Rating: 
Summary: Well worth the trip
Review: Well, I guess it takes all kinds... I disagree with the most recent reviewer. I enjoyed JOURNEY immensely. It is not meant to be a work of realism, but rather a mystical and metaphoric trip into the darkness of our past. As such, it succeeds wonderfully. It is a richly rewarding, evocative book, at once subtle and complex.
Rating: 
Summary: medieval realism
Review: What reeks, what is fragrant, and what simply smells unpleasant are graphically presented, if that is possible. Sleep habits of the characters-- their movements and sounds -- are also described. The brightest of yellows, reds, magentas seem even brighter when contasted with the grey rainy skies and black robes of medieval Jews.How does Yehoshua do it? The result is a particularly intense reality. .
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating tale, annoyingly written
Review: Yeah, yeah, so his prose is beautiful. But how much of this long-winded writing is the reader supposed to endure? I liked the first half of the book very much, but then I kept thinking, "Get to the point, already!" (And he never really did in some ways. We never found out in any specific way what happened when Jesus didn't make his reappearance, or even why this book needed to be set in 999.) It never occurred to me until I read other Amazon reviewers that the wives had no names. Duh! But this is a fable after all and in 999 maybe wives' names were less important. I found the characters very interesting, but really struggled to finish the book. Yehoshua is a very creative writer, trying new techniques in each of his books, but a novel without dialogue is hard to carry off successfully.
Rating: 
Summary: Eternal Dualism
Review: Yehoshua is considered by literary critics as the Israeli Faulkner. His last book is the story of a North African Jewish merchant, Ben attar, who sets himself on a long journey not only in search of new markets for his precious African goods but mainly to attempt a return of his nephew, Abulafia, into the partnerhsip. The schism took place when Esther-Minna, wife to Abulafia, becomes aware of the fact that Ben Attar is bigamous. Historically set in the year 999, the plot represents the cultural clash between North African Jews (Sephardic) and European Jews (Ashkenazi), between secular and orthodox. As a secular Israeli novelist, the author does not spare his harsh judgement of what he regards as ultra-orthodox Judaism's idolatry of the law, at the same time projecting the preocuppations of his own era. Although the prose is rich, the narrative is tedious to the extent that the author might attempt to adjust the reader to a different pace in life, the one prevalent in 999 AC. Yehoshua is an innovator in terms of syntax, shows a subtle stain of humor, and extensively uses hidden metaphors. He explores human psyche to its depth, clearly showing that grief and passions cannot be disguised.
Rating:
Summary: Eternal Dualism
Review: Yehoshua is considered by literary critics as the Israeli Faulkner. His last book is the story of a North African Jewish merchant, Ben attar, who sets himself on a long journey not only in search of new markets for his precious African goods but mainly to attempt a return of his nephew, Abulafia, into the partnerhsip. The schism took place when Esther-Minna, wife to Abulafia, becomes aware of the fact that Ben Attar is bigamous. Historically set in the year 999, the plot represents the cultural clash between North African Jews (Sephardic) and European Jews (Ashkenazi), between secular and orthodox. As a secular Israeli novelist, the author does not spare his harsh judgement of what he regards as ultra-orthodox Judaism's idolatry of the law, at the same time projecting the preocuppations of his own era. Although the prose is rich, the narrative is tedious to the extent that the author might attempt to adjust the reader to a different pace in life, the one prevalent in 999 AC. Yehoshua is an innovator in terms of syntax, shows a subtle stain of humor, and extensively uses hidden metaphors. He explores human psyche to its depth, clearly showing that grief and passions cannot be disguised.
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