The books of Mois Benarroch

Monday, December 18, 2017

Review -- Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch

Review by jimthorne2 -- Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch

Gates to Tangier is an adventure in point of view for readers who are used to a single perspective. To read Gates correctly, one has to recognize the constant change of perspective from one character to another and back again. The writer leads the reader on a thought journey with just enough clues to provide interest and the anticipation that the problem introduced at the beginning will be solved.

Benarroch is a challenging writer who takes the reader on a journey in search for a child that no one expected in the deceased father’s legacy. The motivation for the search is money. When the father of the Benzimra family dies, he leaves a will informing his family of an illegitimate son he fathered with a Muslim woman in Morocco. The condition for receiving the inheritance is that the family do everything possible to find that child. The members of the Benzimra family speak throughout the book sharing thoughts and frustrations which exhibit their humanity and view of life.

Benarroch introduces his traditional themes of Sephardic identity, Morocco, and life as a journey. As a part of his opinion, God is someone who likes to see sacrifices and whom we must approach as beggars in prayer. He sees identity as an ever-emerging mirage through place and circumstance. Each member of the family speaks and reveals the nature of their identity from the compulsive Alberto to the confused Zohar.

Benarroch’s perspective is a Jewish view of family interests and conflicts. His tone is personal and penetrating with insights into people living in the struggle of our time. He keeps our interest by showing that modern travel includes but is not limited to travel by plane to various important places in the story. His writing is highly emotional with captivating dialogue but little narrative structure. I have never read another book like this. There is no author or title to compare.

The book is rated 3 out of 4. It is not rated better because the author expects the reader to figure out, without help, that the point of view is the point of the book. This expectation is a stretch that most readers will not appreciate. I don’t like the view of God that fails to recognize the God who Himself makes sacrifices. Also, his understanding of prayer as a complaint is too simplistic. I like the book because it challenges me to think outside my usual reading pattern. I also am Jewish friendly and appreciate the personal exposure from one who understands that point of view and can express it.

******
Gates to Tangier

Read Gates to Tangier in

English: GETBOOK.AT/GATES2TANGIER

Español GETBOOK.AT/PUERTASTANGER

Francais: GETBOOK.AT/PORTESdeTANGER

Portugues: GETBOOK.AT/PORTaSdeTANGER

Italiano : getBook.at/PORTEdiTANGERI

Hebrew http://www.lulu.com/shop/paperback/product-23091630.html עברית

View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

4/4 Review of Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected) in online book club

Review by Fabiana -- Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)

Post Number:#1 by Fabiana » 14 Mar 2017, 07:48

[Following is a review of "Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)" by Mois benarroch.]

4 out of 4 stars

Review by Fabiana

A beautiful love story of and about otherness. Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)by Mois Benarroch opens, as promised in the title, with an entirely unexpected, surreal premise: “Today, and only today, you may create a person” – these are the words that one day appear out of the blue on the writer’s computer. And thus emerges THE OTHER, the one who is the same but not quite, the half that could complete the whole.

Mois and Raquel’s chance encounter in their forties, while they live in different parts of the world and are both disenchanted with their family lives and life in general, opens them to a love they didn’t know existed. Soon their daily conversations, through emails and phone calls, become as vital as the air they breathe. What unites them is the deep, invisible and yet unbreakable bond of shared roots, shared history and the call to give that history a voice. Mois and Raquel are both writers, and they were born in the same city, the no longer existing Hebrew Tetouan. They are “the last Tetuanis”.

Rather than finding one’s soulmate, the theme that lies at the core of this intimate and intense first-person narrative (with a twist) is the quest for identity, and literature itself. How does a Sephardic Jewish writer, born in Morocco and now living in Israel, find his voice and a sense of belonging? In an age of globalization and multilingualism, how does an immigrant escape the great sense of isolation that lies beneath the apparent unity of the big “melting pot”? How can one language feel harsh and oppressive, and the other, sweet and soothing? What creates the urge to write, to tell one’s story? What’s the secret behind the flow of words? Do words and writing have a mysterious power that can make parallel lines intersect outside the limits of time and space?

Drawing on existential récit and autobiographical elements, Mois Benarroch tackles all these questions and more in his free flowing jeu d’esprit, an intricate web of thoughts, memories, hopes and dreams, in which are seamlessly interwoven the mystical and the mundane, prose and poetry, the past, present and future, what is and what could have been. Taking us through a maze of labyrinths and gardens of forking paths, where time and space can be distorted, suspended or even erased, where the virtual can be more real than the “real life”, and where at times silences can speak louder than words, Benarroch is presenting the readers with a literary puzzle: who is Raquel? The clues to the mystery are hidden in plain sight throughout the whole book.

