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The Liar
From the award-winning author of Waking Lions, a provocative novel about how one mistake can have a thousand consequences
Nofar is an average teenage girl---so average, in fact, that she's almost invisible. Serving customers ice cream all summer long, she is desperate for some kind of escape.
But one afternoon, a terrible lie slips from her tongue. And suddenly everyone wants to talk to her: the press, her schoolmates, and even the boy upstairs. He is the only one who knows the truth, and he is demanding a price for his silence.
Then Nofar meets Raymonde, an elderly immigrant whose best friend has just died. Raymonde keeps her friend alive the only way she knows how, by inhabiting her stories. But soon, Raymonde's lies take on a life of their own.
Written with propulsive energy, dark humor, and deep insight, The Liar reveals the far-reaching consequences of even our smallest choices, and explores the hidden corners of human nature to reveal the liar, and the truth-teller, in all of us.
Nofar is an average teenage girl---so average, in fact, that she's almost invisible. Serving customers ice cream all summer long, she is desperate for some kind of escape.
But one afternoon, a terrible lie slips from her tongue. And suddenly everyone wants to talk to her: the press, her schoolmates, and even the boy upstairs. He is the only one who knows the truth, and he is demanding a price for his silence.
Then Nofar meets Raymonde, an elderly immigrant whose best friend has just died. Raymonde keeps her friend alive the only way she knows how, by inhabiting her stories. But soon, Raymonde's lies take on a life of their own.
Written with propulsive energy, dark humor, and deep insight, The Liar reveals the far-reaching consequences of even our smallest choices, and explores the hidden corners of human nature to reveal the liar, and the truth-teller, in all of us.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2019
About the author
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
8 books431 followersAyelet Gundar-Goshen (Hebrew: איילת גונדר-גושן) was born in Israel in 1982 and holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from Tel Aviv University. Her film scripts have won prizes at international festivals, including the Berlin Today Award and the New York City Short Film Festival Award. Her debut novel, One Night, Markovitch, won the Sapir Prize in 2013 for best debut and is being translated into five languages.
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August 26, 2021
UNA BUGIA VI SEPPELLIRÀ
Tel Aviv dove si immagina sia ambientata la storia.
Così d’un tratto, prodigiosamente, da un cortile abbandonato sbucò il nuovo scandalo – un relitto di un talent show accusato del tentato stupro di una minorenne – e tutti guardarono quella storia e videro che era buona.
Anche questa volta, astenendosi da qualsiasi forma di moralismo, la “gazzella” israeliana Ayelet Gundar-Goshen racconta una storia che cattura e avviluppa come una ragnatela.
E anche questa volta a mettere in moto il meccanismo narrativo è una bugia.
In questo caso, però, la bugia è una Bugia con l'iniziale maiuscola, che si gonfia e ingigantisce, diventa sempre più grande e sfaccettata, e finisce col portarsi dietro un castello di menzogne.
Nufar ha un lavoretto estivo in una gelateria ed è proprio lì che tutto ha inizio.
AG-G sembra quasi raccontarci un apologo sulla Bugia. Spinge il pedale fino a mostrarci come sulla menzogna si costruiscono Stati, di conseguenza la Storia. E quindi, per forza di cose, carriere, rapporti, commerci. È la bugia l’anima del commercio più che la pubblicità: a meno da non voler considerare la pubblicità sinonimo di bugia, esagerazione non così paradossale.
Un momento di profonda viscerale mostruosa brutalità verbale si trasforma in un tentativo di violenza sessuale nel racconto e soprattutto nelle omissioni di chi si è sentita vomitare addosso rabbia volgarità e cattiveria.
Lei, Nufar, è minorenne, non altrettanto bella della sorella minore, sta per iniziare l’ultimo anno di scuola e si porta addosso il peso della sua verginità che la fa sentire un pulcino nero.
Lui, Avishai Milner, ha conosciuto le luci della ribalta, il successo con un talent show, e ora si sente ingiustamente messo da parte, entrato nella zona d’ombra della vita. Ha fame di fama: ma quella che conosce dopo il fatto non è certo quella che cercava, diventa il mostro da sbattere in prima pagina.
Anche lei finisce sotto i riflettori dei media: un attenzione che nel suo caso sembra invece renderla davvero bella, la fa fiorire.
Jaroslav Puczel
Quei silenzi non erano meno preziosi delle conversazioni. Forse perfino di più. Di persone con cui parlare se ne trovano, ma le persone con cui tacere sono merce rara.
A metà romanzo, all’inizio della seconda parte, entra improvvisamente in scena un personaggio nuovo e totalmente inaspettato: Raymonde, nome insolito per una profuga marocchina che vive in una casa di riposo e preferisce essere definita vecchia invece di anziana. Raymonde si ritaglia presto uno spazio importante, per quanto AG-G forzi un po’ la narrazione per farla apparire e agire.
La bugia di Raymonde è quasi la peggiore di tutte, anche se da un altro punto di vista, è l’unica giusta.
Intorno a questi tre personaggi tutti quanti hanno qualcosa da nascondere, mentono agli altri, ma soprattutto a se stessi. E si sa, una bugia tira l’altra, e con effetto domino da quella iniziale ne nasce una catena che sembra non avere termine.
Per essere creduto non bisogna dire che le menzogne necessarie scriveva Svevo nel suo capolavoro intitolato a Zeno.
Jaroslav Puczel
I momenti che per me funzionano meno sono quelli dove la costante ironia di AG-G supera il confine dell’umorismo per sconfinare nel sarcasmo: ottiene di allontanare troppo i personaggi che diventano solamente sgradevoli.
I momenti che secondo me funzionano di più sono quelli quando AG-G allarga lo sguardo, come se innestasse sui suoi occhi un grandangolo, il fish-eye, la lente che consente la massima estensione di campo, la superficie massima, con la minima necessità di illuminazione artificiale, e tenendo tutto, soggetti e sfondo, perfettamente a fuoco. In questi casi m’è parso che la scrittura di AG-G si sia fatta più raffinata del romanzo precedente, più matura.
Come faccio a non aspettare la sua prossima prova?
Jaroslav Puczel
Tel Aviv dove si immagina sia ambientata la storia.
Così d’un tratto, prodigiosamente, da un cortile abbandonato sbucò il nuovo scandalo – un relitto di un talent show accusato del tentato stupro di una minorenne – e tutti guardarono quella storia e videro che era buona.
Anche questa volta, astenendosi da qualsiasi forma di moralismo, la “gazzella” israeliana Ayelet Gundar-Goshen racconta una storia che cattura e avviluppa come una ragnatela.
E anche questa volta a mettere in moto il meccanismo narrativo è una bugia.
In questo caso, però, la bugia è una Bugia con l'iniziale maiuscola, che si gonfia e ingigantisce, diventa sempre più grande e sfaccettata, e finisce col portarsi dietro un castello di menzogne.
Nufar ha un lavoretto estivo in una gelateria ed è proprio lì che tutto ha inizio.
AG-G sembra quasi raccontarci un apologo sulla Bugia. Spinge il pedale fino a mostrarci come sulla menzogna si costruiscono Stati, di conseguenza la Storia. E quindi, per forza di cose, carriere, rapporti, commerci. È la bugia l’anima del commercio più che la pubblicità: a meno da non voler considerare la pubblicità sinonimo di bugia, esagerazione non così paradossale.
Un momento di profonda viscerale mostruosa brutalità verbale si trasforma in un tentativo di violenza sessuale nel racconto e soprattutto nelle omissioni di chi si è sentita vomitare addosso rabbia volgarità e cattiveria.
Lei, Nufar, è minorenne, non altrettanto bella della sorella minore, sta per iniziare l’ultimo anno di scuola e si porta addosso il peso della sua verginità che la fa sentire un pulcino nero.
Lui, Avishai Milner, ha conosciuto le luci della ribalta, il successo con un talent show, e ora si sente ingiustamente messo da parte, entrato nella zona d’ombra della vita. Ha fame di fama: ma quella che conosce dopo il fatto non è certo quella che cercava, diventa il mostro da sbattere in prima pagina.
Anche lei finisce sotto i riflettori dei media: un attenzione che nel suo caso sembra invece renderla davvero bella, la fa fiorire.
Jaroslav Puczel
Quei silenzi non erano meno preziosi delle conversazioni. Forse perfino di più. Di persone con cui parlare se ne trovano, ma le persone con cui tacere sono merce rara.
A metà romanzo, all’inizio della seconda parte, entra improvvisamente in scena un personaggio nuovo e totalmente inaspettato: Raymonde, nome insolito per una profuga marocchina che vive in una casa di riposo e preferisce essere definita vecchia invece di anziana. Raymonde si ritaglia presto uno spazio importante, per quanto AG-G forzi un po’ la narrazione per farla apparire e agire.
La bugia di Raymonde è quasi la peggiore di tutte, anche se da un altro punto di vista, è l’unica giusta.
Intorno a questi tre personaggi tutti quanti hanno qualcosa da nascondere, mentono agli altri, ma soprattutto a se stessi. E si sa, una bugia tira l’altra, e con effetto domino da quella iniziale ne nasce una catena che sembra non avere termine.
Per essere creduto non bisogna dire che le menzogne necessarie scriveva Svevo nel suo capolavoro intitolato a Zeno.
Jaroslav Puczel
I momenti che per me funzionano meno sono quelli dove la costante ironia di AG-G supera il confine dell’umorismo per sconfinare nel sarcasmo: ottiene di allontanare troppo i personaggi che diventano solamente sgradevoli.
I momenti che secondo me funzionano di più sono quelli quando AG-G allarga lo sguardo, come se innestasse sui suoi occhi un grandangolo, il fish-eye, la lente che consente la massima estensione di campo, la superficie massima, con la minima necessità di illuminazione artificiale, e tenendo tutto, soggetti e sfondo, perfettamente a fuoco. In questi casi m’è parso che la scrittura di AG-G si sia fatta più raffinata del romanzo precedente, più matura.
Come faccio a non aspettare la sua prossima prova?
Jaroslav Puczel
July 3, 2019
Truth about lies, tell a lot about a liar!!!
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, author of “Waking Lions”, brings us “Liar”, ....
a fascinating book about ethics and consequences....
which is every bit as strong as “Waking Lions”.
Nofar Shalev, a minor, seventeen year old, went from being an invisible shy awkward girl to being a household name and face. She accused a famous singer, Avishai Milner, of rape. He didn’t rape her.... but gets tossed in jail.
I cringed at so much injustice....
But the injustice makes for a compelling in-depth look at shadows behind the crime.
After a TV news broadcast interview with Nofar, she became known for being the brave young girl who dared to scream.
The lie and secret that Nofar carried inside her concealed other facts about her. The psychological reasons behind her lie were interesting and revealing. She wanted to feel better!
This young girl spent years wanting to be ‘seen’. She wanted a boyfriend and girlfriends like any other normal child or teenager.
