrative changes feel jerky and confusing throughout, holding the reader at arm’s length from the characters. The novel also has a very internal feel to it. There is no action; every page is full of either conversation or reflection.
I rate this book two out of four stars, because although the male narrators are striking, written with depth and feeling, readers will ultimately feel too busy struggling to get their bearings to truly become emotionally entangled with the characters. The arch of the story is weakened because it not only lacks true closure, but none of the characters are around long enough to truly develop.
That said, Tetouan has some glimmeringly beautiful language, and a truly moving meditation on Morocco’s relationship to outsiders, contradicting widely-held perspectives on Middle Eastern anti-Semitism. These passages are among the strongest and most vibrant of the novel. You would enjoy Keys to Tetouan if you love untraditional novels with a dense narrative style.
******
Keys to Tetouan
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like bluehawaii's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Pancake Money by Finn Bell
