Review by ilovechickens777 -- Gates to Tangier
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ilovechickens777
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Review by ilovechickens777 -- Gates to Tangier
[Following is a volunteer review of "Gates to Tangier" by Mois Benarroch.]
2 out of 4 stars
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The Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch is a historical novel featuring a family who, after their father’s death are looking for a “lost step-son” that their father had without them knowing. If they fail this mission they will not be able to get the inheritance from their father which the whole family depends on. On their journey for this brother they are forced to reunite back together and bring their family which was dispersed working again with each other. In between the narration of the characters is a slightly mysterious dialogue that the reader has to figure out its meaning.
The book is slightly confusing at first; however the reader will understand it as the story unfolds. Although the novel is slow, it is at a rate that makes your eyes stick to the pages. I personally was able to read the first half of the book in one afternoon. It is very interesting as it has a lot of Jewish politics which are quite enjoyable. A week before reading the novel I returned from a trip to Israel and the novel has increased my understanding immensely. The true culture is captured in the pages and anyone who has been or knows about Israel will be captivated. The views on each of the characters are quite in depth and you get a feeling of their emotions and feelings for their religion.
Each of the characters has different problems they face in their everyday lives and this is a nice variety. However, even through some of their differences the author did a good job of tying it all together. It is quite an intricate story. This is especially shown near the middle of the novel as at this point you are truly engaged.
However, there are some negatives as well when reading the novel. I did find the book hard to follow at certain points and you do not truly understand everything that is happening. Also anyone who is not aware of the Jewish culture may be lost in some of the terminology and ideas. Although, these are just minor, the major aspect of the book that severely made me dislike it is some of the context. There are certain parts where the characters swear. Me being someone who has never sworn in my life, it was hard to read through. However, this was definitely not to an extreme as there was only swearing in about 20 pages of the novel at most. The main thing by far in the context that made me dislike it was the inappropriate and mature context portions of the novel. There were literally parts were I would have to stop reading and put down the book for some time before continuing because of this reason. It was actually quite disturbing in certain sections. Of course, if you are someone who is used to reading this it is acceptable, but personally not for me. I generally do not read novels such as this one and seeing this inappropriateness was quite a shock.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. It is well thought out as well as educational and is very well done in an aspect of the Jewish culture. It is not for younger readers as it contains mature context that may be disturbing to certain readers.
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Gates to Tangier
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2 out of 4 stars
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The Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch is a historical novel featuring a family who, after their father’s death are looking for a “lost step-son” that their father had without them knowing. If they fail this mission they will not be able to get the inheritance from their father which the whole family depends on. On their journey for this brother they are forced to reunite back together and bring their family which was dispersed working again with each other. In between the narration of the characters is a slightly mysterious dialogue that the reader has to figure out its meaning.
The book is slightly confusing at first; however the reader will understand it as the story unfolds. Although the novel is slow, it is at a rate that makes your eyes stick to the pages. I personally was able to read the first half of the book in one afternoon. It is very interesting as it has a lot of Jewish politics which are quite enjoyable. A week before reading the novel I returned from a trip to Israel and the novel has increased my understanding immensely. The true culture is captured in the pages and anyone who has been or knows about Israel will be captivated. The views on each of the characters are quite in depth and you get a feeling of their emotions and feelings for their religion.
Each of the characters has different problems they face in their everyday lives and this is a nice variety. However, even through some of their differences the author did a good job of tying it all together. It is quite an intricate story. This is especially shown near the middle of the novel as at this point you are truly engaged.
However, there are some negatives as well when reading the novel. I did find the book hard to follow at certain points and you do not truly understand everything that is happening. Also anyone who is not aware of the Jewish culture may be lost in some of the terminology and ideas. Although, these are just minor, the major aspect of the book that severely made me dislike it is some of the context. There are certain parts where the characters swear. Me being someone who has never sworn in my life, it was hard to read through. However, this was definitely not to an extreme as there was only swearing in about 20 pages of the novel at most. The main thing by far in the context that made me dislike it was the inappropriate and mature context portions of the novel. There were literally parts were I would have to stop reading and put down the book for some time before continuing because of this reason. It was actually quite disturbing in certain sections. Of course, if you are someone who is used to reading this it is acceptable, but personally not for me. I generally do not read novels such as this one and seeing this inappropriateness was quite a shock.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. It is well thought out as well as educational and is very well done in an aspect of the Jewish culture. It is not for younger readers as it contains mature context that may be disturbing to certain readers.
******
Gates to Tangier
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like ilovechickens777's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "OUR LANHAM HISTORY and Related Families" by Clifford W. Lanham
