A Journey to the End of the Millennium

Historical fiction by Israeli author, A.B. Yehoshua, set in the year 999 and heading toward the end of the millennium. This is a story of a Jewish merchant who has taken on two wives. His partner's wife does not approve of bigamy and wants the partnership to end. Ben Attar makes this long voyage to convince this woman that having two wives is a good thing and blessed by God. The trip is fraught with many difficulties. I think the whole plot line sounded really interesting but it is told in such a way that it is a chore to read. Way too much sexual content.

A Jewish merchant from Morocco on the medieval seas? Sign me up. The premise itself is wonderful. Unfortunately, Yehoshua's novel is bogged down by unnecessary details that might interest readers of big boat books. I did not particularly care about the characters or the tidbits about how they stored merchandise and unfurled sails. There were know interesting cultural details that I could pick up, either.

It might be the translation, but it was a constant fight to remember where you are and with whom. The language itself felt very stiff and uncomfortable.

Why did I continue reading it when there were so many times I wanted to pick up something that flowed? The description of a culture and its time always draws me in. I did finish it, but I must admit I was so relieved to do so.

publisher's weekly describes as deadweight prose. they are correct.

one of the few books i didn't finish once started. it just didn't hold my interest

Middle Ages--Fiction.

Come mai il ricco mercante ebreo Ben-Atar decide di lasciare la sua amata Tangeri alle soglie dell’anno mille? Egli intraprende un lungo e faticoso viaggio alla volta della oscura e nebbiosa Francia per dimostrare qualcosa alla moglie dell’amato nipote, una askhenazita che ostenta disapprovazione. Ma cosa disapprova? La bigamia di Ben Atar. Ed è allora che egli intraprende il viaggio per dimostrare, di fronte ad un tribunale e alla stessa accusatrice, che amare due donne è possibile. Un duplice processo giudicherà Ben-Atar, accompagnato dalle due mogli, per stabilire se amare più donne è possibile oppure no secondo le leggi della Torah.