Overview

A Greek Cat, by Moshe Karasso was nominated in 2019 for the Sapir Prize in Israel. (The Sapir Award is a prestigious prize in Israel).The Greek island, where the hero of the novel was born, was a paradise before the outbreak of World War II. He was happy in his Jewish family, had a happy childhood with his friends, and the endless pranks they did filled their lives with great joy.The pastoral life of the children as well as the fisherman-islanders could have lasted forever, but ... Then came World War II.Greece was conquered by the Nazis, and all Greek Jews were sent to concentration camps. One day the officer-warden took him to his private farm to work and help with the farm work. (He managed to hide his Judaism because, as a child he had undergone only a symbolic circumcision).His life on the farm was quite comfortable, but full of stress and efforts of survival. Then came the defeat of the Germans and the end of the war.He was released, returned to his hometown, met his uncle's loyal Greek worker, who gave him a large sum of money which his uncle had left for him.He found love and tried to start a normal calm life.But then came the persecutions of the Greek nationalists, who thought he had cooperated with the Nazis.He had to flee again.Finally, he immigrated to Israel, which had just been established, lived there the rest of his life, and at last lost his sanity. This novel is a breathtaking life journey in the 20th century in Europe and Israel, combined with humor, drama and philosophy of life.

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Reviews

Looking at this book in the broader context of Existentialist literature, one cannot help but compare it with the works of French writer Albert Camus, whose grasp of the absurdity of existence liberates man from the hope of a perfect human morality that demands life at any cost. Dr. Yosi Sharon and Dr. Asi Sharon A Greek Cat is written in the lovely and rich prose of an artist. The book recounts the life story of the narrator on one of the Greek islands in Salonika, during and after World War Two, and ends in Israel, when the narrator is already an old man suffering from memory loss. The book is very interesting, and we follow the narrator through his entire fascinating life story, from childhood through youth through old age. Sonia Catalan A Greek Cat is a sensitive book, uniquely written with the light touch of an artist who understands the soul, with all its humanity and all its shortcomings. Sigal Levy A Greek Cat is full of inspiration, fascinating, and hard to put down. It has a psychological depth that justifies the entire story. Ilana Maor A Greek Cat portrays a fascinating life story, and does so in a unique way. The book is characterized by frank writing that neither ingratiates itself to the reader nor allows its author any concessions. The narrator admits his ambivalent relationship to his enslavers, does not presume to represent his nation or his community, and does not fabricate an ideology to prettify his story. He tells the story of one individual who survived, a story in which resourcefulness and luck are intertwined, or, as he says, When there's no other choice, you need a lot of audacity to survive. Eti Seroussi A Greek Cat is written in beautiful, eloquent language, in a style that is both enchanting and unique. Pnina Aharonov

A Greek Cat by Moshe Karasso is an exceptionally well-written tale of days gone by and will take you back to the innocence of your own childhood. I absolutely loved the dialogue throughout as it highlighted the characters' personalities perfectly. The relationship dynamics between the narrator and his sweetheart Katina were superb and there were some really heartbreaking moments. I also thought his friendship with Fatty was extraordinary; a delightful mixture of contempt and love. It was interesting to learn about World War II from the perspective of those invaded and captured, and these sections of the novel were written with fantastic, gritty realism. There are some great moments of tension as well as hilarious situations. I especially loved the dry sense of humor of the narrator and his description of his parents' marriage: their relationship was like the love a postman might feel towards his letters. The narrator made the perfect storyteller, and his curious mind and deep thinking about the people he encountered made the story even more compelling. This is a wonderful novel and a great examination of how the cruelty and kindness of humanity are different sides of the same coin. Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite Dr. Yosi Sharon and Dr. Asi Sharon Sonia Catalan Sigal Levy Ilana Maor Eti Seroussi

Author Information

Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1933. Came to Israel in 1949 (after the establishment of Israel). Married with three children. Lives in the Tel-Aviv area of Israel.

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