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{Read It & Reap 233} - A Favorite Son by Uvi Poznansky
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I'm in. anita_97_neves@hotmail.com, pdf please :)
Would love to review this in PDF...pamelacornes@ymail.com.
This looks so interesting. Count me in on mobiChocolatemint515@aol.com
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What does she want, come Valentine's day?In cupid's name, what should I say?
She smiles. "Bring me Home, Apart From Love...
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And you say, "Give me A Favorite Son...
Now let's blow off the candles, one by one."
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Here is a lovely new audible review, written by Aaron Paul Lazaar. Aaron Aaron is a mystery writer author, and many of his books have audiobook editions. I am thrilled by what he says about the narration of A Favorite Son:"A Unique and Fascinating Listen!"
Where does A Favorite Son rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It's very hard for me to place this among my other audio books, which are all either mystery, suspense, or thriller. This is a totally different style of book, so it would have to be looked at as a standalone. That said, this is a superbly produced, high quality piece of work. The story is beautifully written and the narration is top notch.
What did you like best about this story?
Although this type of parable-style story set in distant desert lands was completely out of my usual genre, I found it fascinating, and was disappointed when it was over.
What about David Kudler’s performance did you like?
I loved the narrator's amazing array of voices. His accents were so well done, I was blown away by his interpretation and acting skills. I will be looking him up to see what else he does in "real life," for he sounded as though he could have done a one man show on Broadway, he was "that" good.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No, but it piqued my curiosity constantly. I loved the twists and turns and symbolic nature of the story and objects highlighted within.
Any additional comments?
A surprising gem among books - take a listen!
A lovely review from Jennifer Garcia for the audiobook edition of A Favorite Son:★★★★★ Sibling Rivalry, February 18, 2014
By Jennifer Garcia "itlnbrt" (Los Angeles, CA USA)
Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a lovely story written about a set of twins fighting for the birthright. Of course the one born first got it, and the second one spent his life jealous of it and finally tricked his brother out of it.
It was beautifully written and flowed so well. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. The narrator was great and did a wonderful job with the voices and narration.
Get ★★★★★ A FAVORITE SON
Audio http://tinyurl.com/fvort-a
Print http://bookShow.me/0984993258
Ebook http://bookShow.me/B00AUZ3LGU
★★★★★ Isaac, Rebecca, and Sons: A modernized, sometimes funny, psychological perspective, March 20, 2014By Judie Amsel (Mayfield Heights, OH USA)
Amazon Verified Purchase
Sometimes it is helpful to hear a familiar story from a different perspective in order to understand more of what the story says and doesn’t say. A FAVORITE SON does that with the biblical story of Jacob (Yanklel), his parents, Isaac and Rebecca, and his twin brother, Esau (Esav).
Uvi Poznansky tells the story from both a biblical and modern perspective emphasizing the psychological aspects. Basically it is the story of sibling rivalry and parental favoritism and highlights a rather dysfunctional foursome who still manage to occupy a positive place in religious history. Yankle questions how that came to be. Most of the story is identical to the biblical version but there are a few changes, some to relate to modern times.
The story, told from Yankle’s perspective, opens from him saying Esav pulled ahead of him to become the first born by a split second. That was very important because the first born child inherited everything from his father. But Yankle questions why his mother told him that (“Why would [a mother] pit one son against another?”) because of how that knowledge affected his life and made him feel “a burning desire to surpass my brother....I had to win it all–or be left with nothing.” He was her favorite, as Esav was his father’s. Poznansky does not mention the Biblical story which has God telling Rebecca before the twins were born that “the older would serve the younger.”
There are hints of Yankle’s future relationship with his own sons. Rebecca gives him the sleeve of her goatskin coat to deceive Isaac (in the original version he wears Esav’s clothes and has the animal skin on his arm) and Yankle pledges he will never show favoritism to any of his own children. (I saw Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat the night before I read this novella. So much for his remembering his vow.) Yankle offers Esav lentil stew, Esav asks if it’s kosher. The laws of kashrut, in fact the entire Bible, were still in the future. He decides the Yankle-in-the-Box restaurant chain was established in honor of his stew.
