Evan Fallenberg

Like many books I've read recently, The Parting Gift perfectly executes what it sets out to do, even if I personally didn't entirely enjoy the experience of reading it.

Here is a very tight and tense novel of obsessive jealousy, where sexual encounters are battlegrounds, and where sex acts are the way characters exert power over one another. Because this is an epistolary novel everything that happens is filtered through one mind, the mind of a man who is extremely perceptive, and entirely show more amoral, and obsessively jealous. It is a revenge story, but one where the avenger seems far more morally questionable than those whom he believes have wronged him. This extreme story is set in a suburb of Tel Aviv where relations between Jews and Arabs and in particular Palestinian Arabs come into play in terms of power dynamics and sexual dynamics. The narrator is American and not entirely fluent in Hebrew. His foreign-ness to the dynamics of culture and language add another layer of tension to his narrative. He acts decisively even though he is clearly an outsider who has no reason to be sure of his perceptions of others.

Frequently with books that leave me feeling unhappy and unsettled I'm at a loss about what to do with these silly star ratings but usually I come out thinking if I can honestly say "this book perfectly executes its intention, no matter how I felt about it personally" then I should probably call it a 5-star read.

I didn't love this book, but I damn sure won't forget it.

Original review:

This novel gives all the pleasure in reading it as does drinking ipecac or picking at a scab or chewing the inside of your cheek until it bleeds. show less

This slight novel is an intricate and revealing pas de deaux, a captivating performance. It is told in turns by Teo, an 85 year old former dancer and famous choreographer, and Vivi, a 42 year old artist/dabbler/waitress who is lost herself and yet inspires and ennervates Teo in ways he hasn't expected in years. As their relationship deepens, they tell not only of their presents and their differing philosophical stance on creation and art but also of their pasts and the terrible paralysing show more wounds they each suffered.

Passion, obsession, and the art that can so easily inspire the one to cross the line and become the other weave throughout the narrative as the reader learns of Vivi's failed love affair with German Gentile Martin and of Teo's devastating debut dance in Berlin in 1939. Both the characters, the one who survived World War II and the one who was born long after it was over, are irretrievably damaged by Hitler and anti-Semitism, haunted by their former lives in Berlin.

Vivi moved to a divided Berlin after her compulsory service for Israel so that she could follow boyfriend Martin, a man for whom she was prepared to sacrifice everything. But she is unable to reconcile the Martin who worked on a kibbutz in Israel with the Martin she joins in Germany, choosing to wander the city, drawn to the wall where she meets a dwarf who regales her with the terrible, hateful past of the city. So affected by the reality of this place so steeped in hatred and ghosts, she ultimately flees broken and devastated.

Teo had also lived in Berlin, an unwilling prisoner trapped by the war and by desire. His is not the usual WWII tale of concentration camps and horrors too terrible to recount. His terrors were also damaging and life altering though. As a young boy he had gone from Poland to Denmark to dance, heading to Berlin on the eve of WWII against his family and friends' advice to dance his debut with the Royal Danish Ballet. After the performance, on the eve of Germany's invasion of his Polish homeland, detained because of his Polish nationality and in danger because of his Jewish heritage, he is rescued by a Nazi officer with an appreciation for art and dance. And so begins his acquaintance with obsession and possession.

Teo and Vivi's stories intertwine seamlessly and their friendship with each other develops carefully as they debate and spark off of each other. Exquisite, lyrical, and intense, Fallenberg has captured the rhythms of dance in his language, the ability to inspire, to leap, and to inhabit the stars for brief flashes of time. His descriptions are visual and graceful. His musings on art and its creation through his characters' lives are fascinating as is the role of passion and singlemindedness. This is an impressive novel, tightly constructed and yet easily accessible. There are scenes of great horror but they are eased somewhat by the remove of the past and the healing of the present in the form of Teo and Vivi's growing relationship. An impressive accomplishment, the tale is riveting. The ending is a tad neatly coincidental but overall, this is a strong and gorgeous novel. show less

Fallenberg is an amazing writer - it seems that translating Hebrew fiction has helped him accomplish a very distinct voice, which borrows influences (and expressions) from both Hebrew and English. Apart from the poetic language, what this novel really wins on is its characters. At the forefront is of course Joseph's struggle between his religion and his love (and the added "bonus" of his homosexuality), which is portrayed with a really fine sensitivity (even though the scenes with him and show more Rabbi Rosenzweig tend toward the schmaltzy). However, what stands out is Fallenberg's treatment of the five sons and their extreme differences, which he manages to portray not only plausibly but with so much humanity that you do feel like they are real people copied onto paper. Does it have a down-side? Yes, the ending is a little deus ex machina with Daniel producing the explanatory letter from Rosenzweig, but for a debut novel, I'll give it two thumbs up and I'll definitely look out for Fallenbergs next novel. show less

This novel was effortless to read, and immensely enjoyable. The writing was lovely -- a little lyrical, a little poetic -- and the plot simple but compelling.

The story revolves around Teo, the aforementioned 85-year old retired ballet dancer, and Vivi, a 40-ish waitress. They meet at the coffee shop where Vivi works and strike up an unlikely friendship. This friendship provokes conversations about art, obsession, and passion, themes which weave through the rest of the story, as we learn show more about Vivi's romantic past and Teo's experience in Berlin during World War II.

The romance was really secondary to Teo's reminiscences, which was fine because Teo's back story is fascinating. A young Polish Jew dancing with a Danish ballet company, he and his fellow dancers are invited to perform in Berlin in 1939. It's an opportunity of a life time -- so despite protests from friends in Denmark, he goes. I don't want to give too much more away as my enjoyment came from not really knowing what to expect as the story unfolded. But I was surprised, moved, horrified, and relieved, captivated by Teo and Vivi, eager to see how their relationship would develop. The lyricism of Fallenberg's writing kept the sad parts from being too misery-inducing and made the moments of joy and happiness vibrate.

My one complaint is I found the end a tiny bit clunky but the story closed in a very neat and ultimately satisfying way, and it didn't detract from my overall enthusiasm for this book. Highly recommended -- would be an effortless and fascinating weekend read. show less