It had all happened so fast.. Nofar’s mistake was like a boulder rolling down a hill that couldn’t stop.
She says:
“At first I just cried a lot, and everyone there thought he did something terrible to me, and he really did, but not that, not what everyone thought, and then everything happened so fast, with the newspapers and the TV, and the people who were so nice to me for the first time in my life, and I wish they could be so nice to you when you’re not suffering from anything special, even if you’re not a victim of a crime, just to be nice for no reason, but it doesn’t work like that, it’s either or, either he’s in jail and everyone is nice to me, or he’s out and everything goes back to the way it was. Only worse, because then I won’t be the girl everyone forgets, I’ll be the crazy one. The monster”.
Ayelet explores many themes: mixed messages passed down to children from parents-
The fight for power,
Antisocial personalities- anxiety- guilt- loneliness- jealousy- coming of age mixed with the confusion about love & sex, narcissistic tendencies, embarrassment- family history/functional and dysfunctional - school communities - war - political strife - even the ice cream parlor.
I never knew there was so much to learn about the workings in an ice cream store.
I had ever given much though about an ice cream employee. ( things they thought about customers)...etc. I’m thinking about them now. It will never be the same for me again....walking into an ice cream store.
What’s behind the question,
cone or cup? 🍦🍧
You’ll meet a handful of other interesting....
characters...including a deaf-mute who knew the truth:
“The deaf mute had indeed sworn an emotional oath to protect the girls secret, but emotional oaths are no different from cottage cheese and eggs— they to have a sell-by date”.
Lavi Maimon is another character who wants to be seen. He and Nofar share many similarities- including attraction to one another and her secret.
Maya is Nofar’s younger sister. The dynamics between them is one many siblings might be able to relate to ( The comparison syndrome).
Definitely worth reading!!!
Plenty of insights into the human nature.... and just darn GOOD!!!!!
Thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown and Company...
and to Ayelet Gundar-Goshen ( I really like her books!!!)
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, author of “Waking Lions”, brings us “Liar”, ....
a fascinating book about ethics and consequences....
which is every bit as strong as “Waking Lions”.
Nofar Shalev, a minor, seventeen year old, went from being an invisible shy awkward girl to being a household name and face. She accused a famous singer, Avishai Milner, of rape. He didn’t rape her.... but gets tossed in jail.
I cringed at so much injustice....
But the injustice makes for a compelling in-depth look at shadows behind the crime.
After a TV news broadcast interview with Nofar, she became known for being the brave young girl who dared to scream.
The lie and secret that Nofar carried inside her concealed other facts about her. The psychological reasons behind her lie were interesting and revealing. She wanted to feel better!
This young girl spent years wanting to be ‘seen’. She wanted a boyfriend and girlfriends like any other normal child or teenager.
It had all happened so fast.. Nofar’s mistake was like a boulder rolling down a hill that couldn’t stop.
She says:
“At first I just cried a lot, and everyone there thought he did something terrible to me, and he really did, but not that, not what everyone thought, and then everything happened so fast, with the newspapers and the TV, and the people who were so nice to me for the first time in my life, and I wish they could be so nice to you when you’re not suffering from anything special, even if you’re not a victim of a crime, just to be nice for no reason, but it doesn’t work like that, it’s either or, either he’s in jail and everyone is nice to me, or he’s out and everything goes back to the way it was. Only worse, because then I won’t be the girl everyone forgets, I’ll be the crazy one. The monster”.
Ayelet explores many themes: mixed messages passed down to children from parents-
The fight for power,
Antisocial personalities- anxiety- guilt- loneliness- jealousy- coming of age mixed with the confusion about love & sex, narcissistic tendencies, embarrassment- family history/functional and dysfunctional - school communities - war - political strife - even the ice cream parlor.
I never knew there was so much to learn about the workings in an ice cream store.
I had ever given much though about an ice cream employee. ( things they thought about customers)...etc. I’m thinking about them now. It will never be the same for me again....walking into an ice cream store.
What’s behind the question,
cone or cup? 🍦🍧
You’ll meet a handful of other interesting....
characters...including a deaf-mute who knew the truth:
“The deaf mute had indeed sworn an emotional oath to protect the girls secret, but emotional oaths are no different from cottage cheese and eggs— they to have a sell-by date”.
Lavi Maimon is another character who wants to be seen. He and Nofar share many similarities- including attraction to one another and her secret.
Maya is Nofar’s younger sister. The dynamics between them is one many siblings might be able to relate to ( The comparison syndrome).
Definitely worth reading!!!
Plenty of insights into the human nature.... and just darn GOOD!!!!!
Thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown and Company...
and to Ayelet Gundar-Goshen ( I really like her books!!!)
October 15, 2019
The Liar is a book that will make its readers uncomfortable by design; set in modern-day Israel, it follows a 17-year-old girl, Nofar, who is unremarkable in every way until one day she decides to tell a terrible lie, with far-reaching consequences. At her summer job at an ice cream parlor she has an unpleasant encounter with a local celebrity who yells at her and insults her appearance—things then escalate when Nofar falsely accuses him of attempted rape.
It’s a deeply unsettling premise, and a difficult one to pull off. How does an author tell a story about a false accusation without trivializing the reality of sexual assault? Ayelet Gundar-Goshen rises to the challenge.
You can read the rest of my review HERE on BookBrowse, and you can read a piece I wrote about the rarity of false sexual assault allegations HERE.
It’s a deeply unsettling premise, and a difficult one to pull off. How does an author tell a story about a false accusation without trivializing the reality of sexual assault? Ayelet Gundar-Goshen rises to the challenge.
You can read the rest of my review HERE on BookBrowse, and you can read a piece I wrote about the rarity of false sexual assault allegations HERE.
March 28, 2019
I’m in two minds about this book. On one hand I think it’s brilliant. The writing is wonderful, chock full of beautiful musings, metaphors, and tangents that are a delight to read. The characters are lively and believable and each sympathetic despite the terrible acts they carry out, and the plot is paced perfectly around their struggles.
The only thing that’s stopping me from giving it five stars is the implications of the narrative, and the place it may find in society.
Nofar lies about being raped, and the plot follows the consequences of this. In an environment where victims of sexual assault are desperately trying to be believed, writing a narrative where someone really is lying all along doesn’t land quite right with me. If there had been more obvious support for real victims of assault in the book, then maybe I could have be more okay with it.
However, Fiction is Fiction at the end of the day. And anyone who believes it to be real needs to take a step back and think some more.
So yeah, I’m a little iffy on it morally, but I would recommend it as a good book.
The only thing that’s stopping me from giving it five stars is the implications of the narrative, and the place it may find in society.
Nofar lies about being raped, and the plot follows the consequences of this. In an environment where victims of sexual assault are desperately trying to be believed, writing a narrative where someone really is lying all along doesn’t land quite right with me. If there had been more obvious support for real victims of assault in the book, then maybe I could have be more okay with it.
However, Fiction is Fiction at the end of the day. And anyone who believes it to be real needs to take a step back and think some more.
So yeah, I’m a little iffy on it morally, but I would recommend it as a good book.
June 11, 2019
«Incredibile, quanto possiamo sapere senza sapere di sapere»
Di tutte le bugie che esistono e dei loro perché quella di Nufar è una bugia che scuote, tanto quanto l'urlo che lancia, richiamando i passanti, e lascia annichilito il suo presunto aggressore.
Che l'ha aggredita sì verbalmente, insultandola e ferendola, insoddisfatta e irrisolta adolescente, ma senza toccarla con un dito.
Ma una bugia un po' originale, come diceva De Andrè, come una freccia dall'arco scocca
vola veloce di bocca in bocca, e la vicenda si monta, e dal cortile finisce al comando di polizia, e dalla polizia in televisione, e Nufar non riesce più ad aprire bocca, se non per alimentare quella bugia, senz'altro non per dire la verità.
La terribile storia del famoso cantante e della gelataia minorenne venne al mondo alle diciotto e quarantanove di un bel giorno del mese ebraico di Elul. Per un attimo la storia neonata aleggiò sul posto e respirò l’aria profumata della sera, ma non volle fermarsi un minuto di più in quel misero cortile. Eccola volare fuori, lontano, e il cortile, che prima si era riempito a gran velocità, ora si svuota altrettanto in fretta. Ciascuno va per la sua strada, i vigili urbani, i pompieri, la soldatessa dai capelli d’oro con il suo innamorato ufficiale, il noto cantante e la minorenne della gelateria; impossibile sapere se sono ancora loro a condurre la storia o se è già la storia a condurre loro. Comunque sia, il cortile è ormai troppo angusto per la storia che è cresciuta e ha bisogno di uno spazio vitale più grande, ad esempio il commissariato di polizia della via del centro.
Perché la ragazzina brufolosa e quasi invisibile, la sedicenne dal colorito spento e dai tratti anonimi, l’irreprensibile Nufar, timorata e timorosa di tutto e di tutti, ora che ha denunciato di avere subito molestie sessuali e un tentativo di stupro. improvvisamente diventa visibile a tutti: alla sorella Maya, che l'ha sempre oscurata con la sua bellezza e disinvoltura, ai genitori, concentrati su tutt’altro, ai compagni di scuola, che l'hanno isolata e relegata al ruolo di gelataia, persino a Lavi, un altro adolescente silenzioso e complessato come lei che dal momento in cui la vede in quel cortile, avvia con Nufar un gioco fatto di seduzione e ricatto.
“…Ci sono persone a cui dona la verità, e altre che vengono valorizzate dalla menzogna”.
Ed è un campionario di bugie questo romanzo: di sopravvivenza, di aiuto, d'amore, di attenzione, di vita; e ciascuno dei tanti personaggi che ruotano intorno a Nufar, coinvolti dalla sua bugia più grande, mentono a modo loro a chi hanno intorno.
Lavi, che racconta al padre militare di voler fare il test di accesso per seguirne la carriera e non dover ammettere di non esserne attratto, lo stesso Avishai (l'accusato), che fatica a dire a se stesso la verità sulla propria carriera artistica in declino, e Reymonde, cui il romanzo dedica un’improvvisa apertura (e forse da un punto di vista di struttura, un non ben risolto capitolo) che quasi novantenne per caso si trova a vivere una vita non sua.
«Gli era bastato poco per scoprire che i segreti non sono fatti per essere mantenuti. Al contrario: sono fatti per essere sussurrati di bocca in bocca, con sguardo colpevole e turbato.»
Perché, allora - si chiede e ci chiede Ayelet Gundar-Goshen - perché se le bugie sono così importanti nelle nostre vite e disfano e dispongono del nostro futuro, non esiste, come per la prima parola, una celebrazione della prima bugia, una data che ricordi qual è stata, quando è stato che abbiamo iniziato e perché? Perché mai nessuno si premura di annotare la prima bugia? Quanto onore si conferisce alla prima parola, al primo giorno di scuola elementare, al primo bacio. Ognuna di queste cose è come una bandiera piantata in un continente straniero: ecco, sono arrivato anche qui. Ma la prima bugia non si festeggia. Eppure, è possibile individuare il momento preciso, la prima volta in cui una bambina ha pensato che una menzogna è meglio della verità.