In the Bible, after sending Yankle away to escape his brother’s wrath, Rebecca is not mentioned again. A FAVORITE SON has him seeing her in the desert, telling him part of her story while her dress, her black veil, tells him his father had died.
Yankle considered his father to be wimp–his father sent a servant to find a wife for him, but, until he fled Esav’s fury, Yankle had never ventured away from home, either. (Isaac realized that they were very similar but that angle is not explored.) Yankle blames Isaac as well himself for his own weaknesses and notes the name his father gave him means “follower:” “How can a follower become a leader?”
As he plans to give parting advice to his sons before he dies, Isaac observed “I have come to the conclusion based on many, many years of experience, that I can expect with perfect certainty, that my advice will be utterly and immediately ignored.
While the discrepancies between A FAVORITE SON and the Bible are the writer’s prerogative, there was at least one contradiction: When Rebecca visits Isaac as he is dying, she asks “What will I do without you?” On the next page she tell him, “You have a long life ahead of you.”
Beautifully written, A FAVORITE SON tells the story behind the legend.
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"I sit there at her feet watching her work. My mother is so skillful in manipulating that sleeve. Inside of it, my limb feels hot, suffocated. I let her control me, control my hand. It is no longer my hand. By and by, a perfect calm comes upon me. I have no thought in my head, no clue that this is to be the last sunrise, the last morning that I spend with my mother; no premonition that our time together is running out, and that I should kiss her, and hug her, and bid her farewell."
To read more, and listen to the narration, click here:
I should kiss her, and hug her, and bid her farewell
"I hear the slight rustle of her skirt, and her soft voice saying, “Wait, Isaac—” just before it becomes muffled. So sharply, so unexpectedly does it happen, that it makes me giddy with curiosity; and so, I do what I have to do: I lift the flap of the tent, allowing light in, to peek in on them; and what I see leaves me dumbfounded..."To read more, and listen to the narration, click here:
She wraps her arms around his frail shoulders, and kisses him
"My mother, you ask? She was—how shall I say it?—different. No woman among us in the camp, or out there in the grazing fields, was as captivating as her. It was not just her beauty; nor was it the regal manner in which she carried herself, as if her tent served only as a temporary, makeshift shelter, a place to stay until the completion of a some new, modern wing in an imaginary palace. If there was something that set her apart from all other women, it was her garments..."
To read more click here:
The thought of modesty lost
At that second it dawns on me—I understand, in its entirety, my mother’s plan; which nearly brings me to split my sides and roar with laughter—but at a single hint from her, I hold it in. No need for other people to hear us.Intoxicated, I marvel in her plan; and in my mind I shout: My God, this is so clever! So deceitful!
To read more, and listen to the beautiful narration by David Kudler, click here:
I marvel in her plan. It is so clever! So deceitful!
#99cents #sale: A Favorite SonRead it now: A favorite Son
Enjoy the tale that I have spun
About two brothers, greed, rivalry
Who will stay? And who will flee
Forever haunted by regret?
The book is here, for you to get!
Without even looking at the entrance to the tent, without even touching the cold surface of the hourglass, I know: It is nearly empty. The sand is running out. For us, there is no more time. He will never realize who it was standing there by his bedside, overcome and awash with tears.To read more, and listen to the beautiful narration, click here:
The voice is the voice of Jacob
So instead, my mother decided to acquire stuff: Ornamental purses of different shapes and sizes; an assortment of extravagant fur hats, imported from her faraway birthplace; and numerous pairs of snakeskin shoes with high heels, which were ill suited to the desert sand—all of which caused a stir among the local people.I can recall how, as a child, I got a rare permission from her to come into the inner part of her tent, behind the screen, and take a peak into her chest. It was overflowing with nose rings, bracelets, and flamboyant clothes. With hesitant fingers I touched one of her shirts, which at the time, was way too big for me.
“Here, Yankle, try it on,” she offered.
I did. I can still remember it: The trace of her jasmine perfume, the striped blue-on-white pattern of the weave, and the swooshing sound of the fabric as it flowed over my head and cascaded around my feet. I remember her laughter, her sudden embrace; and a heartbeat later—opening to me out of the shadow, right there behind her back—the watchful eyes of my twin brother Esav, who must have been standing there for a while, without making a sound.
