Grossman, David

(Israeli, 1954– )

Grossman's novels deal with the complicated social issues surrounding Israel's historical and political development. His work has been translated from Hebrew into sixteen different languages, and he is best-known for See Under: Love (1989), the unsettling account of a young Israeli boy whose great-uncle's moving stories stop him blocking out his parents’ experiences of the Holocaust, and bring him closer to understanding both their suffering and the empowering strength of their love. Move on to The Book of Intimate Grammar (1991), where political tension impinges into the world of 12-year-old Ahron, who, as the Six Day War approaches and his friends turn towards Zionism, attempts to retreat from the violence of the adult world. Sleeping on a Wire (1992), a sensitive non-fiction account of the difficulties faced by Palestinians in Israel, is also recommended.

Amos Oz, Primo Levi  SR