E perché mentiamo, a volte? Per essere accettati, per essere amati, per essere capiti, per...? Perché abbiamo bisogno di fingere, mentendo a noi stessi e agli altri, per rivelare qualcosa di noi stessi che non riusciamo a dire, ad accettare o ad affermare? A quanti compromessi siamo disposti a scendere e quante bugie siamo disposti a dire per riappropriarci di quello che secondo noi ci viene ingiustamente negato o sottratto? Dove si ferma la nostra moralità, qual è il confine?
Trovo molto interessante un'aspetto sottolineato da @Leka, che scrive: "mi pare che i suoi libri cerchino risposta ad un unico interrogativo: quali scelte nella vita ci rendono giusti verso noi stessi e verso gli altri?" e credo che questo sia vero soprattutto per Bugiarda, che lo ripropone, mostrandolo da diverse angolazioni, nel corso di tutto il romanzo, così come ho apprezzato anche il fatto di mettere in luce, con sottile crudeltà, gli aspetti nascosti della psicologia dei personaggi, i punti deboli, se vogliamo i difetti di tutti, anche laddove "tutti" sono le vittime, le convenzioni che come società siamo disposti ad accettare.
Ed è così che l'occhio di Gundar-Goshen non si limita a frugare fra i panni sporchi di una normale famiglia israeliana di Tel Aviv, ma allarga sempre più lo sguardo, fino ad arrivare nella casa di riposo dov'è ospitata Raymonde, fino a intraprendere con lei, che quasi novantenne cerca ancora di sentirsi viva, il lungo viaggio fino ad Auschwitz, dove dirà la bugia più grande.
È solo mettendole a confronto, le bugie di Nufar e Raymonde, che appaiono in tutto il loro significato, che permettono anche al lettore di capire che non tutte le bugie sono uguali, che se è vero che ci sono bugie che non possono essere perdonate, nella vita ci saranno momenti in cui saremo costretti a dirle, altri in cui mentiremo per sopravvivere, altri ancora in cui le diremo a fin di bene, o, persino, in cui pronunceremo bugie non faranno male a nessuno; o forse, talvolta, basterà solo fingere di non averle sentite.
Sullo sfondo scorrono le immagini di una Tel Aviv estiva moderna e pettegola, calda e sorniona, pronta ad accogliere e a proteggere, ad accusare e a perdonare, in cui, dietro le facciate e le porte di casa, nei cortili e negli studi televisivi, si combattono ogni giorno conflitti privati, guerre mai finite, fantasmi e orrori del passato.
«Alla nostra età, la memoria non è più tanto buona. Di solito i vecchi non hanno il privilegio di decidere cosa preferiscono dimenticare e cosa vogliono ricordare».
«Araleh, hai sentito cosa ti ho detto prima?»
Rivolse lo sguardo limpido alla vasca torbida.
«Non me lo ricordo».
Quattro stelle perché sono generosa, ma in realtà sono più tre e mezza, anche se parlandone e scrivendone i pregi dell'introspezione psicologica che Ayelet Gundar-Goshen riserva a personaggi e società fa crescere il valore del romanzo.
Di tutte le bugie che esistono e dei loro perché quella di Nufar è una bugia che scuote, tanto quanto l'urlo che lancia, richiamando i passanti, e lascia annichilito il suo presunto aggressore.
Che l'ha aggredita sì verbalmente, insultandola e ferendola, insoddisfatta e irrisolta adolescente, ma senza toccarla con un dito.
Ma una bugia un po' originale, come diceva De Andrè, come una freccia dall'arco scocca
vola veloce di bocca in bocca, e la vicenda si monta, e dal cortile finisce al comando di polizia, e dalla polizia in televisione, e Nufar non riesce più ad aprire bocca, se non per alimentare quella bugia, senz'altro non per dire la verità.
La terribile storia del famoso cantante e della gelataia minorenne venne al mondo alle diciotto e quarantanove di un bel giorno del mese ebraico di Elul. Per un attimo la storia neonata aleggiò sul posto e respirò l’aria profumata della sera, ma non volle fermarsi un minuto di più in quel misero cortile. Eccola volare fuori, lontano, e il cortile, che prima si era riempito a gran velocità, ora si svuota altrettanto in fretta. Ciascuno va per la sua strada, i vigili urbani, i pompieri, la soldatessa dai capelli d’oro con il suo innamorato ufficiale, il noto cantante e la minorenne della gelateria; impossibile sapere se sono ancora loro a condurre la storia o se è già la storia a condurre loro. Comunque sia, il cortile è ormai troppo angusto per la storia che è cresciuta e ha bisogno di uno spazio vitale più grande, ad esempio il commissariato di polizia della via del centro.
Perché la ragazzina brufolosa e quasi invisibile, la sedicenne dal colorito spento e dai tratti anonimi, l’irreprensibile Nufar, timorata e timorosa di tutto e di tutti, ora che ha denunciato di avere subito molestie sessuali e un tentativo di stupro. improvvisamente diventa visibile a tutti: alla sorella Maya, che l'ha sempre oscurata con la sua bellezza e disinvoltura, ai genitori, concentrati su tutt’altro, ai compagni di scuola, che l'hanno isolata e relegata al ruolo di gelataia, persino a Lavi, un altro adolescente silenzioso e complessato come lei che dal momento in cui la vede in quel cortile, avvia con Nufar un gioco fatto di seduzione e ricatto.
“…Ci sono persone a cui dona la verità, e altre che vengono valorizzate dalla menzogna”.
Ed è un campionario di bugie questo romanzo: di sopravvivenza, di aiuto, d'amore, di attenzione, di vita; e ciascuno dei tanti personaggi che ruotano intorno a Nufar, coinvolti dalla sua bugia più grande, mentono a modo loro a chi hanno intorno.
Lavi, che racconta al padre militare di voler fare il test di accesso per seguirne la carriera e non dover ammettere di non esserne attratto, lo stesso Avishai (l'accusato), che fatica a dire a se stesso la verità sulla propria carriera artistica in declino, e Reymonde, cui il romanzo dedica un’improvvisa apertura (e forse da un punto di vista di struttura, un non ben risolto capitolo) che quasi novantenne per caso si trova a vivere una vita non sua.
«Gli era bastato poco per scoprire che i segreti non sono fatti per essere mantenuti. Al contrario: sono fatti per essere sussurrati di bocca in bocca, con sguardo colpevole e turbato.»
Perché, allora - si chiede e ci chiede Ayelet Gundar-Goshen - perché se le bugie sono così importanti nelle nostre vite e disfano e dispongono del nostro futuro, non esiste, come per la prima parola, una celebrazione della prima bugia, una data che ricordi qual è stata, quando è stato che abbiamo iniziato e perché? Perché mai nessuno si premura di annotare la prima bugia? Quanto onore si conferisce alla prima parola, al primo giorno di scuola elementare, al primo bacio. Ognuna di queste cose è come una bandiera piantata in un continente straniero: ecco, sono arrivato anche qui. Ma la prima bugia non si festeggia. Eppure, è possibile individuare il momento preciso, la prima volta in cui una bambina ha pensato che una menzogna è meglio della verità.
E perché mentiamo, a volte? Per essere accettati, per essere amati, per essere capiti, per...? Perché abbiamo bisogno di fingere, mentendo a noi stessi e agli altri, per rivelare qualcosa di noi stessi che non riusciamo a dire, ad accettare o ad affermare? A quanti compromessi siamo disposti a scendere e quante bugie siamo disposti a dire per riappropriarci di quello che secondo noi ci viene ingiustamente negato o sottratto? Dove si ferma la nostra moralità, qual è il confine?
Trovo molto interessante un'aspetto sottolineato da @Leka, che scrive: "mi pare che i suoi libri cerchino risposta ad un unico interrogativo: quali scelte nella vita ci rendono giusti verso noi stessi e verso gli altri?" e credo che questo sia vero soprattutto per Bugiarda, che lo ripropone, mostrandolo da diverse angolazioni, nel corso di tutto il romanzo, così come ho apprezzato anche il fatto di mettere in luce, con sottile crudeltà, gli aspetti nascosti della psicologia dei personaggi, i punti deboli, se vogliamo i difetti di tutti, anche laddove "tutti" sono le vittime, le convenzioni che come società siamo disposti ad accettare.
Ed è così che l'occhio di Gundar-Goshen non si limita a frugare fra i panni sporchi di una normale famiglia israeliana di Tel Aviv, ma allarga sempre più lo sguardo, fino ad arrivare nella casa di riposo dov'è ospitata Raymonde, fino a intraprendere con lei, che quasi novantenne cerca ancora di sentirsi viva, il lungo viaggio fino ad Auschwitz, dove dirà la bugia più grande.
È solo mettendole a confronto, le bugie di Nufar e Raymonde, che appaiono in tutto il loro significato, che permettono anche al lettore di capire che non tutte le bugie sono uguali, che se è vero che ci sono bugie che non possono essere perdonate, nella vita ci saranno momenti in cui saremo costretti a dirle, altri in cui mentiremo per sopravvivere, altri ancora in cui le diremo a fin di bene, o, persino, in cui pronunceremo bugie non faranno male a nessuno; o forse, talvolta, basterà solo fingere di non averle sentite.
Sullo sfondo scorrono le immagini di una Tel Aviv estiva moderna e pettegola, calda e sorniona, pronta ad accogliere e a proteggere, ad accusare e a perdonare, in cui, dietro le facciate e le porte di casa, nei cortili e negli studi televisivi, si combattono ogni giorno conflitti privati, guerre mai finite, fantasmi e orrori del passato.
«Alla nostra età, la memoria non è più tanto buona. Di solito i vecchi non hanno il privilegio di decidere cosa preferiscono dimenticare e cosa vogliono ricordare».
«Araleh, hai sentito cosa ti ho detto prima?»
Rivolse lo sguardo limpido alla vasca torbida.
«Non me lo ricordo».
Quattro stelle perché sono generosa, ma in realtà sono più tre e mezza, anche se parlandone e scrivendone i pregi dell'introspezione psicologica che Ayelet Gundar-Goshen riserva a personaggi e società fa crescere il valore del romanzo.
May 20, 2019
Liar by Ayelet Gunder-Goshen, is the best book by Pushkin Press that I have read. I think that what held my attention from beginning to end, was the prose in the way this story has been written. The prose of words and story will stay with me for ever.
My review is on www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
We all know if we tell a lie it can back fire and we suffer the consequences. Liar is a story that reveals a true saying, one mistake can have a thousand consequences.
