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The Debba

Avner Mandelman

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May 27, 2010 Juliana Philippa rated it really liked it

Shelves: advance-reading-copy-or-galley, 2010-reads, 20th-century, fiction, 0-reviewed, amazon-vine-program, 0-own-in-dead-tree-form, historical-fiction, literature-20th-century, 0-own

The characters were intriguing, complex, and well-written, but the convoluted plot sometimes got in the way (3.5 stars)

Mandelman's first full-length novel is well-written and the author is a gifted storyteller with a talent for creating intriguing, complex, and vastly different characters. As much as the plot is intricately woven and propels the book, I truly think the characters are the stars, for they are all very carefully and thoughtfully drawn and their portrayal feels honest and truthful. The characters were intriguing, complex, and well-written, but the convoluted plot sometimes got in the way (3.5 stars)

Mandelman's first full-length novel is well-written and the author is a gifted storyteller with a talent for creating intriguing, complex, and vastly different characters. As much as the plot is intricately woven and propels the book, I truly think the characters are the stars, for they are all very carefully and thoughtfully drawn and their portrayal feels honest and truthful. Even as he shows us their darkest side, Mandelman displays an affection for and understanding of each of them, and in so doing he evokes complicated and conflicting feelings in the reader. This being said, The Debba was at times an uneven read for me, with the plot seeming so thick and convoluted - blindingly so - that I had to force myself to continue.

The summary of the book had attracted me and being Jewish and having studied the Conflict, I was very much looking forward to reading it. If I like a book and I'm intrigued enough, I don't start and finish other ones during the time I'm reading it (which in this case I did), and I usually read it in either one big sitting or at least a few large chunks. The Debba's beginning went very easily and I found myself quickly drawn in, but as the story got increasingly complex and the mysteries seemed to multiply exponentially, my attention began to wane.

The middle of the book feels very stop-and-go-ish and throughout, everything is shrouded in mystery. In part, this is well done, because David, the narrator, is himself confused, tangled, and unsure of what is true and what is not - however as the reader, I felt myself to be even more so. As the plot unfolded, so many things seemed murky and riddled with unspoken things. The underlying mystery of who killed David's father grabs your interest, but there are many other mysteries, secrets, and surprises that at first we don't even realize are being alluded to or slowly uncovered. I must say that the secrets that do exist and are slowly each exposed were well done and not necessarily de trop, but that their unraveling was at times too meandering and messy.

The summary provided for the book is comprehensive enough that I won't give my own, though I will disagree with two phrases. The first is that David "decides to stick around to fulfill his father's request" - this implies a conscious thought and decision on his part and instead, he really ends up staying in spite of himself. Mandelman has crafted a very interesting and, as I said before, complex main character. David is both known to us, as a narrator should be to his or her reader, and unknown to us, as we all essentially are to one another. Like real human beings, he does both good and bad things and cannot be pinned down as being one thing. Some of his actions are abhorrent and though he thinks the same, he is unable to stop himself. At other times, he displays a very believable and authentic purity and desire to do what is right. He is both self-aware and self-deceiving, naive and cynical, sympathetic and pitiful, accessible and elusive.

Additionally, to say that David experiences "opposition from those who believe the play is subversive" is a definite oversimplification of the matter. At times, it seems like there are many different groups and factions opposing him for just as many different reasons - that even every individual within each of those groups and factions has his or her own obscure reasons for doing so. At the end, this feeling still rings true, though so does the assertion that the essential "truth" is a simple and singular one.

In conclusion, I would feel no compunction about recommending this book and am glad that I read it myself. Although I had definite criticisms, there is no doubt that Mandelman is extremely talented and I look forward to searching out his published short stories and reading the next book that he writes.

P.S. (1) Since I feel like with most books covering this issue - fiction or non - this invariably comes up, I want to say that in my opinion the book was very even-handed and that people on either "side" would really have to stretch themselves to be offended. (2) To classify The Debba as a thriller is not very accurate - it is more intricate and careful than I think the term implies. (3) I was familiar with much of the historic references, but if you're not it is easy to get lost and confused, so I think reading even just a little historical background beforehand will be helpful. (4) The epilogue was not very satisfying and it had one phrase about one of the characters that really bothered me.
[This review is of an advanced copy format of the book:]

(Written on June 25, 2010) ...more

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