Quotes
“As its title suggests, there is a dazed, dreamlike quality to the prose of this bildungsroman, in which a masterly English translation by Jeffrey M. Green manages to retain the direct, concrete quality of the original Hebrew as well as its austere poetry.” New York Times Book Review
“Throughout, Appelfeld focuses not on historical events or moral judgments but on the formation of a writer, one…able to transform memory into transcendent prose.” Publishers Weekly (starred and boxed review)
“Gently tragic, intensely moving, and filled with metaphor…the author’s exquisite poetic style…[draws] us into Erwin’s painful experiences and his determination to form an identity.” Booklist (starred review)
“Appelfeld offers a fictional account of his experiences as a young Holocaust survivor who has made his way from war-torn Europe to preindependence Israel…The most intriguing parts of the novel are the young man’s coming alive again, bonding with his comrades, and learning to begin a new life.” Library Journal
“A novel of great sensitivity…Appelfeld’s style is never flashy, but the plainness of his writing gives post-Holocaust events both starkness and power.” Kirkus Reviews