Nofar is a very plain young school girl who life isn’t interesting, no one bothers to notice her, or talk to her. The only people that do talk to her are the people that que up for an ice cream at the ice cream parlour, where she works. Until one day a singer says something insulting to her. The singer finds himself arrested for sexual assault on Nofar. Now Nofar has the attention she craved for by everyone at her school, the press and TV, but is Nofar telling the truth and the whole truth at what the celebrity Avishai Milner did to her? A boy Lavi, who lived on a floor upstairs with his family had seen everything that day what really happened. I couldn’t stop reading this beautiful story about what happens throughout in Nofar’s life. I truly recommend this book Liar.
My review is on www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
We all know if we tell a lie it can back fire and we suffer the consequences. Liar is a story that reveals a true saying, one mistake can have a thousand consequences.
Nofar is a very plain young school girl who life isn’t interesting, no one bothers to notice her, or talk to her. The only people that do talk to her are the people that que up for an ice cream at the ice cream parlour, where she works. Until one day a singer says something insulting to her. The singer finds himself arrested for sexual assault on Nofar. Now Nofar has the attention she craved for by everyone at her school, the press and TV, but is Nofar telling the truth and the whole truth at what the celebrity Avishai Milner did to her? A boy Lavi, who lived on a floor upstairs with his family had seen everything that day what really happened. I couldn’t stop reading this beautiful story about what happens throughout in Nofar’s life. I truly recommend this book Liar.
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 3, 2023I'm just going to start off right away that I couldn't get into this one, so I didn't finish it. It wasn't worth trying to push through.
I read the first few chapters, but I couldn't make myself go any further. It felt like a chore
The book does seem interesting; a 17-year-old ice cream scooper has a run-in with a disgruntled, washed-up star and allows rumors of an attempted sexual assault to bloom. But there was just something about the story that didn't pull me in or make me care to know what happens next.
One thing that bugged me about this book was that there was little dialogue to move the story on and instead we're given summary recaps of characters that played a part in Nofar's life. It was more telling the story than showing it in my opinion.. there was no passion in the narration.
With my new resolution to DNF books that I just can't get into, this sadly had to be the first one.
However, thanks NetGalley for letting me (try to) read an advanced copy of this book and give my honest review.
I read the first few chapters, but I couldn't make myself go any further. It felt like a chore
The book does seem interesting; a 17-year-old ice cream scooper has a run-in with a disgruntled, washed-up star and allows rumors of an attempted sexual assault to bloom. But there was just something about the story that didn't pull me in or make me care to know what happens next.
One thing that bugged me about this book was that there was little dialogue to move the story on and instead we're given summary recaps of characters that played a part in Nofar's life. It was more telling the story than showing it in my opinion.. there was no passion in the narration.
With my new resolution to DNF books that I just can't get into, this sadly had to be the first one.
However, thanks NetGalley for letting me (try to) read an advanced copy of this book and give my honest review.
Shelved as 'unfinished'
May 13, 2019I read the first 63 pages. I liked the Atonement-style setup: a 17-year-old ice cream scooper has a run-in with a disgruntled, washed-up reality show star and allows rumors of an attempted sexual assault to bloom. Nice biblical echoes and metaphors, though some are a bit belabored (e.g. “Nofar’s guilt, like a Persian cat, rubbed her legs fleetingly, sat for a brief moment on her lap, then moved onward”). Mostly I just felt no pull to keep going and find out what happened.
June 26, 2020
Топовый пранк, вышедший из под контроля
Старая басня про мальчика, который кричал "волки!", только на сей раз это девочка, которая крикнула, что её пытались изнасиловать. Проблема в том, что никто не пытался изнасиловать и даже не думал, просто у девочки и мужчины случился плохой день — он нагрубил, она разревелась. Идеальная парочка для громкого скандала в мире искривленной фем-повестки. И вот уже прибежали свидетели, он пытался отшутиться, а она ревела и кивала на каждый вопрос. Привет, уголовное дело.
Айелет Гундар-Гошен — моя новая любимая писательница. Порой кажется, что она очень сильно недолюбливает своих персонажей и готова посмеяться над ними по любому поводу. Через каждую пару станиц я слышу явственный сардонический смех Терри Пратчетта, который, хочется верить, как на том меме с Иисусом, стоял за спиной Айелет, тыкал пальцем в монитор и шептал ей на ухо «вон ему ещё втащи!». Тема-то серьезная, благодатная, можно соорудить очередную масштабную трагедию, но писательница ворвалась в толпу смурных лиц с клоунами и тортами. За что ей большое спасибо.
Очень летняя книга, которой, однако, не хватило острого финала. Постоянное ощущение доставаемого из ножен меча кануло в ничто. Тот самый момент, когда небольшая яркая драма никому бы не навредила. Еще не по душе телесные описания, но любители реализма вряд ли поморщатся. Очень хочется, чтобы перевели "Waking Lions" — там тоже убийство, ложь, подозрения, опасные моменты и тонна иронии.
Старая басня про мальчика, который кричал "волки!", только на сей раз это девочка, которая крикнула, что её пытались изнасиловать. Проблема в том, что никто не пытался изнасиловать и даже не думал, просто у девочки и мужчины случился плохой день — он нагрубил, она разревелась. Идеальная парочка для громкого скандала в мире искривленной фем-повестки. И вот уже прибежали свидетели, он пытался отшутиться, а она ревела и кивала на каждый вопрос. Привет, уголовное дело.
Айелет Гундар-Гошен — моя новая любимая писательница. Порой кажется, что она очень сильно недолюбливает своих персонажей и готова посмеяться над ними по любому поводу. Через каждую пару станиц я слышу явственный сардонический смех Терри Пратчетта, который, хочется верить, как на том меме с Иисусом, стоял за спиной Айелет, тыкал пальцем в монитор и шептал ей на ухо «вон ему ещё втащи!». Тема-то серьезная, благодатная, можно соорудить очередную масштабную трагедию, но писательница ворвалась в толпу смурных лиц с клоунами и тортами. За что ей большое спасибо.
Очень летняя книга, которой, однако, не хватило острого финала. Постоянное ощущение доставаемого из ножен меча кануло в ничто. Тот самый момент, когда небольшая яркая драма никому бы не навредила. Еще не по душе телесные описания, но любители реализма вряд ли поморщатся. Очень хочется, чтобы перевели "Waking Lions" — там тоже убийство, ложь, подозрения, опасные моменты и тонна иронии.
October 13, 2019
What would you do if you were a seventeen yr old girl and told a lie that skyrocketed out of control?
That you couldn't take it back.
That the lie you told could put someone in jail for many years.
That the lie you told has so many components, you wish you could run away.
I love this author; her writing is superb, as is her other books.
I enjoyed this book, but thought the ending could have have been a little more creative.
That you couldn't take it back.
That the lie you told could put someone in jail for many years.
That the lie you told has so many components, you wish you could run away.
I love this author; her writing is superb, as is her other books.
I enjoyed this book, but thought the ending could have have been a little more creative.
November 3, 2017
Auf „Lügnerin“ von Ayelet Gundar-Goshen aus dem Kein & Aber Verlag wurde ich beim durchforsten der Verlagsvorschauen aufmerksam. Die mit dem Sapir-Preis für das beste Debüt Israels ausgezeichnete Autorin studierte Psychologie und so ist es schon fast natürlich, dass sie ihre Charaktere bis in ihr Innerstes durchleuchtet. Was geschieht, wenn ein Missverständnis zu einer Lüge heranwächst, die das Leben einer jungen Frau von Grund auf verändert? Was geht in den Menschen vor, die von der Lüge wissen? Was geschieht mit den Menschen, die unter der Lüge zu leiden haben? Ayelet Gundar-Goshen geht diesen Fragen auf den Grund.
Nuphar ist eine junge Frau, die völlig unerwartet aus ihrem bisherigen Leben herausgerissen wird. War sie eben noch unscheinbar und zurückhaltend, entdeckt sie nach einem Ereignis eine ihr bis dato unbekannte Macht. Die Macht der Lüge. Sie wird auf einmal wahrgenommen, Menschen bewundern sie, beschenken sie, lieben sie. Vor allem einer liebt sie. Doch was sehen sie in ihr? Nuphar selbst, oder nur das Lügengespinst? Und welche langfristigen Folgen hat ihre unbedachte Lüge? Angesichts dieser Fragen wird das, was anfangs noch seinen spielerischen Reiz hatte, eine immer schwerere Last für das Mädchen und alle, die mit in die Geschichte verstrickt sind.
Was so brisant klingt, wird von Ayelet Gundar-Goshen aus einer allwissenden und distanzierten Erzählperspektive beschrieben. „Lügnerin“ liest sich daher trotz aller Emotionalität, die ein Thema wie dieses mit sich bringt, eher wie eine sachliche Beobachtung – es ist eine feine Studie menschlichen Handelns und Denkens. Die Autorin geht den grundlegenden Fragen nach: Wer hat Recht, wer hat Unrecht? Wessen Handeln ist vertretbar, welches nicht? Was rechtfertigt eine Lüge? Letztendlich bleibt alles relativ und der Leser ist gefordert, sein Urteil zu fällen.
WAREN DIE UNENTDECKTEN LÜGEN NICHT ZAHLREICHER ALS DIE ENTDECKTEN? KLEINE, HARMLOSE GESCHICHTEN, DIE SICH IN DEN ALLTAG WEBTEN, BIS NIEMAND MEHR ZWISCHEN WAHR UND ERFUNDEN UNTERSCHEIDEN KONNTE. DIE ZEIT KNETETE ALLES ZU EINEM EINZIGEN TEIG ZUSAMMEN. GEWESEN ODER NICHT GEWESEN – WAS ÄNDERTE DAS SCHON GROSS? (SEITE 145)
Was mich sehr positiv überrascht hat ist, dass sich Gundar-Goshen nicht nur auf den einen Erzählstrang und diese eine Lüge beschränkt, sondern weitere Charaktere und Lügen ins Spiel bringt. So werden alle Facetten des Lügens betrachtet. Es wird herausgearbeitet, was Menschen zum lügen bringt und was sie sich davon erhoffen. Vor allem aber wird erzählt, warum es so schwer ist, eine Lüge zuzugeben. Das können wir alle nachvollziehen, oder? Sei es auch nur eine Notlüge, es ist schwer, mit der Wahrheit herauszurücken. Hinzu kommen kleine Aha-Momente, wenn sich die Lebenswege dieser Charaktere miteinander kreuzen und sich auch wieder verlieren. Wunderbar vielschichtig.
NACH EINEM FEINEN DESSERT MÖCHTE MAN NICHTS WEITERES KOSTEN, DAMIT DIE BESONDERE SÜSSE ERHALTEN BLEIBT. UND NACH KÜSSEN GIBT MAN EINSILBIGE ANTWORTEN, DAMIT SICH AUF DEN LIPPEN NICHT VERLIERT, WAS DER MUND NOCH GENIESSEN MÖCHTE. (SEITE 101)
Was mich am allermeisten beeindruckte, war die Sprache. Ayelet Gundar-Goshen verwendet enorm ausdrucksstarke Metaphern, die bemerkenswert gut zum sachlichen Ton passen. So werden Gedanken und Gefühle treffend ausgedrückt und werden für den Leser nachvollziehbar und erlebbar. Hier ist das Einfühlungsvermögen der Psychologin zu erkennen, die zielstrebig alles ans Licht bringt, was Menschen zum Lügen und auch generell im Leben bewegt. Das Lesen wird dadurch zu einem wahren Vergnügen.