How my mother sensed his presence—by what quirk of intuition she knew he had been studying us—I will never be able to guess. Perhaps she saw him in my eyes. She looked at me then with an intense look, and in a flash I learned that the unsaid can be more forceful than words. What passed between us at that moment I cannot begin to describe to you. I could hear her heart beat, and at the same instant, the same hammer was pounding in my chest.
With great calm, she gathered the garment from my hand. Then she folded it back into the chest with slow, measured movements, lowered the lid and with a clack, locked it.
“Go out, Esav, go play,” she said, without even bothering to turn her head, without even looking at him; and then she added softly, “You too, Yankle.”
In two shakes of a lamb’s tail we were outside. His hair was flowing, thick and wild, in the wind as he chased me, caught me, punched me down.
All the while, I knew: I would never forget her love, her letting me wear that unusually beautiful, striped shirt. And neither would he.
Get ★★★★★ A FAVORITE SON
♥ Ebook ♥ http://bookShow.me/B00AUZ3LGU
♥ Audio ♥ http://tinyurl.com/fav-son-audio
♥ Print ♥ http://bookShow.me/0984993258
Thrilled to come on for an interview on Seb Kirby's blog, to talk about the connections between my art and writing. Please check it out:The Interview - Uvi Poznansky
"When I sprinkle my secret blend of spices; here, take a sniff, can you smell it? When I chop these mouthwatering sun-dried tomatoes, add a few cloves of garlic for good measure, and let it all sizzle with lentils and meat—it becomes so scrumptious, so lip-smacking, finger-licking, melt-in-your-mouth good!There is a certain ratio of flavors, a balance that creates a feast for the tongue and a delight for the mind; and having mastered that balance, with a pinch of imported cumin from the north of Persia, a dash of Saffron from the south of Egypt, I can tell you one thing: When the pot comes to a full bubbling point, and the aroma of the stew rises up in the air—it would make you dribble! Drive you to madness! For a single bite, you would sell your brother, if only you had one! "
To read more click here:
It would make you dribble! Drive you to madness!
Wow--I am thrilled to find this review, written by Dolores Ayotte, author of A Woman's Voice (and other self-help books) who is a great inspirational writer and one of the best reviewers on Amazon. This is what she said about the audiobook edition of A Favorite Son:Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★
"Skilled Masterpiece!"
Would you consider the audio edition of A Favorite Son to be better than the print version?
After both reading A Favorite Son on my own and then listening to the audio book, I think there is a definite benefit to hearing the male voice bring the characters to life. I very much enjoyed this audio experience.
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Favorite Son?
One of the most memorable moments is the obvious favoritism of Rebecca for one son over another and the lengths she would go to deceive her husband, Isaac, demonstrates the duplicity of her role in all of their lives.
Which character – as performed by David Kudler – was your favorite?
I think David Kudler did a great job of portraying all the characters he played in this audio book. His voice is clear, precise, and effectively draws the listener into the story line.
Any additional comments?
Most of us are familiar with the well-known Bible story of Jacob and Esau. Twin sons born to Rebecca and Isaac in their later years, are at odds and in competition to inherit the much coveted blessing from their father on his deathbed. The collaboration that takes place between mother and her favorite son, Yankle, in order to dupe Isaac effectively demonstrates the length some parents will go to in their unfairness, or what I refer to as, the "division" of their love.
According to the main thread skillfully woven into this novel, the phenomenon of favoring one child over another may be a curse not only for the favored child but for the rejected one as well. I purposely use the word "division" of love to describe the favoritism both Rebecca and Isaac displayed for opposite sons in this story in order to stress what I consider to be a poignant point.In my opinion, neither parent expresses true love. True love does not divide families nor does it create ugly competitiveness, sibling rivalry, jealously, hatred, anger and all the other undesirable, negative traits expressed between these two sons. Neither parent shows love for their offspring nor toward each other. It has been said that true love multiplies...it never divides.When one discovers this definition of love and fully embraces this concept, the negative emotions experienced by this family and many others, will no longer exist. To me, that is the true moral to this Bible story.Ms. Poznansky takes an age old story and gives it a modern twist.