One of the things Raquel urges Mois to do, since he has written all his previous novels in Hebrew, the language of his adoptive country, or rather his land of exile, is to start writing in Spanish, his mother tongue. I must admit I was a bit baffled at first. As a literary translator, I’ve always considered multilingualism as a marvelous tool rather than an obstacle. So, what does it matter what language we write in, as long as we get our message across? After all, there I was, reading the English translation (and a pretty good one at that, I might add) and none of the book’s essence was lost on me. But then I read an excerpt of the same book in Spanish, and I understood. Here’s just one example. “I wait there. I despair. Wait there and despair, but.” The English translation conveys the message, but it doesn’t in the very least capture the breathe in-breathe out musical poetry of the original – “Espero. Desespero. Es, pero.” No, the soul and substance of certain words is untranslatable.

I whole-heartedly rate this little gem 4 out of 4 stars. An intriguing and thought-provoking page-turner that will probably be best enjoyed by the more advanced readers who are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone.

“By admitting five years ago my situation as an eternal immigrant, of being a country of one person, of being the eternal immigrant from that country, I found a room for me in this house called Earth. It’s a small room with no windows, but it has a door and a key.

Someday I’ll have to learn to leave this room.”

******

Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)

View: on Bookshelves |

on Amazon

Nook
Apple
Kobo

BOOKS2READ.COM/raquelsays

Read Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected) in

English https://www.amazon.com/dp/1507117973

Italiano https://www.amazon.it/dp/1507123744

Español https://www.amazon.es/dp/1519020198

Review of -- Gates to Tangier

Review by Pilar Guerrero -- Gates to Tangier

Post Number:#1 by Pilar Guerrero » 13 Mar 2017, 13:30

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

4 out of 4 stars

Review by Pilar Guerrero

Gates of Tangier is the third book of The Tétouan Trilogy, a historical fiction novel that explores the sufferings and ordeals that Jews have endured for centuries. The protagonists are five siblings of the Benzimra family from Tétouan. The story begins when a lawyer finishes reading the will of the protagonists’ father, who put his children a condition to receive the inheritance: the siblings must find their half-brother born from a Muslim woman around 30 years ago.

This clause puts the protagonists on a journey back to the village where they came from, and it forces them to confront and assume their identity and heritage as Jews, and also to come to terms with their own share of pain and suffering in life.

Even though the protagonists travel from different cities to meet at a Spanish airport and continue the journey to Tétouan, most of the plot takes place in the conversations among the characters, or in their interior monologues. These inner dialogues are powerful and portray the conflicts and the emotions that each sibling goes through. The author creates a multi first person narration technique which allows the reader to see the conflict from each sibling's perspective, so the reader can see a bigger picture of the story that none of the characters can see.

The plot develops as the characters speak and it unfolds at a steady pace on each chapter. In the third part of the story, the plot has a twist that gives the novel a new level of complexity and depth. All the loose ends are tied at the end, but the characters pose questions that may open up the story for a continuation.

What I enjoyed the most in this book were the poems between chapters, the author uses these to introduce other characters that the protagonists do not meet. A well achieved aspect in the novel is the creation of a common thread of pain and frustration in the characters about their lives and about being a Jew. All the characters mention this in their interior monologues, yet they all present it in different shades and manners, making them believable and relatable.

What I found difficult to follow were the dialogues between or among the protagonists, there was no clear indication about who was saying what, and I had to go back a couple of times to make sure that I knew who was speaking with whom.

The book contains only a few grammar mistakes that may distract from the story. I believe this is due to the translation process, I would still recommend a revision to make the narration flawless.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars: the story is engaging and the plot well-paced with a surprising twist, the characters talk about history as much as human emotions, making the reader feel for them. Despite the few mistakes, the narration technique is brilliant, especially in the use of poems to enrich the narration and to move the plot forward.

I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, especially those interested in the history of Jews in the world. Readers interested in psychological novels may also find this book appealing.

