Page 45 Review by Jonathan
Neatly observed, semi-autobiographical fiction comprising of three tales set in rural Israel in 1981, '83 and '89 respectively, as we see the central character of Noga pass from adolescence into early adulthood. Sadly there's not a great deal that happens really in terms of story, in fact it seems that despite the obvious dangers in the region and the then war in Lebanon, ensuring the army including her father was continuously on active duty both home and abroad, that Noga (Galit) had a relatively peaceful upbringing. Which is good for her, I guess, but I'm sure Galit must have had more interesting episodes occur in her younger years to fictionalise than those she's chosen to share here. Mind you, I was pleased to note in the afterword that the death of an infant in a swimming pool in the first story was one of the fictional aspects of this work, and the child in question, actually her brother who illustrates these works, Gilad, in fact survived.
The stories are pleasant enough, touching lightly upon the maturing of emotions and growing responsibilities, and how the way in which we view the world changes as we come to engage with, and comprehend it in a more complete, adult way. Consequently it's certainly no HOW TO UNDERSTAND ISRAEL IN 60 DAYS, in fact these stories could be set anywhere in the world really, and unfortunately I wasn't particularly engaged by them unlike any of the equally mild-mannered but much more endearing semi-autobiographical PAUL stories by Michel Rabagliati.
What certainly does catch the attention, though, is brother Gilad's art, almost entirely composed of three borderless landscape panels per page, illustrated with the lightest of touches and given a single colour wash of a gentle burgundy adding some real rich depth. This gentle approach certainly complements the stories, and though the work as a whole is a pleasant enough read, I can't say it's something I'll probably even remember in a year's time it's all so low key.