Fazit
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen schreibt mit „Lügnerin“ eine präzise Beobachtung menschlichen Handelns. Was bewegt eine unscheinbare junge Frau dazu, eine ungeheure Lüge zu verbreiten? Die Autorin geht dieser Frage nach und beleuchtet die innersten und geheimsten Gefühle und Gedanken ihrer Charaktere und fasst sie in äußerst ausdrucksstarke Worte. Ich bin fasziniert von diesem Buch.
Nuphar ist eine junge Frau, die völlig unerwartet aus ihrem bisherigen Leben herausgerissen wird. War sie eben noch unscheinbar und zurückhaltend, entdeckt sie nach einem Ereignis eine ihr bis dato unbekannte Macht. Die Macht der Lüge. Sie wird auf einmal wahrgenommen, Menschen bewundern sie, beschenken sie, lieben sie. Vor allem einer liebt sie. Doch was sehen sie in ihr? Nuphar selbst, oder nur das Lügengespinst? Und welche langfristigen Folgen hat ihre unbedachte Lüge? Angesichts dieser Fragen wird das, was anfangs noch seinen spielerischen Reiz hatte, eine immer schwerere Last für das Mädchen und alle, die mit in die Geschichte verstrickt sind.
Was so brisant klingt, wird von Ayelet Gundar-Goshen aus einer allwissenden und distanzierten Erzählperspektive beschrieben. „Lügnerin“ liest sich daher trotz aller Emotionalität, die ein Thema wie dieses mit sich bringt, eher wie eine sachliche Beobachtung – es ist eine feine Studie menschlichen Handelns und Denkens. Die Autorin geht den grundlegenden Fragen nach: Wer hat Recht, wer hat Unrecht? Wessen Handeln ist vertretbar, welches nicht? Was rechtfertigt eine Lüge? Letztendlich bleibt alles relativ und der Leser ist gefordert, sein Urteil zu fällen.
WAREN DIE UNENTDECKTEN LÜGEN NICHT ZAHLREICHER ALS DIE ENTDECKTEN? KLEINE, HARMLOSE GESCHICHTEN, DIE SICH IN DEN ALLTAG WEBTEN, BIS NIEMAND MEHR ZWISCHEN WAHR UND ERFUNDEN UNTERSCHEIDEN KONNTE. DIE ZEIT KNETETE ALLES ZU EINEM EINZIGEN TEIG ZUSAMMEN. GEWESEN ODER NICHT GEWESEN – WAS ÄNDERTE DAS SCHON GROSS? (SEITE 145)
Was mich sehr positiv überrascht hat ist, dass sich Gundar-Goshen nicht nur auf den einen Erzählstrang und diese eine Lüge beschränkt, sondern weitere Charaktere und Lügen ins Spiel bringt. So werden alle Facetten des Lügens betrachtet. Es wird herausgearbeitet, was Menschen zum lügen bringt und was sie sich davon erhoffen. Vor allem aber wird erzählt, warum es so schwer ist, eine Lüge zuzugeben. Das können wir alle nachvollziehen, oder? Sei es auch nur eine Notlüge, es ist schwer, mit der Wahrheit herauszurücken. Hinzu kommen kleine Aha-Momente, wenn sich die Lebenswege dieser Charaktere miteinander kreuzen und sich auch wieder verlieren. Wunderbar vielschichtig.
NACH EINEM FEINEN DESSERT MÖCHTE MAN NICHTS WEITERES KOSTEN, DAMIT DIE BESONDERE SÜSSE ERHALTEN BLEIBT. UND NACH KÜSSEN GIBT MAN EINSILBIGE ANTWORTEN, DAMIT SICH AUF DEN LIPPEN NICHT VERLIERT, WAS DER MUND NOCH GENIESSEN MÖCHTE. (SEITE 101)
Was mich am allermeisten beeindruckte, war die Sprache. Ayelet Gundar-Goshen verwendet enorm ausdrucksstarke Metaphern, die bemerkenswert gut zum sachlichen Ton passen. So werden Gedanken und Gefühle treffend ausgedrückt und werden für den Leser nachvollziehbar und erlebbar. Hier ist das Einfühlungsvermögen der Psychologin zu erkennen, die zielstrebig alles ans Licht bringt, was Menschen zum Lügen und auch generell im Leben bewegt. Das Lesen wird dadurch zu einem wahren Vergnügen.
Fazit
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen schreibt mit „Lügnerin“ eine präzise Beobachtung menschlichen Handelns. Was bewegt eine unscheinbare junge Frau dazu, eine ungeheure Lüge zu verbreiten? Die Autorin geht dieser Frage nach und beleuchtet die innersten und geheimsten Gefühle und Gedanken ihrer Charaktere und fasst sie in äußerst ausdrucksstarke Worte. Ich bin fasziniert von diesem Buch.
April 10, 2020
לספר יש פוטנציאל, אבל הוא לא מתעלה אליו ולמרות שהוא מתחיל טוב, הוא מתדרדר אל שיאו כאשר ריימונד, אלמנה מזרחית בשלהי שנות השישים שלה, מתחזה לניצולת שואה במסע לפולין.
נופר שלו בחורה בגיל העשרה עובדת בגלידריה וסופגת מתקפה מילולית ברוטלית מפליט ריאליטי, זמר כושל לעת מצוא בשם אבישי. הוא רודף אחריה לחצר האחורית כשהוא מניח שגנבה את שטר ה 200 שח שבו רצה לשלם על הגלידה, והיא זועקת את כאבה בצורה כל כך נחושה שכל המתאספים מסיקים שהיה ניסיון לאונס.
נופר אינה מתקנת אותם ובין לילה הופכת לכוכבת ריאליטי בעצמה. רק נער אחד בודד ומסוגר, לביא מימון יודע את האמת והוא "סוחט" את נופר למערכת יחסים. כתבתי סוחט במרכאות, כי נופר עצמה רוצה ביחסים אלה והם מזינים ומתדלקים את השקר אותו היא מחבקת ברצון ככל שהזמן עובר והפחד מניתוק מלביא גדל.
בשלב מסויים מבינים את הפואנטה והספר ממשיך ונמרח ומדשדש אל קיצו. הסופרת שוקעת אל חיבוטי הנפש של הצעירים בהתמודדות שלהם עם עצמם, עם מקומם בעולם, עם משיכה בין המינים. והכל כל כך בוסרי ולא מתעלה מילימטר מעבר למה שזה : ספר נוער על בעיות של נוער בעולם דיגיטלי שמתמקד בחיצוניות יותר מפנימיות.
נכון הוא, שלנופר יש מידי פעם הירהורי כפירה על השקר שלה שהלך ותפח וקיבל מימדים מפלצתיים. אבל, הם חולפים כמו שהיו כאשר היא שוקלת את התוצאות של גילוי השקר והפרידה מלביא. היא רוצה שהוא יסחט אותה. היא מוחנפת. מתגרה מהסחיטה הזאת. ולמרות שמידי פעם הסופרת זורקת לקורא עצם על אומללותו וחייו של הזמר המואשם, תיאור של דמות מבישה שמאוד מקשה על הקורא לחוש אליו אמפטיה, עלילת הכזב שהוטלה עליו ממש לא מגיעה לו.
בכלל העלילה העוסקת בניסיון האונס מחוררת כמו גבינה שווצרית. מדוע שהזמר יעצר על סמך מילה של נערה שאין עליה אפילו סימן אחד של אלימות? ממתי דמעות הן ראיות לניסיון אונס? וממתי העלבה גוררת מעצר? אולי נוער שיקרא את הספר יפסח על שני הסעיפים, אבל מאוד קשה לאנשים בוגרים לראות משהו אמין בהשתלשלות הזו של העלילה. בעיניי התפירה של קו העלילה הזה ממש רשלנית.
נופר שלו בחורה בגיל העשרה עובדת בגלידריה וסופגת מתקפה מילולית ברוטלית מפליט ריאליטי, זמר כושל לעת מצוא בשם אבישי. הוא רודף אחריה לחצר האחורית כשהוא מניח שגנבה את שטר ה 200 שח שבו רצה לשלם על הגלידה, והיא זועקת את כאבה בצורה כל כך נחושה שכל המתאספים מסיקים שהיה ניסיון לאונס.
נופר אינה מתקנת אותם ובין לילה הופכת לכוכבת ריאליטי בעצמה. רק נער אחד בודד ומסוגר, לביא מימון יודע את האמת והוא "סוחט" את נופר למערכת יחסים. כתבתי סוחט במרכאות, כי נופר עצמה רוצה ביחסים אלה והם מזינים ומתדלקים את השקר אותו היא מחבקת ברצון ככל שהזמן עובר והפחד מניתוק מלביא גדל.
בשלב מסויים מבינים את הפואנטה והספר ממשיך ונמרח ומדשדש אל קיצו. הסופרת שוקעת אל חיבוטי הנפש של הצעירים בהתמודדות שלהם עם עצמם, עם מקומם בעולם, עם משיכה בין המינים. והכל כל כך בוסרי ולא מתעלה מילימטר מעבר למה שזה : ספר נוער על בעיות של נוער בעולם דיגיטלי שמתמקד בחיצוניות יותר מפנימיות.
נכון הוא, שלנופר יש מידי פעם הירהורי כפירה על השקר שלה שהלך ותפח וקיבל מימדים מפלצתיים. אבל, הם חולפים כמו שהיו כאשר היא שוקלת את התוצאות של גילוי השקר והפרידה מלביא. היא רוצה שהוא יסחט אותה. היא מוחנפת. מתגרה מהסחיטה הזאת. ולמרות שמידי פעם הסופרת זורקת לקורא עצם על אומללותו וחייו של הזמר המואשם, תיאור של דמות מבישה שמאוד מקשה על הקורא לחוש אליו אמפטיה, עלילת הכזב שהוטלה עליו ממש לא מגיעה לו.
בכלל העלילה העוסקת בניסיון האונס מחוררת כמו גבינה שווצרית. מדוע שהזמר יעצר על סמך מילה של נערה שאין עליה אפילו סימן אחד של אלימות? ממתי דמעות הן ראיות לניסיון אונס? וממתי העלבה גוררת מעצר? אולי נוער שיקרא את הספר יפסח על שני הסעיפים, אבל מאוד קשה לאנשים בוגרים לראות משהו אמין בהשתלשלות הזו של העלילה. בעיניי התפירה של קו העלילה הזה ממש רשלנית.