The reader is invited into the tortured psyche of Yankle and the grief, guilt, and full knowledge of the consequence of his deception in order to demonstrate what a living hell is all about. Yankle is haunted by his choice, that of manipulating his father's deteriorating physical condition along with his mother, in order to steal his brother, Esav's birthright. He does not want to repeat history in his own life and continue with this kind of favoritism in his relationship with his own sons.This author shows not only by the cover she has so beautifully painted, but also by the words she has so carefully chosen to depict the results of such a past and present dilemma...the consequences of such a devious act.
To quote Ms. Poznansky when describing her book cover, she states, "To me, this is what this image means: looking directly at yourself, facing the pain and the ugly imperfections within, without any attempt to mask who you are--even if you find yourself on the verge of a meltdown." I think each of us will eventually reach this point in life, and regardless of what path we take to get there, we must face ourselves, our actions, our lives and learn what true love is all about...I think this is the genuine motive and goal behind the work of this talented artist and author. Her writing is meant to provoke, prod, persuade, and push us to the limits of our inner selves in order to tie it all together. In my opinion, she is not only showing us a part of herself, her every desire is for us to see our own reflection in her work and see what personal message it holds. She has certainly succeeded with me...
Inspirational Author & Book Reviewer ~ Dolores Ayotte
Get ★★★★★ A FAVORITE SON
♥ Audio ♥ http://tinyurl.com/fav-son-audio
♥ Ebook ♥ http://bookShow.me/B00AUZ3LGU
♥ Print ♥ http://bookShow.me/0984993258
“Talking about a small fortune,” she counters, “what about your little trunk, full of gold coins?”“Being of a sound body and mind,” he says, “I spent it all.”
“On what, in heaven’s name?”
“What! On what, Becky? Here I go, heaping all those bracelets, all those nose rings on one woman, and one woman alone, only to find out, in the end, the real extent of her gratitude!”
To read more, and listen to the beautiful narration by David Kudler, click here:
What about your little trunk, full of gold coins?
How my mother sensed his presence—by what quirk of intuition she knew he had been studying us—I will never be able to guess. Perhaps she saw him in my eyes. She looked at me then with an intense look, and in a flash I learned that the unsaid can be more forceful than words. What passed between us at that moment I cannot begin to describe to you--To read more, click here:
What passed between us at that moment I cannot begin to describe to you
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The wind is singing winter bluesWhispering with her is my muse
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A new world awaits for you to discover
★ The David Chronicles★
★ Rise to Power ★ A Peek at Bathsheba ★ The Edge of Revolt ★
★ Apart From Love ★ A Favorite Son ★ Home ★ Twisted ★
★ Rise to Power ★ A Peek at Bathsheba ★ The Edge of Revolt ★
★ Apart From Love ★ A Favorite Son ★ Home ★ Twisted ★
For the third day in a row, one bird after another flew into my father’s tent and tore into the canvas. On the first day, the maidservants mended the tear. On the second day they let it be, saying that in their opinion, the increased air circulation would do him some good, perhaps even revive him. And on the third day, at the sight of one open tear after another, a whisper spread around the camp, saying that this could be nothing else but an omen--To read more, and listen to the beautiful narration, click here:
What is the best, the most reliable way to deceive? It is this--
All the while, I knew: I would never forget her love, her letting me wear that unusually beautiful, striped shirt. And neither would he.To read more, and listen to the beautiful narration, click here:
I would never forget her love... And neither would he
Bestselling, critically acclaimed, and notoriously creative authors from across the book continuum join forces to bring you At Odds with Destiny, everything you've wanted in a boxed set but thought you'd never find: full-length novels brimming with myth, fantasy, mystery, history, romance, drama, originality, heroism, and suspense--To read more click here:
Coming soon
Christoph Fischer is the author of several historical and contemporary fiction books (Sebastian, The Luck of the Weissensteiners, and more) all of which I have read and loved. He is also is Top 500 reviewer on Amazon, as well a high-ranking reviewer on Goodreads. Most recently he became my 'partner in crime' in the production of a boxed set of novels, titled At Odds with Destiny. I have visited his place before, and wrote guest posts such as The Perils of Biblical Inspiration, and I am thrilled to come back now. His first question to me was, When was the first time you decided to write?Want to hear my answer? Click here:
