The books of Mois Benarroch

Mois Benarroch · Post Number:#1 by **Timbets** » 05 Jan 2017, 20:25

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gates to Tangier" by Mois Benarroch.]

4 out of 4 stars

It can be a terrible burden and a lot to process when someone dies. When finding out about a brother that never existed until reading the will can be an overwhelming shock. Gates-to-Tangier by Mois Benarroch is a short story about the Benzimra family traveling to Morocco to find a brother they never knew. Finding their brother is the only way they will receive the money left for them.

Isaque, Israel, Fortu, Alberto, and their sister Silvia, are all Jews returning to Morocco. Morocco is a place that became exile because it is without Jews. Therefore, these siblings, have not been to Morocco in years. If it were not for the will, they would probably not have gone back at all. While forming a plan to try to find their brother Zohra, mixed emotions, confusion, and frustration combined make it hard for the siblings to want to complete the job they were given. What they didn't know is their brother Zohra is a woman. Can they complete the task to find their brother?

Zohra has been with her boyfriend for 2 years. For the longest time, Zohra was confused as to why she cannot have children even though she knows why. The reason still does not make sense to her. Zohra decides to do more research. Once she found the answer, her whole life could change. The biggest question for her is, what would become of Marcel and me?

I enjoyed the story about the siblings looking for their brother. It wasn't too short or too long. I did not find any mistakes at all. The author did a very good job relating details up to the end. The characters were also broken down to sections so that you could read about them one at a time instead of all at once. It felt like you got to know them better that way. There wasn't much I did not like about the story. I was disappointed to find out the news about Zohra, however it did make the story even more interesting. So it was a very good twist that was not expected.

I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would highly recommend this to anyone, except young children. Do not let the first sentence fool you. I almost wondered at first what I got myself into. Once I got past that part I can understand why it was written that way. The only thing I would say that could maybe be different is the first sentence because not everyone likes to read a book beginning that way.

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Gates to Tangier

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Mois Benarroch

4 out of 4 stars

Review by darcyb123

Gates to Tangier, by Mois Benarroch, is a novel about family, fate, and the innate longing to return home. The story deals with our innermost driving desire to know who we are, who we may become, and the eternal mystery involved in the search for meaning and fulfillment in our lives. Several narrators tell the story, and for much of the novel, the reader is inside each character’s mind, privy to thoughts and feelings so private they would never be shared with even the closest of friends. The writing is engaging from the first word through the last, and it was difficult for me to lay the book aside once started.

The setting of the book takes place on many stages, Europe, Africa, the United States and Israel. It entails a large Jewish family, some prosperous, some not. Some religious, some not, coming together for the strangest of reasons, to search for someone they neither know nor wish to know. Each member’s inheritance is dependent upon finding a half-brother whose existence was revealed only in the reading of the will. The common thread binding them together of family, customs, and culture, is contrasted with that which divides them; depth of religious belief and practice, education, financial status and childhood memories. Though much of the family remember the same scenes, they are clouded by the colors of the lens each chooses to look through.

The diaspora as a result of World War II forces the family to leave Madrid, Spain for Tangier, Morocco, and from Tangier they scattered to the furthest regions of the world. Some to America, some back to Spain, some to Israel to participate in the earliest Kibbutz and the re-establishing of a Jewish homeland. Because they spread so far apart, they have grown distant, but their forced search together reaffirms and strengthens their family ties.

The characters in Gates of Tangier are engaging, memorable and very real. The theme of family, race and position run through each member’s life and forces them to decide. Are Jews superior to other races? Why are the Semitic Arabs sworn enemies of the Jew? Are they not brothers? Are Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe superior to the Sephardi from the West? Is there anywhere in the world that Jews are truly safe? As each character works through the questions within, he challenges the reader to join the discussion and turn a spotlight on their beliefs regarding race, status, and culture.

I enjoyed Gates of Tangier so much; I rate it a 4 out of 4-star rating. It was an enjoyable, engaging story, very well written, and memorable. The dynamic of life lays open for all to see, and I, for one, loved it. I was sorry when the book ended and found myself hoping for a sequel.

Mois Benarroch · Post by **AmeliaAndrews** » 27 Jan 2018, 10:40

[Following is a volunteer review of "Andalusian in Jerusalem" by Mois benarroch.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Mois Benarroch's Andalusian in Jerusalem recounts the story of a Spanish writer's adventures in Israel, all the while, pretending to be a Jew and having made a career of writing about Jewish history.

