Response to Amos Oz' "A Tale of Love and Darkness"

Amoz Oz A Tale of Love and Darkness is an aptly named memoir providing details of Oz’ life that help us, as readers, understand his experiences in a way that enriches our understanding of his fiction and the ideas portrayed in works like My Michael.  This autobiographical account is full of both love and darkness, recounting Oz’ experiences in the tumultuous setting of mid-twentieth-century Jerusalem, including the death of his mother (a result of suicide) and the strained relationship between his parents.  Oz did not lead an easy life, and it is clear that the challenges he faced influenced and inspired his writing.

This memoir was particularly illuminating in terms of explaining the inspiration for My Michael, the other Amos Oz piece we read this semester.  Both the setting and the characters’ challenges in My Michael parallel Oz’ own experiences, and it seems likely that the relatively dysfunctional relationship between Oz’ parents was at least part of the inspiration for the dysfunctional relationship between Michael and Hannah in My Michael.  Oz’ mother, who he says “lived a solitary life,” (272) is portrayed as a troubled, lonely individual, much like Hannah, and Oz’ father and relatively suspicious and calculated man, bears some resemblance to Michael.  

A Tale of Love and Darkness is a lengthy, detailed book, and it can begin to feel a bit taxing for the reader, especially in autobiographies and memoirs are not a favorite genre.  It does, however, serve to make obvious the connections between Oz’ life and work, showing just how profoundly an author’s own life contributes to his writing and how even fiction is often autobiographical.  As such, Love and Darkness is probably best read in conjunction with Oz’ works of fiction.  Nevertheless, this is a well-written and interesting account of an author’s challenging and inspiring life.