Yehoshua, A.B. (1936 - )
Israeli novelist and playwright,
A.B. Yehoshua is one of Israel's most widely-read authors. He was born in
Jerusalem and now lives in Haifa where he has taught and served as Dean
of students at the University of Haifa. On his father's side, his family
has lived in Jerusalem for five generations. His mother is from North Africa.
From the mid-1950s through the 1960s and 1970s, Yehoshua's writing was
full of suspense and allegories. He is similar, in this respect, to Kafka
and S.Y. Agnon. He wrote stories questioning the foundations of the Zionist
state as well as "old man" type reminiscences.
"The Lover," his very well-received novel on the Yom Kippur War, completed
his movement to realism. In this novel he balances the real and the grotesque
in presenting Israeli society at its lowest point.
"A Late Divorce" continues his study of the pathological dimensions
in families and in society at large.
An heir to Canaanite ideology, he has advocated "Israelism" as a healthy
substitute for Judaism in Israel.
His plays include "A Night in May" and "Objects," both of which deal
with many similar themes to those explored in his books.
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