Stylistically, the book is superb, the vivid descriptions and sparse, literal inner monologue of the main character contrasting wonderfully with the absurd and often nightmarish events which take place. The stony acceptance with which these events are met highlights the absurdity of human interactions and the chaotic, meaningless nature of the world, mirroring Kafka - one of the main character's literary inspirations - thematically as well as stylistically.

A related theme of the book is the disparity between appearance and reality. This idea is emphasised throughout the book, set in a city where streets cease to exist for hours or months at a time, characters age decades in the space of minutes and the main character assumes both a fictional identity and a fictional family. One interpretation is that the nature of reality is not fixed or determined and can be changed at will, seen when Guillermo assumes, without evidence, that a certain house exists only at night and is proved to be correct. The notion of a reality determined solely by our actions and interpretations perfectly mirrors Sartre's radical freedom.

Similarly, the theme of personal identity is also key to the book, with the main character adopting a Jewish identity and then another persona entirely, as well as others struggling with personal identity in the face of societal pressures to conform, such as Charly and his characters. This idea is expanded in Charly's manuscript, detailing the stories of forced conversions as well as the search for personal identity in an antagonistic society. One of the important idea which arises is whether identity can be found in the past, through one's cultural heritage and ancestry, or in our present lives and through future children. Perhaps the endless returning to the legacy of the dead is an attempt to find meaning in an otherwise meaningless world, indifferent to human purposes. Another interpretation is that the cultivation of the past into an identity is an attempt to reconcile pain, particularly prominent in the tales of religious persecution described in the story.

A final point of interest is the commentary of characters, who are writers, on the nature of a writer's duty. This is a profound discussion, offering the perspective that writing is of such importance that it should take precedence over all other pursuits, Charly telling Guillermo that being a writer is more important than an editor and that 'true' writers are hard to come by. In this mindset, literature is valuable because it provides some connection to knowledge and truth, which is regarded as inherently valuable.

In conclusion, this book is exceptionally well-written, a thrilling adventure and insight into a great mind, recommended to anyone interested in Spanish or Jewish culture, writing as profession or existentialist themes. It makes for an extremely sophisticated and at times surreal read, echoing the literary styles of Franz Kafka, as well as exploring some of his favoured themes, engaging and exceptional in parts and thus deserving of a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

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Andalusian in Jerusalem

Mois Benarroch · Post Number:#1 by **Rosemary Okoko** » 22 Jun 2017, 00:53

[Following is a review of "The Expelled" by Mois Benarroch.]

4 out of 4 stars

Review by Rosemary Okoko

The Expelled By Mois Benarroch
Writers’ lives are so boring that the only thing that saves them from boredom is making up stories like young children who create imaginary friends and give them names to fill their world. These are the words of Mois Benarroch, the author of The Expelled. This book is a non-fiction narrative that has some touch of romance. The author uses ‘he’ and ‘she’ interchangeably as his characters change from ‘he’ to ‘she’. The author gives a narration of a bus ride he took. The people seated at the back were referred to as ‘back people’ and those in front as ‘front people’. Front people hated back people so much that they could not allow them to use the ‘can’ which was another name for the washroom. A boundary line had to be drawn in the middle to separate them. Back people were regarded as dirty, smelly and violent, by the front people. As using the ‘can’ was a necessity, back people complained and front people decided that they could only use it at specific hours. The author was sitting at the back. When sleeping, there was a gunshot and he woke up to find that Cash, the fifteen year old boy who had been sitting next to him, had been shot dead. Nobody owned up to killing him even though one passenger had a gun in his hands. This passenger with a gun was one of the front people. The front people made the decision on how to get rid of Cash’s body and proceed with the journey. They gave him the name Saint Cash, prayed for him and later offered prayers to him. They also blamed him for any shortcomings, attributing this to the fact that he was murdered.

The author, having moved with his family from Morocco, was living in Israel. Here, anyone from Morocco was regarded uneducated and violent. They were looked down upon and whenever the author tried to prove that he was from Morocco even by showing his identity card, people would not believe it and wondered why he was different and nice. The author says that in order to stop being different, he had to stop being born in Morocco, something that no one knows how to do yet, and if anyone knows, they have not shared it. At one time he decided that he was from France and even hated a Moroccan poet who declared openly that he was from Morocco. After a while, the author changed his perception and decided to like this author and even make it known that he himself was from Morocco. He lived as a recluse, a leper and an expelled.

The author’s story of the bus is reflective of the oppression his people faced in Israel. The expelled were not allowed to make decisions. ‘The front people throw stones. When the back people throw them back they call us terrorists though back people were opposed to stone throwing because it didn’t seem humane to them’. This summarizes the feelings of the author as one of the expelled. I liked this book because you have to jog your mind and put two and two together to understand the story.