******
Gates to Tangier
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

Pilar Guerrero's Latest Review: "Lady Ruth Bromfield" by Gordon Smith

Pilar Guerrero

Read Gates to Tangier in

English: GETBOOK.AT/GATES2TANGIER

Español GETBOOK.AT/PUERTASTANGER

Francais: GETBOOK.AT/PORTESdeTANGER

Portugues: GETBOOK.AT/PORTaSdeTANGER

Italiano : getBook.at/PORTEdiTANGERI

Hebrew http://www.lulu.com/shop/paperback/product-23091630.html עברית

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Review by Donnavila Marie -- Gates to Tangier

Review by Donnavila Marie01 -- Gates to Tangier

Post Number:#1 by Donnavila Marie01 » 13 Jan 2017, 06:35

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

Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch is a history fiction book. We learned the suffering of Jews from history. They suffer from racial discrimination, territorial disputes, and religious beliefs. The Benzimra family is not an exception. This book narrates the story of the Benzimra family who fell apart because of their religious beliefs. They ran away from home to save their children and their children’s future. The four Benzimra children - Mesod, Silvia, Alberto and Isaque went separate ways.

After Mr. Benzimra's death, his lawyer read his testament to the bereaved family. The will divulged the existence of an illegitimate son. This illegitimate son is Yosef who lives with his mother in Tangier. The will demands the children to do everything to look for their half- brother. Tangier is the last place they wish to visit because of their misfortunes in the past. This mysterious testament forced Mesod, Silvia, Alberto and Isaque to start an uncertain journey.

Another victim of unfortunate events in Tangier is Zohra. Zohra was born and raised in Tangier but lives now in Paris. She finished her degree in gynecology with the help of a scholarship. She is trying to solve the puzzles of her life. She has a lot of questions left unanswered by her dead mother. Will she be successful in her quest?

This short novel is not just for entertainment sake. Rather, it is more of an advocacy about the vanishing race, identity, and culture of the Jews. I rate Gates to Tangier 3 out of 4 stars because of typos and grammatical errors. One might also be confused with the presentation of each character. Each character serves as narrator in the story. One must pay attention to each chapter to know who is narrating. At first, I did not understand the message of the story. As I advance in every chapter, I came to realize that this book is a treasure. Every page of it unfolds a heartwarming story of life.

What I love about this story are the poems used. "The world won't stop with us" is my favorite line from the poems. This line reminds me that I need to keep going. Whatever happens, life must go on. It presents a different twist and a surprising ending.

I strongly recommend this book to readers who love history. For those who want to have extra knowledge on the history and culture of the Jews, this book is an additional source. Human rights advocates may also read this book because they can relate so much to every page of this book.

******
Gates to Tangier
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

Review by michellet3143 -- The Nobel Prize

Post Number:#1 by michellet3143 » 20 Jan 2017, 22:29

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Nobel Prize" by Mois benarroch.]

The Nobel Prize, by Mois Benarroch, is a fascinating story taking the reader on a psychological joy ride with many twists in a relatable way. As a work of science fiction, Benarroch does not overdo the science fiction throughout the whole book, but sprinkles it in here and there. The overall story of this novel is about a writer who is in a mental hospital and thinks he is one of his many characters he has included in his novels, everyday.

The novel is written as the writer (the main character) is speaking to his audience. He shares his difficulties with publishing novels and how that is placing many hardships on his life. For instance, he shares his struggle with his wife as a result of his low income, due to not publishing any novels. He then goes on to share with us how he is meeting an old friend who is also a writer at a mental hospital who takes on the persona of a different character he has written about every day. On top of that, he jots in a few other small story lines is this novel to keep things refreshing.

In the beginning of the novel, I was confused as to the main point of this story and I thought I might get disinterested as the story went along. Well, I was wrong... About a quarter into the book I realized that I was extremely invested and on the edge of my seat to see what creative twist Benarroch would take next. At one point, he even throws an alien into the mix, which just shocked me, but in such good way. Diving further into this book I started to see myself in the main character. He shared how his troubles were affecting his life, and he shared his worries about his own concern for his sanity. This openness with the audience truly involves our emotions and makes us question our own sanity, as we are involved in this story.

I really enjoyed the connection I was able to make in this book. However, I must say, the connection I made with this book is unlike any other connection I have ever made. I felt like my brain was spinning and I was reading chapters that were taking me into a different world. I did not feel like I was sitting on my couch in my house while reading this book, I felt more like I was on some strange ride at Disney World, almost like a more relaxed Space Mountain.

My complaints about this book would be that some of the transitions caught me off guard. For one moment, I was reading one scene, and then in another moment I would realize I was halfway through a scene and had not understood the whole first half. This was always overcome as I would read on, but the drawbacks were frustrating at times. Another large problem with this book was the professional tone. This book seems as it has not been proofread by a Native English speaker and that does distract from the story at times.

