Publisher's Synopsis
About the book: Shaul is a mature, distinguished man. Yet despite the overwhelming evidence that his family members, friends and the media present to the contrary, he does not accept that his childhood friend, Gideon, was killed in a suicide bombing, but rather that he is alive and well and in hiding. Shaul refuses to believe his wife, Mira, or Gideon's wife, Stella, whom he once courted unsuccessfully. The Black Sun takes place during the difficult days of the Second Intifada in Israel in 2002. As Shaul takes to walking the streets of Tel Aviv in search of his friend, memories of his youth begin to surface, from when he was a new immigrant from Poland, having just arrived in the first Jewish city. What people are saying about The Black Sun: Once again, Amnon Rubinstein displays tremendous skill in creating a story within a story that is based on a reality and intertwines with the world of imagination. The real and fantastic are woven together beautifully and his precise language flows smoothly. Once more Rubinstein captures our hearts with his faithful words. - Aharon Appelfeld, author and winner of the Israel Prize for literature Amnon Rubinstein's books reawakened in me the appetite for reading. - Prof. Ziva Shamir, literary critic Amnon Rubinstein's book is simply awe-inspiring. Its wonderful complexity combines simplicity of style with profound ideas. It talks of people's love for one another, but is critical of society. It shows empathy and is full of feeling, but is also loaded with sharp humor. Rubinstein's books read easily, enjoyably and quickly. It's only when you finish them, and can't stop thinking about them, that you realize behind his minimalist writing style hides an unimaginable treasure. - Yochi Brandes, author This late-bloomer author writes like a young man... very impressive is his capacity to enter into the world of women. - Hanoch Bartov, author and winner of the Israel Prize for literature The protagonists in The Black Sun are not the only people who've experienced 'denial.' Everyone living in Israel during the days of the Second Intifada used this mechanism in order to carry on with his or her normal life as bombs exploded around us on the streets, buses and malls. We might not be able to look directly at the sun because it would blind us and burn our eyes, but we can look at the Black Sun through an artistic or religious screen without being blinded, and in that way discover the sun's essence. - Prof. Mario Mikulincer, professor of Psychology
