Embarrassing Readings?

I hate to admit it, but my reading on my Israel trip left a lot to be desired.

My goal was to read a book called "The Coffee Trader" by David Liss, which I understood to be the story of how a Jewish merchant and a Dutch widow worked together to bring coffee to the market in 17th century Amsterday, popularizing a drink designed to sharpen the wits of businessmen, and which had previously been drunk only in places like Turkey and other parts of the middle east. My disappointment was that the book was a historical novel; I did not know that and had expected a history. My disappointment was increased when I discovered that the book was not particularly well written. I closed the book after about 100 pages.

Then, I got busy and it was not until I had a chance to fish around in a couple of used book stores in Jerusalem (there are many there) that I found a couple of signed, English language books which I acquired.

Well, the first one that I decided to read was the autobiography of, believe it or not, Grace Slick, who had been the Jefferson Airplane vocalist among other things. 'A rock and roll memoir' says that cover page. Well, if anything can convince you that a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll is dull, dull, dull, this book can. Dull, dull, dull.

Then, I moved to a book that I assumed would be equally worthless as a read, but for different reasons. Called "Visions and Jewels", written by Moyshe Oyved, and published in the 1920's, it tells the story of a restless Jewish teenager from Poland, who with a friend runs away to England at age 16 (in 1903) and, after several twists and turns, becomes a successful jeweler, re-named Edward Good, and owner of a shop called the Cameo Corner. In fact, the book, which tells of the trials and tribulations of a talented but impoverished immigrant into London's East End, and not only how he builds a retail business, but how he develops his literary sensibilities and becomes not only a multi-book author, but a friend to London's Jewish and non-Jewish literary community. In fact, it was a fascinating find.