Overall, I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I choose this rating because this book accomplished the feat of drawing me into this book, but at the same time had an unprofessional manner to it because of many grammar mistakes. However, at the end of the book I was able to take that five-minute stare into nothingness just thinking of all the feelings and thoughts this book brought out in me.

******
The Nobel Prize
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

Review by Mark Johnson ofThe Nobel Prize by Mois benarroch

Review by Mark Johnson -- The Nobel Prize by Mois benarroch

Post Number:#1 by Mark Johnson » 23 Jan 2017, 06:39

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Nobel Prize" by Mois benarroch.]

3 out of 4 stars

Review by Mark Johnson

The Nobel Prize is a book of fictional prose by Mois Benarroch. It is a story within a story. On the surface the book is about an author who learns that an old colleague of his has been committed to a mental hospital and has dementia. The colleague named Jorge lives his life portraying the various characters he once wrote about. The main character then decides this would be a great idea for a novel and begins researching all the books that Jorge has written to learn of the various characters and personalities that Jorge might portray.

Underneath the main story is another story. The main character runs into other writing colleagues besides Jorge that had once belonged to the same writing group several decades before. Throughout the book the main character gives us insights into the writer's mind, how they interacted, and what they thought of each other.

Not only is this a good book with the use of a story within a story, but it is also a clever work of prose. At one point the main character is talking to Jorge, who was portraying a professor at the time, and asks the professor if he knows who Fon Franco is. The professor replies that he is a Planeta Prize winner. The main character asks a few more questions, then asks if he knows who Mois Bernarroch is. The professor replies that he is also a Planeta Prize winner. That is pretty clever because the author uses his actual name in the fictional conversation.

At times though, this book is difficult to follow due to the nature of the fine line it walks between dementia and reality. There is a purpose for it that drive you to the end, yet sometimes I found myself questioning what was going on. Then when I got to the end I wanted to read the book again; it was that good of an ending.

The audience would be adult readers who like fictional stories, or good works of prose. Due to a couple of scenes that are meant for adults, this book would not be appropriate for young readers.

I gave this book 3 out of 4 stars. While there is plenty to like about this book, I thought the editing could have been better. Page three the word right is capitalized for no reason. Same thing on page six, the word good is capitalized for no reason. On page 40 one sentence has two commas in a row where there should only be one. On page 51 there was a period at the end of a sentence, a space, and then another period. The next sentence began immediately following the second period. These are just a few examples.

Editing aside, this was a really fun book to read. I definitely recommend The Nobel Prize. This is the first book by Mois Benarroch that I have read and look forward to reading more by the author.

******
The Nobel Prize
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

Review by Kasie Miehlke -- The Nobel Prize by Mois benarroch

Review by KasieMiehlke -- The Nobel Prize by Mois benarroch

Post Number:#1 by KasieMiehlke » 22 Feb 2017, 15:35

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Nobel Prize" by Mois benarroch.]

Share This Review

I give The Nobel Prize by Mois Benarroch 3 out of 4 stars. The story, written in fictional prose, is a great mix of fantasy, reality, and humor. It shows the struggles and successes of independent artists while addressing the significant role that mental illness plays in society. There were some editorial errors which is the only reason that this book did not get a perfect score. I believe that one more round of editing would fix these editorial problems.

The Nobel Prize follows a writer as he discovers that one of his colleagues has been institutionalized due to a mental illness. Each day the colleague becomes a different character from one of his books. The main character researches the books and their characters. While doing the research and visiting the psychiatric hospital, the main character gets an idea for a new novel. Will this new novel be the break that he is looking for? It is a great story within a story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The length was perfect. I also liked the way the author touched on the subject of mental disease. The way Benarroch showed the seriousness of mental illness while incorporating a light humor was extremely tasteful. The struggles that the main character faces is an informative and eye opening reality that artists must deal with. The Nobel Prize is a great story that brings some serious issues to light while allowing humor to lessen the impact. The book kept my interest the entire time.

There were some editorial issues that caused me to backtrack in some areas thinking that I had missed something. These distractions did cause me to take a little longer in reading the book and caused a minor inconvenience. I do believe that another round of editing would take care of most, if not all, of these issues.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Noble Prize. The story within a story kept my interest the entire time. It touched on several issues that affect everyone in the population in some form. The author did a great job at incorporating humor to lessen the severity of mental issues and the struggles of being an artist. It did not get a perfect review due to some minor editorial issues that can very easily be taken care of. It was the right length for a quick and enjoyable read. I will recommend this book to everyone in the future.