'At Odds with Destiny' features Uvi Poznansky
The plot is ready, and my role, I repeat to myself, is well-rehearsed. Well, as well as can be. According to my mother, there is no time, and no need, really, for any more practice. Trying too hard, as you know, may be the best guaranty for failure-- To read more, and listen to the beautiful narration, click here:
It was on the fourth day that my mother decided to go in to see the old man
Dianne Harman draws her stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. She owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years, left that industry, and opened two yoga centers where she taught yoga and certified yoga instructors. I am thrilled that she invited me for an interview. Her first question to me was, Tell us about Anita, the girl in the midst of a firestorm of passion in your book, Apart From Love?Want to hear my answer? Click here:
The amazing oh so talented Uvi Poznansky
In my excitement I stumble across a thought, which is so outlandish that immediately, it makes me sober up. “What if he suspects something,” I ask, in a whisper. I hate to admit it, but it is not love for my father, nor respect for his age, that drive me to such hesitation. Rather, it is fear: The fear to be found out.To read more click here:
Yet I an see that it is only herself that she embraces
A Favorite Son is inspired by the question, for this son, is it love for his father and respect for age that drives his hesitation—or rather, it is the fear to be found out?I have long been fascinated with the story of Jacob and Esav. To me, it captures several layers of emotions which we all go through in our families: a rivalry between brothers, the way a mother’s love, unevenly divided, can spur them to action, to crime, even; and how in time, even in the absence of regret, a punishment eventually ripens.
The story had been brewing in me for several years before I put pen to paper. Being an artist, I had expressed it through sculpture long before I wrote the words. In my art, and in my writing, you can see Yankle and his mother Becky, plotting to cheat the father. Out of a sense of shame, they are unable to look each other in the eye...
To see the trailer click here:
Get ★★★★★ A FAVORITE SON
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★ Nook http://tinyurl.com/fav-son-nook
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★ Audio http://tinyurl.com/fav-son-audio
★ Print http://bookShow.me/0984993258
I am afraid that the future of this family, its survival in this harsh, treacherous land, cannot be entrusted into the hands of someone who, until now, has never been out and about. Never explored a new path. Never been tested by the elements--To read more click here:
I am no longer split between my parts
By and by, a perfect calm comes upon me. I have no thought in my head, no clue that this is to be the last sunrise, the last morning that I spend with my mother; no premonition that our time together is running out, and that I should kiss her, and hug her, and bid her farewell--To read more & listen to the beautiful narration click here:
I should kiss her and hug her and bid her farewell
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Books mentioned in this topic
A Favorite Son (other topics)A Favorite Son (other topics)
A Favorite Son (other topics)
A Favorite Son (other topics)
A Favorite Son (other topics)
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Title: A Favorite Son
Author: Uvi Poznansky
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Formats Available: Mobi, Epub & Pdf
Pages #: 53
Review Due Date: January 22/14
Synopsis:
This story is a present-day twist on the biblical story of Jacob and his mother Rebecca plotting together against the elderly father Isaac, who is lying on his deathbed, in order to get their hands on the inheritance, and on the power in the family. This is no old fairy tale. Its power is here and now, in each one of us.
Listening to Yankle telling his take on events, we understand the bitter rivalry between him and his brother. We become intimately engaged with every detail of the plot, and every shade of emotion in these flawed, yet fascinating characters. He yearns to become his father’s favorite son, seeing only one way open to him, to get that which he wants: deceit
“What if my father would touch me,” asks Yankle. In planning his deception, it is not love for his father, nor respect for his age that drives his hesitation—rather, it is the fear to be found out.
And so—covering his arm with the hide of a kid, pretending to be that which he is not—he is now ready for the last moment he is going to have with his father.
The first people to sign up leaving their email address and format you require will receive a copy of this ebook to review
Review Due Date: January 22/14
Reviewers
1. Ana - anita_97_neves@hotmail.com - pdf
2. Pamela - pamelacornes@ymail.com - pdf
3. Hock - hgtjoa@yahoo.com - mobi
4. Mollydee - Chocolatemint515@aol.com - mobi
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