I enjoyed reading this book which has undergone professional editing. A few errors on spacing could be blamed on the format. Having read other books by this author, I find this book the easiest to understand and will rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I have no reason to rate it lower.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to read on oppression and identity crisis. When looked down upon, you might get tempted to change your identity so as to be accepted by those who hate you. This book contains some explicit content.

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Mois Benarroch · Post Number:#1 by **mturner5500** » 03 Mar 2017, 19:11

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In the novel "The Expelled" writer Mois Benarroch examines topics such as class and discrimination through the use of parable. In the story the anonymous narrator meets a woman who looks like a younger version of his wife at a bus stop. He strikes up a conversation with her by telling her a story about a long bus trip and the effects it has on the passengers. The bus passengers soon divide themselves into the front and back sections of the bus and that effects how they relate to one another. While he relates this story he begins a love affair with the woman he is relating the story to.

The book is translated from it's original language by Pamela Daccache. There are a few jarring editing errors in the novel that take one out of the story from time to time. However Benarroch's skill in telling this surreal tale shine through. This is not a easy to digest work. There are multiple layers throughout the story that require the reader to pay attention. Bennaroch spends much time on creating mood and setting allowing the characters to live in a real breathing world.

Benarroch lives in Israel and he is using his story as a metaphor for how Moroccan Jews can be mistreated there due to their status as outsiders. He uses the bus trip as a metaphor for the different social strata that exist in our lives. How even what should be meaningless distinctions between people can be used to divide and separate us. The people who sit in the front or the back of the bus have such different backgrounds and personalities that there is no real reason for them to consider themselves as part of a group different from those at the front of the bus.

I really enjoyed that the narrator himself may not be entirely honest with us about what happened between himself and the woman. It's clear Benarroch is admitting his own prejudices may be coming into play while he is writing his novel. He is challenging us to listen to him but also to question him. He is also making us aware of our own inner ways we make value judgments.

I would rate this story as a 3 out of 4 stars. It is dense and takes focus to follow all the lines the story weaves together. It is richly rewarding doing so as it makes you consider your own thoughts and prejudices. The slight editing problems are distracting somewhat. This is not a story for anyone looking for light escapism. It's for those who want to be challenged and read something thought provoking.

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The Expelled

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Mois Benarroch

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub review of Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch.]

Gates to Tangier is a work of fiction by Mois Benarroch about a family that discovers their father had been hiding an incredible secret from them, and it is only revealed to them after his death. The secret is they have a half brother living in Morocco, and they are required to go and seek this brother out in order to receive their inheritance. The brothers and sisters of this family have different motives for getting the inheritance because of their different occupations and needs for the money. The book chronicles their journey through their eyes and gives you insights into each of the people on the journey as well as their feelings about each piece of news as it is revealed to them.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing in the book is very formal and can be difficult to read at times, but once you get into the swing of the language it's easy to read. There are point of view switches between the characters, which some readers may have a hard time following. However, in my opinion I think it really adds to the characters and depth of the story. I particularly like that there is a point of view for the dead brother, I really like seeing his point of view on his death through his eyes, and his story in this book as well. He is mentioned often, and in high regard. It really makes the reader understand how special he was, and also how his absence affects his family. I also learned a great deal about the Jewish faith and their different words and beliefs from this story. I looked up the words that were unfamiliar to me to truly understand the characters in this story.

There are also wonderful little vignettes between chapters that lighten up the mood of the book. They are both inspirational and beautiful, and it was one of my favorite parts of the whole book. Those little nuggets of beauty between the chapters. My favorite was a father talking to his son about life and death. These were the only thing that deviated from the formal speech, and it really worked well for the story.

Mois Benarroch · Post Number:#1 by **KasieMiehlke** » 24 Jan 2017, 16:23

[Following is a volunteer review of "Gates to Tangier" by Mois Benarroch.]

I give Gates To Tangier by Mois Benarroch 3 out of 4 stars. It is a really well written book that shows how siblings cope with their lives after tragedy. The book was not quite what I expected. I expected more of a family journey but instead it was journeys of self discovery. The length of the book was excellent and the way the author switches narrators worked extremely well. I would have liked to see more of interaction between the siblings. While Gates To Tangier did not fit my preference, I would not hesitate to recommend it to others.

In Gates To Tangier, siblings must make a journey at their late father’s request in order to receive their inheritance. The request comes with the new found knowledge of their father’s secret past. Throughout their travels back to their childhoods, each of the siblings reflect on their current lives and figure out what they need to do to become truly happy.

