A story well told of personal transformation, in absolutely gorgeous prose. The plot and the setting are merely tools to tell the story of a man d... (show more)
The Jewel Trader of Pegu: A Novel
A melancholy young Jewish gem merchant, Abraham, born in Venice, has lived his life behind the ghetto walls of that damp, oppressive city. He has lost a wife and the son whose difficult birth killed her. Now there is nothing left for him there.
In the autumn of 1598, Abraham chooses to seek his fortune far from the painful familiarity of Europe and travels halfway across the world to the lush and exotic Burmese kingdom of Pegu. An overpoweringly strange mélange of sodden heat, colorf... (show more)
A melancholy young Jewish gem merchant, Abraham, born in Venice, has lived his life behind the ghetto walls of that damp, oppressive city. He has lost a wife and the son whose difficult birth killed her. Now there is nothing left for him there.
In the autumn of 1598, Abraham chooses to seek his fortune far from the painful familiarity of Europe and travels halfway across the world to the lush and exotic Burmese kingdom of Pegu. An overpoweringly strange mélange of sodden heat, colorful customs, and odd superstitions, it is a place and a people completely alien to him. Yet in Pegu, the jewel trader is not hated or shunned for his faith. Here Abraham is a man. Here he is free.
But there is a price for his newfound freedom. Local custom demands that foreigners perform a duty Abraham finds both troubling and barbaric. While it is a responsibility many men would embrace eagerly, it mocks Abraham's moral beliefs and fills him with dread and despair . . . until Mya arrives to briefly share his bed.
Barely more than a girl, she awakens something within him far more profound—and more pleasurable—than the guilt he anticipated. And when tragedy destroys the future that was planned for her, Abraham takes Mya in, offering her his home, his protection, and, unexpectedly, his love. But great social and political upheaval threatens to violently transform the entire Peguan empire—and the actions of the powerful will force fateful choices that could have devastating consequences for Abraham and Mya and their dreams for the future.
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Despite the interesting setting (a city in Burma) and time (1598, the same year as the first known performance of 'The Merchant of Venice'), I was... (show more)
Despite the interesting setting (a city in Burma) and time (1598, the same year as the first known performance of 'The Merchant of Venice'), I was a bit disappointed with this novel about a Jewish merchant from Venice who goes to Southeast Asia to conduct business and winds up getting caught in politics and love. The author seems almost more interested in his premise than in his characters, and both central characters -- Abraham, the title character, and his loved one Mya -- come across as stock figures. Mya, in particular, is loving and supportive but has no discernible personality beyond that. It doesn't help that the novel is told completely through letters, so that the reader doesn't actually witness the action but only hears about it second-hand. Maybe it will take good acting in a movie version to make these characters breathe. (show less)
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This ranks among my favorite books. Hantover is a remarkable writer... not only in moving the story along, but in his beautiful turns of phrase. This is a profound story told through a series of letters and first person narrative. I would recommend this to anyone with a love of history and philosophy. Despite the publisher review, it isn't a romance. Expect something more than a love story.
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A very touching read about the life of a Jewel Trader in the 1500's and his travels to faraway lands and meeting "strange" new people. A wonderful example that love has no boundaries.
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