Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Leon Uris retums to the land of his acclaimed best-seller Exodus for an epic story of hate and love, vengeance and forgiveness and forgiveness. The Middle East is the powerful setting for this sweeping tale of a land where revenge is sacred and hatred noble. Where an Arab ruler tries to save his people from destruction but cannot save them from themselves. When violence spreads like a plague across the lands of Palestine—this is the time of The Haj.
Anonymous
Posted May 10, 2005
Ishmael is a Palestinian who comes to manhood just in time for the legal rebirth of Israel. Before that, though, he watches as Jews gradually return to their ancient homeland. As men like Gideon Asch (who feels more like this novel's hero than does Ishmael, its apparent protagonist) drain the malarial swamps, reclaim the rich farmland, and found communities that men like Ishmael's father cannot drive out. Political maneuvering on an international scale combines with local events to push families like Ishmael's out of their ancient villages, rendering them stateless as one of the least expected results of Israel's return to nationhood. The tragic results sound like a half-century's worth of mideast headlines. And yet.... Excepting only Mein Kampf, I have never in my life read a book so filled with hate as this one is. Should I really believe that Arab culture, and the Moslem religion, are that hatred's source? I came away from THE HAJ quite sure that was the author's intention. Yet this attempt by the author of EXODUS at telling 'the other side of the story' left me feeling that he hadn't succeeded, because this cannot be the story that Palestinians would tell about themselves. Bogs down in places, particularly with lengthy lessons in history and politics - this material would have been better worked into the story. Well written overall, like everything else by Leon Uris (whose work I normally love). If nothing else, it's made me mightily curious to go out and learn more from hopefully less biased sources.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2002
Excellent novel on the origins of the Israeli/Arab conflict, bends over backward to portray the Arabs in as positive a light as history will allow. This history will come as a surprise to anyone who has been fed the Arab propaganda line so prevalent in our press. It should come as no surprise that those who advocate this propaganda will attack the book as having no basis in fact. Ironically, these lies about "THE HAJ" reminds me of those episodes in the book itself, when Arabs are confronted with a truth they feel uncomfortable with. They concoct a version of events that makes them look better and even they themselves start believing their own invention. Take these emotional reviews with a grain of salt. Any reading of history will support the facts that Uris has based his novel on. A great read. Get a copy and read it today. It will help further understanding of today's struggles.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 22, 2006
This book is a great novel, but also a primer to understanding the mess in the middle east...it shows how the mistakes of a people can really place them in an unwinnable situation.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 9, 2004
I feel Mr. Uris attacked the issue of the Palastinians well. A people unused to leading themselves, they turned to what leaders they had. Few of those leaders had the interests of their people above the interests of their wallets. The Jews had no where to go but up after WWII and the idealism to do so. The Jews came from a world that valued work and progress and the Palastinians did not. The Palastinian was too hidebound to change. They came from a tired feudal system that was doomed the moment the Turks lost Palestine to the British. The Palastinian people's own leaders sold the land right out from under them. Their leaders sold their country. The result was who ended up in a refugee camp and who did not. I did not like the abrupt ending. I felt the writer just ran out of ideas. Only this kept me from giving it a higher mark.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 16, 2001
Uris shows some prejudice in this novel but it is only to be expected when a Jew writes about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It is still a good book. It is the story of Ibrahim, a Palestinian Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca and earned the right to be known as Haj. The narrator is Ishmael, Haj Ibrahim's youngest son, and he begins the tale when he is quite young. We are told from this boy's perspective the development of the fight for the country claimed by both Arab and Jew, a fight that has continued for more than half a century. As usual Uris keeps his readers on tenterhooks throughout the story of a family in torment, the boy Ishmael who outwits his older brothers to become his father's favourite, the daughter Nada who breaks all the rules of Muslim etiquette and Haga the first wife who has to hold the family together after Ibrahim takes a second wife.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 15, 2012
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous
Posted November 19, 2011
This book has been dissected by others. I found the story very engaging, and learned of the history of the Middle East, and cultures in the area-- or did I? The bias of the author comes through rather strongly leaving me wanting to read of similar events from other perspectives. As with many situations, there is not a singular truth. Do other readers have suggestions for novels or non fiction that captures other perspectives of this fascinating and relevant historical period.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 17, 2005
I finished this novel as the Jews started to pull out of Gaza. This histically based novel has helped me understand that struggle. Great read with vivid characters.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 13, 2002
I found the Hajj to be a step by step destruction of Palestinine society and culture told in a riveting novel and family level story. Even putting aside some of Uris'bias, one sees distasteful Arab behaviour, day in and day out as they try to influence the global community through a militant version of their ever present religion and their absolutely backwardlife style.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 1, 2002
This book opened my eyes to the inner workings of Islam and to how double standards, hate, lies, and faulty theology damage persons, families, cultures and countries. I thought it was chilling reading, especially in a post-September 11 world.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 1, 2002
I was loaned this book by a pro-Uris reader that told me that it was an excellent book on the Palestinian/Israeli issue. She failed to tell me that it was very racist, anti-Semitic, in the universal definition of the word Semite (Of, relating to, or constituting a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic language group that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic.) or anti-Arab as some would have it, and full of stories that make for great entertainment but boil down to nothing but lies. The unfortunate part of reading it was not only did Uris fill it with uncountable lies, he puts down not only Arabs as humans but the religion of the majority of them, Islam. If Uris can justify his feeling towards the Arabs the way he does, then anyone who wants to, has the right to ridicule not only Jews, Israelis, or Zionist as an ethnicity, but Judaism as a religion. By reading this book, please, please, please realize that this book is pure fantasy and Uris does a great job of convincing the incognizant reader of the Palestinian/Israeli issues that Israel and Jews are victims. The reality of this situation can be found in other books written by Israel Shahak, Edward Said, Noam Chomsky and many other fair minded intellectuals. Uris is just a great fictional story teller trying to make a buck. And succeeding very well at that.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 10, 2001
After reading The Haj for a five themes of geography application project in Honors 9 geography, I feel somehow unfulfilled. The plot of this story was rather hard to follow, and the author could have left out some of the history. The characters were well developed, however I would have liked a little more about Sabri and Dr. Mudhil. I thought the endings of events were abrupt and impersonal. 'He died and was never heard from again.' 'So he chopped off her head.' The story line was pretty interesting but I felt it could have had a little more story and a little less useless information. I thought The Haj was a good book, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is not interested in Muslim culture or is subject to the Chinese water torture.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 16, 2001
I really loved this book. I learned so much about Arab culture and Israel's constant conflict. I recently read this book but it seems like it is happening now. I see now that there will probably never be peace between the Palestinians and the Israelies. The mentality of the Arabs was absolutely shocking. I cannot imagine thinking or acting in that way but it was interesting to learn about. I want to read more of Leon Uris's books starting with Exodus.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 29, 2000
The Haj by Leon Uris is an astonishing look in to the Arab mentality and way of life. It is also a sweeping epic of the time of the birth of Israel as the Jewish State as we know it today. If you have an interest in the modern history of the Land of Israel, or in Moslem life, read this.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 7, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted December 19, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted February 17, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted September 26, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted February 7, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted January 11, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Leon Uris retums to the land of his acclaimed best-seller Exodus for an epic story of hate and love, vengeance and forgiveness and forgiveness. The Middle East is the powerful setting for this sweeping tale of a land where revenge is sacred and hatred noble. Where an Arab ruler tries to save his people from destruction but cannot save them from themselves. When violence spreads like a plague across the lands ...