English Books in Israeli Book Stores: A Pleasant Surprise

A typical English book section at Steimatzky. Independent shops and chain store shops normally carry about 1,000 titles / © 2010

If you like to read fiction in the original English, in Tel Aviv you are in luck. But also in Hertzelia, Jerusalem, Givatay'im and Ra'anana. Israelis like to read, and the ones that know English well like to read the original in English. That makes for a great selection of fiction in many stores. Most big stores in malls have at least one stack and usually two devoted to English books. Most of the books are fiction with sections devoted to science fiction and usually another category. There is usually one shelf of business books with current best sellers like Malcolm Gladwell [Outliers , The Tipping Point , and Blink].

There is usually a shelf or two with Israeli writers translated to English. These cover fiction like Amos Oz and A. B. Yehoshua all the way to current events and politics. If you are visiting or here for a short stay, browsing this section will give you a wide view of Israeli literature. I personally read more Israeli fiction and poetry than political science. But there are lots of great books about the politics and leadership during times of war. Biographies of Israeli leaders are interesting. Leaders are probably the most unique element in Israel's success. Leaders also reflect the personality of Israel. It is easier to understand what made people value through Yitzhak Rabin (The Rabin Memories) and Menachem Begin (His Life) than understanding Israeli culture as a whole. Israelis followed leaders when times were hard and leaders were needed. This is one story of how Israel survived and eventually thrived. Fiction from Amos Oz (Black Box) and Sami Michael (A Trumpet in the Wadi) are journeys into personal lives in Israel. In our small country, the private lives of people in fictional stories are hidden. Life in Israel is made up of struggles, but also a great deal of pleasure. Here, more than most places around the world, building a new society has made for a wonderful way of living. Amos Oz is somewhat of a dark writer, but with that you get details on how people live. Sami Michael writes about life in the mixed city of Haifa. The city has been the home of Jews and Muslims for over a hundred years. For the most part, the city lives a quiet life with two different cultures (and religions) side by side. Sami Miachael's novels have lots of detail on daily life in Haifa. The city, third largest in Israel, does not get much attention. More will be written about Israeli writers published in English, hopefully this is enough of an introduction.