July 26, 2020
Ik heb echt genoten van Leugenaar van Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. Na het lezen van haar eerdere roman Leeuwen wekken ging ik meteen door in haar meest recente boek. Beide boeken gaan over de waarheid en de leugen, maar ook over goed en kwaad. Waar ik de hoofdstukken in Leeuwen wekken soms wat lang vond (waardoor ik trager door het boek ging), was dit in Leugenaar absoluut niet het geval. Ik vloog door de pagina's en vond de korte hoofdstukken prettig lezen.
Ook het plot sprak me aan: wanneer het zeventienjarige ijscomeisje Noefar wegloopt bij een onvriendelijk klant en hij haar naar buiten achtervolgt om haar nog verder te beledigen slaakt ze een luide gil. Gealarmeerde buurtbewoners trekken de conclusie dat de man haar seksueel lastig viel. En zij besluit dat hen te laten geloven. Voor het eerst van haar leven staat Noefar niet meer in de schaduw van haar jongere zusje, maar in het middelpunt van de belangstelling. Haar leugen maakt van de onopvallende, onhandige ijsverkoopster een heuse mediaprinses. Dat ze hiervoor het leven van een man kapotmaakt lijkt ze lange tijd te vergeten - totdat het schuldgevoel naar boven komt..
Wat Leugenaar vooral interessant maakt is de rol van de media in het geheel. Hierdoor is deze roman van Ayelet Gundar-Goshen actueel en maatschappijkritisch.
Een uitgebreide recensie volgt.
Ook het plot sprak me aan: wanneer het zeventienjarige ijscomeisje Noefar wegloopt bij een onvriendelijk klant en hij haar naar buiten achtervolgt om haar nog verder te beledigen slaakt ze een luide gil. Gealarmeerde buurtbewoners trekken de conclusie dat de man haar seksueel lastig viel. En zij besluit dat hen te laten geloven. Voor het eerst van haar leven staat Noefar niet meer in de schaduw van haar jongere zusje, maar in het middelpunt van de belangstelling. Haar leugen maakt van de onopvallende, onhandige ijsverkoopster een heuse mediaprinses. Dat ze hiervoor het leven van een man kapotmaakt lijkt ze lange tijd te vergeten - totdat het schuldgevoel naar boven komt..
Wat Leugenaar vooral interessant maakt is de rol van de media in het geheel. Hierdoor is deze roman van Ayelet Gundar-Goshen actueel en maatschappijkritisch.
Een uitgebreide recensie volgt.
May 22, 2020
(#gifted @pushkin_press) I thought this book had a lot of potential, reminding the reader of an ugly truth, but ultimately it was let down a bit by a rather disjointed plot. Translated from the Hebrew by Sondra Silverston, Liar takes the reader on a dark and tangled journey of the repurcussions of one, terrible, lie. She demonstrates how quickly words and rumours can take on a life of their own, with a cast of morally reprehensible characters - if you need to like your characters, don't pick this one up!
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It all starts when Nofar, a 17-year-old ice cream server tired of fading into the background, is verbally assaulted by a B-list celebrity at the shop where she works. After their little scene is discovered, the situation escalates and, overwhelmed by the attention, Nofar lets a lie take root. She lets people believe that the celebrity attempted to sexually assault her.
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Liar will make you want to tear your hair out. It will make your blood boil and you'll want to shake Nofar for being so utterly stupid. This is where Liar excels, as Gundar-Goshen evokes a powerful response in the reader (this reader, anyway). She doesn't relentlessly remind us that what Nofar does is terrible, and exactly what makes it so difficult for real victims of sexual assult to be heart and believed. It's right there. I hate being preached at in a book (Jen @bluestockingbookshelf I know you agree), so this was brilliant. UNTIL. 175 pages into a 280 page book she inserts a completely random storyline and perspective, so tenuously linked to Nofar's, seemingly solely to reiterate that, reader, Lying Is Bad. WE KNOW.
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I think Liar would have worked better had the author just stuck to the perspectives of Nofar and the man she accuses. We get random ones thrown in, including the old lady in the storyline mentioned above, the detective on the case, her mother, a homeless man who witnesses what really happened and does nothing... That's where the disjointedness came from. It would have been much sleeker and more powerful just inside the heads of the two main characters.
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Sometimes when I write 'middling' 3-star reviews they can come off too negative, but I did appreciate this novel for what it was putting out there. An uncomfortable and cutting exploration of our actions and responsibilities when it comes to the truth.
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It all starts when Nofar, a 17-year-old ice cream server tired of fading into the background, is verbally assaulted by a B-list celebrity at the shop where she works. After their little scene is discovered, the situation escalates and, overwhelmed by the attention, Nofar lets a lie take root. She lets people believe that the celebrity attempted to sexually assault her.
.
Liar will make you want to tear your hair out. It will make your blood boil and you'll want to shake Nofar for being so utterly stupid. This is where Liar excels, as Gundar-Goshen evokes a powerful response in the reader (this reader, anyway). She doesn't relentlessly remind us that what Nofar does is terrible, and exactly what makes it so difficult for real victims of sexual assult to be heart and believed. It's right there. I hate being preached at in a book (Jen @bluestockingbookshelf I know you agree), so this was brilliant. UNTIL. 175 pages into a 280 page book she inserts a completely random storyline and perspective, so tenuously linked to Nofar's, seemingly solely to reiterate that, reader, Lying Is Bad. WE KNOW.
.
I think Liar would have worked better had the author just stuck to the perspectives of Nofar and the man she accuses. We get random ones thrown in, including the old lady in the storyline mentioned above, the detective on the case, her mother, a homeless man who witnesses what really happened and does nothing... That's where the disjointedness came from. It would have been much sleeker and more powerful just inside the heads of the two main characters.
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Sometimes when I write 'middling' 3-star reviews they can come off too negative, but I did appreciate this novel for what it was putting out there. An uncomfortable and cutting exploration of our actions and responsibilities when it comes to the truth.
August 3, 2019
This turned out to be one of the most boring books I have read this year. Maybe I expected too much based on the ad for this book - innocent lie which starts to live its own life. Despite intriguing premise, I couldn't connect with the characters and writing style. Writing style was annoying with the show-off metaphors and musings about inner life of characters instead of letting characters speak for themselves. The book cover promised the story about coming of age, moral dilemmas and power, but, but none of it went deeper. I finished the book only because I hoped for some climax or unexpected ending, but ending was as shallow and unappealing as the whole story. And similarly, as some other reviewers commented, the book doesn't do justice to real victims of sexual assault. The topic was promising, there were several interesting subplots that could be elaborated, but the author seemed to fall in love with her writing style instead of her characters.
April 19, 2023
Was tut man, wenn eine Lüge sich plötzlich verselbstständigt? Und wie erzählt man schließlich doch die Wahrheit?
Nuphar arbeitet während der Sommerferien in einer Eisdiele und ist ziemlich frustriert. da ihr Leben aktuell gar nicht so läuft, wie sie sich das vorstellt. Eines Tages betritt ein wenig erfolgreicher Popstar, der genauso frustriert ist wie Nuphar, die Eisdiele und die beiden geraten in einen Konflikt. Er greift sie am Handgelenk, Nuphar schreit auf und behauptet später, er habe versucht sie zu vergewaltigen. Ihr Leben nimmt daraufhin eine gewaltige Wendung und alles scheint sich für sie zum Positiven zu wenden. Doch ein paar Zeugen kennen die Wahrheit...
Ich hatte zu Beginn ein wenig Probleme, mich in die Geschichte einzufinden. Der Erzählstil sprach mich zunächst nicht besonders an und ich hatte Schwierigkeiten, mich in Nupahr hineinzuversetzen. Nach einigen Seiten wurde dies jedoch besser und ich fand die Dynamiken und Entwicklungen sehr spannend. Dennoch zog sich die Geschichte zwischendurch ein wenig zäh dahin. Lediglich die Tatsache, dass Nuphar nicht die einzige Lügnerin war und die Neugier darauf, wie und ob die Lügen aufgelöst werden würden, ließen mich das Buch weiterlesen.
Nachdem Wo der Wolf lauert für mich ein absolutes Highlight war, bin ich doch ein wenig enttäuscht. Trotzdem bin ich neugierig auf das weitere Werk der Autorin.
Nuphar arbeitet während der Sommerferien in einer Eisdiele und ist ziemlich frustriert. da ihr Leben aktuell gar nicht so läuft, wie sie sich das vorstellt. Eines Tages betritt ein wenig erfolgreicher Popstar, der genauso frustriert ist wie Nuphar, die Eisdiele und die beiden geraten in einen Konflikt. Er greift sie am Handgelenk, Nuphar schreit auf und behauptet später, er habe versucht sie zu vergewaltigen. Ihr Leben nimmt daraufhin eine gewaltige Wendung und alles scheint sich für sie zum Positiven zu wenden. Doch ein paar Zeugen kennen die Wahrheit...
Ich hatte zu Beginn ein wenig Probleme, mich in die Geschichte einzufinden. Der Erzählstil sprach mich zunächst nicht besonders an und ich hatte Schwierigkeiten, mich in Nupahr hineinzuversetzen. Nach einigen Seiten wurde dies jedoch besser und ich fand die Dynamiken und Entwicklungen sehr spannend. Dennoch zog sich die Geschichte zwischendurch ein wenig zäh dahin. Lediglich die Tatsache, dass Nuphar nicht die einzige Lügnerin war und die Neugier darauf, wie und ob die Lügen aufgelöst werden würden, ließen mich das Buch weiterlesen.
Nachdem Wo der Wolf lauert für mich ein absolutes Highlight war, bin ich doch ein wenig enttäuscht. Trotzdem bin ich neugierig auf das weitere Werk der Autorin.
December 5, 2020
Бодрое поветвование, хорошая задумка, но конец скомкан уж слишком. А напиано хорошо!
December 11, 2020
The author is clearly fond of similes; in fact, so fond that waiting for them at the end of a sentence became somewhat distracting at times. Depending on your point of view, the examples that follow are imaginative, laboured or simply perplexing.
‘She shrank like a caterpillar on its back’
‘Nofar’s guilt, like a Persian cat, rubbed her legs fleetingly, sat for a brief moment on her lap, then moved onward.’
‘Smiles have a way of catching a person’s eye, like a red balloon gliding in the sky and drawing the glances of people below.’
‘Her thoughts, like pizza-delivery boys on their motorcycles, reached the most remote streets.’
‘Love is a very delicate thing, the truth can trample it like a hippopotamus running wild.’
‘The words were like a can of petrol thrown on the small ball of fire in her stomach.’
‘Her face was red and swollen, but to Lavi she looked like a wonderful grapefruit.’
I wasn’t entirely convinced by the introduction of a secondary storyline and a new character, Raymonde, in part two of the book. Although consistent with the theme of the book – that lies take on a life of their own and are difficult to take back – I struggled with the nature and context of her deception. It was more deliberate and studied than Nofar’s spur-of-the-moment outburst. I suppose it could be argued that, in sharing the stories of her dead friend, Raymonde was at least ensuring they would be heard.