******
The Nobel Prize
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon |

BOOKS2READ.COM/THEnobelPRIZE

Review by Jaime Lync -- The Nobel Prize by Mois benarroch

Review by Jaime Lync

Share This Review

The Nobel Prize by award winning author Mois Benarroch captivates the reader from the first to the twenty- fifth (last) chapter chiefly by employing light humor while addressing the weighty subject of mental illness. This psychological thriller plunges us into the demented mind of a starving artist who just so happens to form a habit of visiting another institutionalized paranoid schizophrenic writer who impersonates a different character from one of his many published novels every day. The main character also meets a number of very peculiar supporting characters that serve to augment the reader’s intrigue in the novel while simultaneously advancing the plot. At the end of the book the reader is left wanting more and wondering who is who and what is what.

Benarroch’s conversational and witty writing style births desire in me to recount the story to others. However, I believe my retelling of the story would be my version as the novel is very open to the reader’s interpretation because it forces us to decipher between reality and delusions. The book opened with no table of content or acknowledgement just a page dedicated to an insightful and relevant quote. A table of content does not seem necessary because (a) the chapters are simply numbered, I liked this since most chapter titles act as spoilers, and (b) though there are twenty five chapters the average length of the chapters is two pages. The plot relied heavily on well composed dialogues. I especially enjoyed how the scenes and chapters flowed logically one into the other.

Moreover, though the central theme is mental illness the author also comments on other social themes. He speaks a lot on marital affairs. As for sexuality, he fringes around the topic. The well ‘fleshed-out’ characters also embody themes such as identity crisis, self-esteem, success and failure. All of these themes interwoven into the novel heighten the sense of suspense that is already attached to this genre of fictional work.

However, Mois’s work is not without cons. There are some editorial issues that sometimes baffle the reader. For example, female characters are sometimes referred to as males. Though these grammatical errors are few and far in between whenever they arise the reader is likely to get confused and have to re-read some portions to reclaim his bearing. The switch from dialogue to thoughts is also hard to distinguish at time because there are no quotation marks. Another con in my opinion is the use of curse words (I know many people that will not read a great book because the f-bomb is dropped). Moreover, Benarroch’s devoted a chapter to vividly paint a bizarre mature content scene that could have been disclosed briefly. The act of going into such graphic detail may serve as a ‘turn-off’ for many readers. I believe that this book would have been an even more enjoyable read if the grammatical errors and a specific obscene chapter did not make it onto the final draft of the novel.

In summary, The Nobel Prize is an enjoyable novel that could be enjoyed in one sitting and provoke thoughts on serious social issues for months. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because though I am highly inclined to recommend it to avid and non-avid readers alike there seems to be a lack of thorough editorial work as well as a scene that I would advise all to avoid. Overall, the novel is praiseworthy.

******
The Nobel Prize
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Review by Insightsintobooks -- The Nobel Prize

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Nobel Prize" by Mois benarroch.]

Share This Review

The Nobel Prize by Mois Benarroch is a short story that tells of a descent into madness as well as the life of a writer. The narrator, a writer, participated in a writing club twenty years earlier. He learns from another writer who was in the club that Jorge has gone mad. Jorge has been committed to a mental institution. He becomes a character from one of his books everyday.

The narrator goes to visit Jorge and thinks that he would make a good character for a book. While he is there he meets a nurse named Eva. He befriends Eva and learns more about Jorge from her. He also meets Lextra, a woman who is divorced and an alien from another planet.

The narrator tells us with a bit of humor about the life of a writer. He tells it from the perspective of a writer looking for a story. He explains what it is like not to hear from publishers and the struggles that being a writer can bring. After visiting his friend, the narrator starts to question his sanity at times.

We are also given a look at how a writer can become their characters, in this case literally. We are shown throughout the book how each of a writer's characters are part of the writer himself. I liked this aspect of the book.

There were some parts of this book that I found confusing, but I think this may have been intentional due to the plot of the book. However, I think that this could have been remedied while still keeping the substance of the book. Despite that I was a bit confused at the beginning, the plot was well written. I was surprised at the ending. I think that everything came together well in the end.

There were some mechanical errors in this book. Sadly, one of these errors was on the first page. There was a period in the middle of a sentence. This ruined the book for me, a little, as I couldn't seem to forget about it.

Overall, I enjoyed the content of the book. I liked how the narrator developed in the book. I think that the topic of a writer becoming his characters was interesting. I think this would be a good book for anyone interested in the psychology of the mind and the life of a writer. Despite my confusion in the beginning and the mechanical errors, I think this book deserves 3 out of 4 stars.

******
The Nobel Prize
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon