Jericho Mosaic

by Edward Whittemore

Book Overview

This novel about the rivalries and crosscurrents of the Middle East focuses on a Jewish double-agent who has become a trusted adviser to Syria's military leaders.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393023958
• ISBN13: 9780393023954
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 374 Pages
• Weight: 1.61 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful melancholy.

The books written by Edward Whittemore are not for everyone but his style appeals to me and the humanity in each of the five books are as beautiful as they are heart breaking. It is a shame that this author passed before he could continue writing.

One of the best novels of our time

This is one of the best novels you've never heard of. Why Whittemore is a forgotten writer whose books have gone out of print is a mystery to me. "Jericho Mosaic" is a spy story of sorts set in the historical context of Israel and its neighbors from World War II to the early 1980s. The principal character is the Runner, an Israeli who becomes a deep-cover spy living in Syria and living the life of a prominent and well-respected Arab nationalist. The Runner never quite fits into Israeli society but he finds himself comfortable as a Syrian. The supporting characters include a disfigured old English spy named Bell who lives in a decrepit house in Jericho, the oldest community in the world, and his friends Abu Musa, an Arab patriarch who believes he is 300 years old, and a giant Ethiopian monk named Moses. These odd characters, plus several others of equal color, give a touch of magical realism to the novel. But the novel and the characters maintain their sanity in the weird world of Middle Eastern politics. "People in this part of the world," the author says, "have always had a thin grasp of reality." Whittemore steers a treacherous path in a political minefield and never once loses his bearings. The novel is neither pro nor anti-Israeli and Arab. Instead, "Jericho Mosaic" is generous and warm in its portrayal of slightly off center people. Whittemore lived in and loved the Holy Land and his descriptions of Jericho and Jerusalem are delicious. The novel moves slowly and the author's fine writing about mood and landscape can be savored. "Jericho Mosaic" is a much better novel than many which have garnered literary prizes and Whittemore should be rated in the first rank of recent American writers. This edition, rescuing "Jericho Mosaic" from obscurity, includes a lengthy introduction, forward, and afterword and thus we learn a lot about an author who was every bit as colorful as the characters he created.

WHITTEMORE BOOKS ARE RETURNING

Google the web for "Edward Whittemore" to find out about the reprints from Old Earth Books.

a gorgeous finale

Sadly, this is the final book in the Quartet. Also, this is Whittemore's last novel. He continues his mastery of language and storytelling right up to last word. The best way to summarize this book and Whittemore himself, is to borrow Paul Auster's quote about Delillo,"To read him is to figure out what it means to be alive in the late 20th century." Though his books cover 150-200 years, they completely mirror our times. We are all better off after having read his novels.