I also found it hard to identify with the characters in the book or become engaged in the central relationship between Nofar and Lavi, which seemed a little on the creepy side to me. Although never stated, the book is set in Tel Aviv but I didn’t get a particularly strong sense of place; much of the action is confined to Nofar’s family’s apartment or the dingy alley beside the ice cream parlour where she works. The exception was a night time scene in which Nofar looks out over the city from the roof of the family’s apartment.
I felt the novel worked best as an exploration of lies and their consequences. Pretty much all the characters in the book lie in one way or another. Some are motivated by a desire for attention or sympathy, others to show off or to make believe they’re living a different, more exciting life. Their lies range from the ‘white lie’ to out-and-out deceit or, as in Nofar’s case, to false accusation. The book also demonstrates the way lies can take on a life of their own, make the teller vulnerable to manipulation and unwittingly compromise the integrity of others.
‘She shrank like a caterpillar on its back’
‘Nofar’s guilt, like a Persian cat, rubbed her legs fleetingly, sat for a brief moment on her lap, then moved onward.’
‘Smiles have a way of catching a person’s eye, like a red balloon gliding in the sky and drawing the glances of people below.’
‘Her thoughts, like pizza-delivery boys on their motorcycles, reached the most remote streets.’
‘Love is a very delicate thing, the truth can trample it like a hippopotamus running wild.’
‘The words were like a can of petrol thrown on the small ball of fire in her stomach.’
‘Her face was red and swollen, but to Lavi she looked like a wonderful grapefruit.’
I wasn’t entirely convinced by the introduction of a secondary storyline and a new character, Raymonde, in part two of the book. Although consistent with the theme of the book – that lies take on a life of their own and are difficult to take back – I struggled with the nature and context of her deception. It was more deliberate and studied than Nofar’s spur-of-the-moment outburst. I suppose it could be argued that, in sharing the stories of her dead friend, Raymonde was at least ensuring they would be heard.
I also found it hard to identify with the characters in the book or become engaged in the central relationship between Nofar and Lavi, which seemed a little on the creepy side to me. Although never stated, the book is set in Tel Aviv but I didn’t get a particularly strong sense of place; much of the action is confined to Nofar’s family’s apartment or the dingy alley beside the ice cream parlour where she works. The exception was a night time scene in which Nofar looks out over the city from the roof of the family’s apartment.
I felt the novel worked best as an exploration of lies and their consequences. Pretty much all the characters in the book lie in one way or another. Some are motivated by a desire for attention or sympathy, others to show off or to make believe they’re living a different, more exciting life. Their lies range from the ‘white lie’ to out-and-out deceit or, as in Nofar’s case, to false accusation. The book also demonstrates the way lies can take on a life of their own, make the teller vulnerable to manipulation and unwittingly compromise the integrity of others.
September 27, 2018
איילת גונדר גושן היא בעיניי אחת הסופרות הישראליות המעולות ביותר כיום, אם לא ה -
הספר הזה, העוסק בבדידות, בקשרים העדינים בין בני אדם, ובכוחן של מילים להרוס חיי בני אדם, אמנם נופל ברמתו מקודמיו ובכל זאת כתוב טוב, נוגע ללב ומעורר מחשבה.
הספר הזה, העוסק בבדידות, בקשרים העדינים בין בני אדם, ובכוחן של מילים להרוס חיי בני אדם, אמנם נופל ברמתו מקודמיו ובכל זאת כתוב טוב, נוגע ללב ומעורר מחשבה.
July 16, 2021
Ой как здорово!
February 10, 2020
3.5 rounded up
October 21, 2019
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
A 17 year old falsely accuses a man of attempted rape.
Warning: I don't know what mislead me about this novel, since the description literally mentions rape in it, but I did not think it was going to be as dark as it was? Maybe it was the pretty pink cover? But this novel explores sexual assault, blackmail, and suicidal thoughts/tendencies.
The only redeeming thing about this novel, actually, was how dark it got. I like the emotional depths we were able to explore and think about with all the characters.
Now.. the other stuff. The stuff I really did not like.
- I'm not sure if it's the translations or not, but the writing just isn't my style. It kind of jumped all over the place with different perspectives. I think a lot of the perspectives were unnecessary. In the description of the novel it mentions that there is another "liar" but she doesn't come in until over halfway through the novel, and it is super jarring. It completely confused me and didn't seem important to this particular story.
I understand that it was cool for Nofar to meet another "liar" but there wasn't much else there.
- I hated every single character in this book. They were all very selfish and mean and against one another. Not a single character deserved sympathy from the reader. Obviously, this isn't required in a novel, but wouldn't you expect to feel bad for the poor 17 year old girl? Or the falsely accused rapist? Or the family members involved? Nope. Nothing. Nada.
- The ending was very abrupt and eh. Anticlimactic considering how much time I felt was wasted on discussing what would would happen if this or that happened. No spoilers, but I'm sure you can guess how it ends.
- I totally understand that this is fiction. I don't really care that this book was published in a bad climate for this kind of book. BUT. I do agree that this book just felt icky. It is interesting to read the POV of a lying rape victim, but literally every girl in the story that hears Nofar's story has been sexually assaulted at some point in their life and never spoke up about it.
I almost wish the cops or detectives didn't believe Nofar so willingly because that would make this story more realistic and more understanding as to why literally ALL the other women in the novel didn't speak up when they were assaulted.
It also doesn't seem like there is much support for the true victims or anyone that might be harmed by Nofar's lies. Nofar herself doesn't give much thought to other survivors because she is super selfishly thinking only of herself and the consequences that will directly affect her.
- I kind of already touched on the various perspectives a little bit, but let me just explain. There were way too many POVs here. We get a deaf mute, who ends up doing nothing. The detective, who ends up doing nothing. Nofar's father and mother, who essentially end up doing nothing. We get Raymonde, who is only in there for maybe 3 chapters for NO REASON. A mayor at some point who talks about how he sexually assaulted his assistant while she cried (disgusting). It just felt like the author wanted to cram as much information as possible into the book to make sure the reader would understand all the thoughts she had about the topic.
Don't get me wrong, I see what the author was doing with all these extra POVs, but it felt unnecessary.
This book just wasn't my cup of tea. Took me over a month to read. Had to force myself through it. 2/5 stars because "It was ok."
A 17 year old falsely accuses a man of attempted rape.
Warning: I don't know what mislead me about this novel, since the description literally mentions rape in it, but I did not think it was going to be as dark as it was? Maybe it was the pretty pink cover? But this novel explores sexual assault, blackmail, and suicidal thoughts/tendencies.
The only redeeming thing about this novel, actually, was how dark it got. I like the emotional depths we were able to explore and think about with all the characters.
Now.. the other stuff. The stuff I really did not like.
- I'm not sure if it's the translations or not, but the writing just isn't my style. It kind of jumped all over the place with different perspectives. I think a lot of the perspectives were unnecessary. In the description of the novel it mentions that there is another "liar" but she doesn't come in until over halfway through the novel, and it is super jarring. It completely confused me and didn't seem important to this particular story.
I understand that it was cool for Nofar to meet another "liar" but there wasn't much else there.
- I hated every single character in this book. They were all very selfish and mean and against one another. Not a single character deserved sympathy from the reader. Obviously, this isn't required in a novel, but wouldn't you expect to feel bad for the poor 17 year old girl? Or the falsely accused rapist? Or the family members involved? Nope. Nothing. Nada.
- The ending was very abrupt and eh. Anticlimactic considering how much time I felt was wasted on discussing what would would happen if this or that happened. No spoilers, but I'm sure you can guess how it ends.
- I totally understand that this is fiction. I don't really care that this book was published in a bad climate for this kind of book. BUT. I do agree that this book just felt icky. It is interesting to read the POV of a lying rape victim, but literally every girl in the story that hears Nofar's story has been sexually assaulted at some point in their life and never spoke up about it.
I almost wish the cops or detectives didn't believe Nofar so willingly because that would make this story more realistic and more understanding as to why literally ALL the other women in the novel didn't speak up when they were assaulted.
It also doesn't seem like there is much support for the true victims or anyone that might be harmed by Nofar's lies. Nofar herself doesn't give much thought to other survivors because she is super selfishly thinking only of herself and the consequences that will directly affect her.
- I kind of already touched on the various perspectives a little bit, but let me just explain. There were way too many POVs here. We get a deaf mute, who ends up doing nothing. The detective, who ends up doing nothing. Nofar's father and mother, who essentially end up doing nothing. We get Raymonde, who is only in there for maybe 3 chapters for NO REASON. A mayor at some point who talks about how he sexually assaulted his assistant while she cried (disgusting). It just felt like the author wanted to cram as much information as possible into the book to make sure the reader would understand all the thoughts she had about the topic.
Don't get me wrong, I see what the author was doing with all these extra POVs, but it felt unnecessary.
This book just wasn't my cup of tea. Took me over a month to read. Had to force myself through it. 2/5 stars because "It was ok."
April 5, 2024
Nuphar ist 17 Jahre alt und steht im Schatten ihrer jüngeren Schwester. Generell ist sie eher unauffällig, hat kaum Freund*innen und fühlt sich häufig allein und wertlos. In den Sommerferien arbeitet sie in einer Eisdiele, wo sie eines Tages grundlos vom TV-Sänger Avischai Milner auf erniedrigendste Weise beleidigt wird. Als Nuphar daraufhin auf den Hinterhof flüchtet und Avischai ihr folgt und sie am Arm festhält, beginnt sie zu schreien. Und damit beginnt eine Lüge, die beide Leben für immer verändern wird.