I did enjoy the book more than I thought I would. I loved the length. It was short enough to read in one sitting, yet it was long enough that nothing important was forgotten. I also enjoyed the idea that the siblings all had their own self- realizations at the end of the book. Each of them must face the harsh reality of how their lives got to the current situations. The author did a fantastic job of making each character relateable. The author did a great job at telling stories within a story. The plot twist was perfect. It came at just the right moment and was a shock to the reader. I personally believe that it made the book.

I would have liked to see a little more interaction between the siblings. I thought that this would be more of a familial reconnection book. This was really the only part that caused some dislike. I believe the way the author creates the overlaps between the characters makes up for the lack of interactions.

Overall I found Gates To Tangier to be a well written book. The author did a great job telling stories within a story while keeping the length short enough to tell everything. The stories flowed together perfectly between the characters. The journeys of self discoveries made up for the lack of interaction between the siblings. The book was not quite right for my taste, but I would recommend it for others.

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Gates to Tangier
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Mois Benarroch

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Brown Scarf Blues, an autobiographical novella by Mois Benarroch, begins in Spain when an Israeli author finds a Pierre Cardin scarf in Seville and loses it thirteen days later in Madrid. During these thirteen days between its discovery and its loss, the scarf becomes a source of comfort to the writer while he attends the Three Cultures Foundation convention with a group of thirty Sephardic Jews. The emblematic scarf winds through the themes of loss, farewells and memory in the novella.

The writer arrives in Spain mourning the deaths of his sister and his friend Alan. Both died that same year. Consequently, he sells the home he owned for more than two decades and moves into a middle-class house. Taking comfort from the scarf, he begins to reminisce about those he has lost throughout his life and where his role as a writer has taken him.

Benarroch’s exposition has a stream-of-consciousness feel to it, but at the same time, rationality anchors the poignant quality of the writing, preventing the story from becoming sentimental. The author shows the aftermath of Alan’s death in a way which is evocative and dignified. The narrator’s reminiscence lets the reader in and lets them think and feel with the mourner. His thoughts never become too private; even during deeply personal memories of the past and the dead, the writer converses with the reader. The structuring of the novella facilitates the story’s engagement with the themes of loss and goodbyes. Chapters 36 to the appendix belonged to different perspectives, locations and decades, becoming ever more fragmented the further back in time the memories originate in until the earliest memories are the most vivid impressions left from the narrator’s childhood. The novella has no fast setting after the scarf is lost in Madrid. Instead, the anecdotes leap between the Old World and the New World, but they never lose focus on the experiences from the Jewish diaspora.

While reading, I didn't see serious grammatical errors. The novella was professionally edited in that regard. What I found bothersome were the fragments of memory in the appendix: many of these short paragraphs were three lines long at the most but were given an entire page to themselves. A less disjointed break between the main narrative and the anecdotes and fragmented memories would streamline the reading experience.

I’ll rate Brown Scarf Blues 3 out of 4. It’s a light and graceful read. I recommend this novella to readers who are interested in the autobiography genre and to those who appreciate a story with a literary slant. I’m not giving it a 4 because of the jarring break from the narrative in Spain to the different stories. Other than that, this is a well-crafted novella.

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Brown Scarf Blues
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The books of Mois Benarroch

Friday, May 4, 2018

Review by Tim Bets -- Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch

Review by Tim Bets -- Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

4/4 Review of Gates to Tangier on onlinebookclub

Review by darcyb123 -- Gates to Tangier getbook.at/gatestotangier by Mois Benarroch

4/4 stars Review by Amelia Andrews -- Andalusian in Jerusalem

Review by Amelia Andrews -- Andalusian in Jerusalem

4/4 STARS Review -- The Expelled by Mois Benarroch

Read THE EXPELLED/ EL EXPULSADO IN

English getbook.at/theExpelled

FRANCAIS getbook.at/lExpulse

Italiano getbook.at/lEspulso

español getbook.at/elExpulsado

Review by Rosemary Okoko -- The Expelled by Mois Benarroch

Monday, April 2, 2018

book Review -- The Expelled by Mois Benarroch

Review by mturner5500 -- The Expelled by Mois Benarroch

Review -- Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch

Review by Mom14043 -- Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch

Review by KasieMiehlke -- Gates to Tangier

Review by KasieMiehlke -- Gates to Tangier

Review -- Brown Scarf Blues by Mois Benarroch

Review by Lest92 -- Brown Scarf Blues by Mois Benarroch