“You’ll always find them side by side: Never a groom without a bride.”

This stanza is from a poem that the consistently runs through the short novel (117 pages) Rhyming Life & Death, by Amos Oz, translated into English by NIcholas de Lange. The stanzas of the poem are written by Oz, himself.

The book is a fascinating look at writing, life and death, fantasy and reality, and the comparison of how opposites need each other in order to complete the whole. The protagonist is known as The Author, and we never learn his true name. The use of third person narration is subjective in Rhyming Life & Death.

This form of narration affords us to be inside the mind of The Author, and we know his thoughts and feelings. This format is perfect for the novel, in that it exposes the immediate train of thought of The Author. He is a man who is bored with the task at hand (before it even begins), that of having to attend a literary event where there will be a reading of his work, and he will speak and answer questions regarding his writing.

Having done this many times, The Author is aware of what the questions will be. “Why do you write? Why do you write the way you do? Are you trying to influence your readers, and, if so, how? What role do your books play? Do you constantly cross out and correct or do you write straight out of your head?” He tunes out the introduction, and his eyes and mind stray. His imagination runs rampant, as he conjures up visions, some delightful, some not so delightful.

This is where the story becomes a bit complex, as The Author weaves in and out of the evening and the question and answer period, by turning his attention to those in the audience. He focuses on various individuals and creates scenarios and lives for them. He lets his imagination run wild, and does what authors often do, use reality in order to create a story, by changing settings, names, individual descriptions, etc. He asks himself questions of the individuals he is considering, and at some point a story might arise from the fantasies. Through The Author’s creativity and varied perspectives, he is able to avoid the boredom of the evening.

I won’t go into the descriptions of the characters The Author develops, as the book is a slim volume, and I would give the entire story away. Suffice it to say that there are some interesting individuals in the story, and there are both humorous and poignant moments. Oz is incredible with his vivid and detailed imagery, leaving nothing to the reader’s imagination.

The Author’s stories are just that, stories, and most do not have a plot, but are a form of amusement for him. There is a often a fine line between reality and fantasy, and in Rhyming Life & Death, it is often difficult to separate the facts from the imaginary. They often seem as one, and at times it appears that the characters seemingly have taken on a life of their own, within The Author’s mind. I can see where this might often be the case with writers, their characters overtaking their minds, and almost controlling the writer. Rhyming Life & Death is an example of that.

Oz has done it again. He has created a novel so realized, and one that leaves the reader reading passages over again to make sure they perceived it correctly the first time around. In my opinion Rhyming Life & Death is a powerful book (although some might not think so, as it can seem disjointed), and one that is an illumination on writing and on reading, and on life and death. It is almost as if Oz is assailing or ridiculing writing itself, or at least the process of writing and being published, and the effects of the endeavor, both during and after. That is the beauty of Amos Oz, his ability to infuse the absurd within the pages, to leave beginnings with no endings, and yet brilliantly show that clarity of mind can coexist with one’s imagination. “Once in a while it is worth turning on the light to clarify what is going on“.

I highly recommend Rhyming Life & Death, and am glad I purchased this delightful novel.
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Monday May 25, 2009 – 2nd of Sivan, 5769