What do You think about Mitla Pass (1989)?
This is a very interesting book by Uris. It does not feel like his others. I got curious while I was reading it and looked up a biography of Uris. It appears that almost everything that happens in this book came from his own life story. I have read all of this books and this one was not one of his best and I think the fact he may have approached it as a fictionalized autobiography is the reason why. It is curious that he would choose to tell his story this way but anyone who wants some insight into Uris will enjoy this book.
—Roger Huder
Well, where to start? The concept was interesting and I was happy to find out more about the early days of the modern state of Israel and the conflicts they got involved in, as my knowledge of this period is limited. I also generally quite enjoy stories that go into the history of a family and the characters there-in BUT (and it is a big BUT) it really helps if the cast of characters have a redeeming feature among them! The main character was a self-absorbed, misogynist writer and the majority of his ancestors seemed to be abusive husbands or men-haters depending on their sex. It was a struggle to get through to the end. I have seen this referred to as a semi-autobiographical novel, and certainly parts of it seem to follow what little I know of Leon Uris' life, but you do wonder why he would paint such an unflattering picture of himself...or perhaps he was focused on the "hero goes off to fight" aspects rather than the "sorry excuse for a husband"?
—Jennifer
