Morgana, Morgana
In his highly individualistic style, Itamar Levy unfolds the riveting coming-of-age story of twelve-year-old Itamar. Levy sketches an itemized portrait of a young boy growing up in the town of Ramat Gan prior to the 1967 war. While the novel teems with authentic details, it is anything but a factual account of the writer’s childhood. The dreams and fears of this adolescent blur with fact, until it is impossible to discern where reality ends and fantasy begins. The boy comes to life before the reader’s eyes; the adult writer opens the door to the adolescent’s soul and invites the reader in. Itamar is presented as a dynamic yet sensitive child. He is constantly grappling with the vicious witch Morgana and leads others in staving off evil. The boy is profoundly affected by the tragic deaths of his close friend Amihai and his grandmother Nona. The child Itamar may be representative of his times, yet he is far more than that; in him, Itamar Levy creates a unique mixture of credible account and incredible emotion.
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“ This is an extraordinary composition in terms of its density and intricacy - a demanding, experimental work, which makes no effort to flatter the reader and is clearly intended for a relatively small but discerning readership. ”
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“ Levy's work exudes a special aroma....It is a pleasure to read this novel in its own right, and an even greater pleasure within the wider context of its sources and surroundings.”