Die Autorin hat mit diesem Roman ein wirklich großartig verzwicktes Buch geschrieben, dass einen regelmäßig an seine moralische Grenzen stoßen lässt. Auf der einen Seite ist da Nuphar, die endlich Aufmerksamkeit erhält und als Sprachrohr für Opfer s3xueller Übergriffe steht. Auf der anderen Seite ist da Avischai, der für seine diskriminierenden Worte gerade stehen muss und die Konsequenzen am eigenen Leib aushält. Der Knackpunkt: zwischen den beiden ist nie etwas vorgefallen und das Lügenkonstrukt verschärft sich von Seite zu Seite. Ayelet Gundar-Goshen schreibt auf eine sehr ehrliche, humorvolle und gleichzeitig metaphorische Art und Weise von einer Situation, die auswegslos scheint. Sie zeigt, was aus einer kleinen Lüge entstehen kann und welche Folgen auch das Schweigen für andere Menschen bedeutet. Die abwechselnden Perspektiven und weiteren Figuren lassen das Buch wie einen Thriller wirken, den ich nicht mehr aus der Hand legen wollte. Eine große Empfehlung, macht euch auf ein moralisches Kopfschütteln und Zerrissenheit gefasst! 🍦
Die Autorin hat mit diesem Roman ein wirklich großartig verzwicktes Buch geschrieben, dass einen regelmäßig an seine moralische Grenzen stoßen lässt. Auf der einen Seite ist da Nuphar, die endlich Aufmerksamkeit erhält und als Sprachrohr für Opfer s3xueller Übergriffe steht. Auf der anderen Seite ist da Avischai, der für seine diskriminierenden Worte gerade stehen muss und die Konsequenzen am eigenen Leib aushält. Der Knackpunkt: zwischen den beiden ist nie etwas vorgefallen und das Lügenkonstrukt verschärft sich von Seite zu Seite. Ayelet Gundar-Goshen schreibt auf eine sehr ehrliche, humorvolle und gleichzeitig metaphorische Art und Weise von einer Situation, die auswegslos scheint. Sie zeigt, was aus einer kleinen Lüge entstehen kann und welche Folgen auch das Schweigen für andere Menschen bedeutet. Die abwechselnden Perspektiven und weiteren Figuren lassen das Buch wie einen Thriller wirken, den ich nicht mehr aus der Hand legen wollte. Eine große Empfehlung, macht euch auf ein moralisches Kopfschütteln und Zerrissenheit gefasst! 🍦
June 22, 2019
The kind of story you read especially for the atmosphere and the humour and the writing.
All the Israel vibes and sooo funny! Pretty sure it's set in Tel Aviv, and I wish I could just go back there again soon.
I picked this up in the bookshop down my road because I like the coloured pages and design of this publishing house, the blurb was only semi-intriguing but when I gathered it was set in Israel...needs must. And then my best friend, also there with me, got it pour moi before I could even turn towards the counter. (Get yourself bookish friends, they are the best!)
Really so glad I read this - and wait for it, I don't use this word lightly - quirky story.
I'll be recommending this.
German readers, if you like Mariana Leky, this is somewhat in the vein of her novels.
All the Israel vibes and sooo funny! Pretty sure it's set in Tel Aviv, and I wish I could just go back there again soon.
I picked this up in the bookshop down my road because I like the coloured pages and design of this publishing house, the blurb was only semi-intriguing but when I gathered it was set in Israel...needs must. And then my best friend, also there with me, got it pour moi before I could even turn towards the counter. (Get yourself bookish friends, they are the best!)
Really so glad I read this - and wait for it, I don't use this word lightly - quirky story.
I'll be recommending this.
German readers, if you like Mariana Leky, this is somewhat in the vein of her novels.
March 19, 2020
Ближе к концу книги сюжет как-будто испугался грандиозного финала и свернул с дороги в первый попавшейся переулок. Тогда и начали появляться немного вымученные твисты и притянутые за уши невероятные совпадения. Но стиль Айлет Гундар-Гушан сгладит любые минусы и заставит вас радостно кушать с ложки даже описания скучных будней школьницы. Особенно порадовала атмосфера далекой и незнакомой страны, где военные конфликты с соседями и песчаные бури — дело совершенно обычное. А армия — потрясающее место, где красавцы и красотки носят легендарный шмот.
August 14, 2019
Klameme. Stále. Vylepšujeme pravdu. Dávame si filter. Hlavná hrdinka knihy Nufar zaklamala, lebo ju zrazu bolo vidieť. Lebo sa ľudia začali zaujímať. Lebo zrazu boli všetci milší. Lebo klamstvo ju okrásnelo. Zvonku. Krásna kniha. Rozumiem Nufar. Niekedy je ľahšie, keď si ľudia myslia, že ste niekto iný.
July 22, 2023
Originale e ben scritto
July 8, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of
The Liar.
I was intrigued by the premise, how a young lady's lie spirals quickly out of control and the consequences this deceit has on her family and social circle.
Nofar is a quiet, unassuming young woman working in an ice cream shop during the summer.
She's not remarkable in any way. That distinction belongs to her younger and more beautiful sister.
When a rude, arrogant man, famous for winning a singing competition, berates her and accosts her in an alley, passersby immediately assume the worst.
And Nofar goes along with it.
For the first time in her life, she is not unassuming. She is famous. She is looked at. She is known.
But will her newfound notoriety extend to condemning an innocent man?
Unfortunately, I failed to connect with anyone, least of all, Nofar.
In fact, I had a hard time staying focused on the plot.
The writing is great, but its written as an encapsulation of what the characters are doing, their thoughts, their wishes, their motivations, their desires.
There is very little dialogue.
Instead, readers are given summary recaps of numerous characters that play a significant or subtle part of Nofar's life; her family, her customers, her classmates.
The tone of this novel was dispassionate, as if I was just watching these characters move around on a stage.
I found I couldn't and didn't care about any of the characters, especially Nofar.
Even after she became the center of attention, she remained a dull, bland character, secondary to the chaos she had created.
She sets something terrible into motion, but at the same time, she seemed disconnected from it all, as other characters whirled and debated around her.
Perhaps that was the author's point; to demonstrate just how insignificant Nofar is.
Love the cover!
I was intrigued by the premise, how a young lady's lie spirals quickly out of control and the consequences this deceit has on her family and social circle.
Nofar is a quiet, unassuming young woman working in an ice cream shop during the summer.
She's not remarkable in any way. That distinction belongs to her younger and more beautiful sister.
When a rude, arrogant man, famous for winning a singing competition, berates her and accosts her in an alley, passersby immediately assume the worst.
And Nofar goes along with it.
For the first time in her life, she is not unassuming. She is famous. She is looked at. She is known.
But will her newfound notoriety extend to condemning an innocent man?
Unfortunately, I failed to connect with anyone, least of all, Nofar.
In fact, I had a hard time staying focused on the plot.
The writing is great, but its written as an encapsulation of what the characters are doing, their thoughts, their wishes, their motivations, their desires.
There is very little dialogue.
Instead, readers are given summary recaps of numerous characters that play a significant or subtle part of Nofar's life; her family, her customers, her classmates.
The tone of this novel was dispassionate, as if I was just watching these characters move around on a stage.
I found I couldn't and didn't care about any of the characters, especially Nofar.
Even after she became the center of attention, she remained a dull, bland character, secondary to the chaos she had created.
She sets something terrible into motion, but at the same time, she seemed disconnected from it all, as other characters whirled and debated around her.
Perhaps that was the author's point; to demonstrate just how insignificant Nofar is.
Love the cover!
April 5, 2021
Pred pár rokmi som o hebrejskej literatúre ani nechyroval a aha, jednou z mojich najobľúbenejších spisovateliek sa stala izraelská psychoterapeutka Ajelet Gundar-Gošen. Napriek tomu, že jej príbehy sa odohrávajú v horúcich uliciach Izraela a sú zaobalené do miestnej scenérie, na relevantnosti pre stredoeurópskeho čitateľa im to určite neuberá.
Mladá Nufar sa po krátkom, no osudovom stretnutí s vyhasínajúcou hviezdou izraelskej popovej scény zamotá do pavučiny vlastného klamstva. Ak však čakáte bombastické dejové zvraty a prvoplánové výčitky svedomia, ste na zlej adrese. Autorka sa v knihe zamýšľa nad tým, ako nás klamstvo môže zároveň oslobodiť a zviazať a aké ťažké je vyskočiť z idúceho vlaku, v ktorom vás usadili do prvej triedy (pozn. nie v slovenskom vlaku).
Vydavateľstvo Artforum pred pár rokmi od Gundar-Gošen vydalo knihu Prebúdzanie levov, ktorú som síce čítal dlho a strastiplne pomedzi skúšky a štátnice, no doteraz nad ňou premýšľam a plánujem sa k nej vrátiť. Rovnako to asi bude aj s doposiaľ najnovším autorkiným počinom s názvom Klamárka.
Všetko sa točí okolo morálnej dilemy spojenej s výčitkami svedomia a pocitom viny. Táto ústredná téma je sprostredkovaná nád-her-ným jazykom (naozaj neviem dostatočne zdôrazniť, aký krásny je autorkin štýl a aký úžasný je preklad Silvie Singer). Bola to prvá kniha po dlhej dobe, kde som sa pri mnohých vetách zastavil a obdivoval krásu slov. Podobný pocit mávam iba pri Jónovi Kalmanovi Stefánssonovi, ktorého zhodou okolností na Slovensku taktiež vydáva Artforum.
Mladá Nufar sa po krátkom, no osudovom stretnutí s vyhasínajúcou hviezdou izraelskej popovej scény zamotá do pavučiny vlastného klamstva. Ak však čakáte bombastické dejové zvraty a prvoplánové výčitky svedomia, ste na zlej adrese. Autorka sa v knihe zamýšľa nad tým, ako nás klamstvo môže zároveň oslobodiť a zviazať a aké ťažké je vyskočiť z idúceho vlaku, v ktorom vás usadili do prvej triedy (pozn. nie v slovenskom vlaku).
Vydavateľstvo Artforum pred pár rokmi od Gundar-Gošen vydalo knihu Prebúdzanie levov, ktorú som síce čítal dlho a strastiplne pomedzi skúšky a štátnice, no doteraz nad ňou premýšľam a plánujem sa k nej vrátiť. Rovnako to asi bude aj s doposiaľ najnovším autorkiným počinom s názvom Klamárka.
Všetko sa točí okolo morálnej dilemy spojenej s výčitkami svedomia a pocitom viny. Táto ústredná téma je sprostredkovaná nád-her-ným jazykom (naozaj neviem dostatočne zdôrazniť, aký krásny je autorkin štýl a aký úžasný je preklad Silvie Singer). Bola to prvá kniha po dlhej dobe, kde som sa pri mnohých vetách zastavil a obdivoval krásu slov. Podobný pocit mávam iba pri Jónovi Kalmanovi Stefánssonovi, ktorého zhodou okolností na Slovensku taktiež vydáva Artforum.
October 25, 2019
My usual disjointed thoughts after finishing a great book:
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen wrote this intriguing story, set in Tel Aviv - which is never actually named, but We Know - and I could not put it down. I felt the heat, the smells, the light ...
Basically this is about a teenager entangled in one initial lie with huge consequences. And there are many others living in webs of lies.
I loved how the characters all come to life. My favourite is Raymonde, the old lady who suddenly becomes a Holocaust survivor (no disrespect!).
I didn't quite get the last two pages. But they are weirdly fitting.
(Thank you again, Lenya, this was almost like a quick trip to Israel!)
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen wrote this intriguing story, set in Tel Aviv - which is never actually named, but We Know - and I could not put it down. I felt the heat, the smells, the light ...
Basically this is about a teenager entangled in one initial lie with huge consequences. And there are many others living in webs of lies.
I loved how the characters all come to life. My favourite is Raymonde, the old lady who suddenly becomes a Holocaust survivor (no disrespect!).
I didn't quite get the last two pages. But they are weirdly fitting.
(Thank you again, Lenya, this was almost like a quick trip to Israel!)
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