Will iconic images recorded in the grooves of an ancient vase unite the Holy Land or rip it further apart?

THE VASE

A novel by Mark M. DeRobertis

Muhsin Muhabi is a Palestinian potter, descended from a long line of potters. His business is run from the same shop owned by his ancestors since the day his forebears moved to Nazareth. The region's conflict saw the death of his oldest son, and rogue terrorists are in the process of recruiting his youngest in their plot to assassinate the Pope and Israeli prime minister.

Professor Hiram Weiss is an art historian at Nazareth’s Bethel University. He is also a Shin Bet operative on special assignment. With the help of fellow agent, Captain Benny Mathias, he plans to destroy the gang responsible for the death of his wife and only child. He puts a bomb in the ancient vase he takes on loan from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.

Mary Levin, the charming assistant to the director of Shin Bet, has lost a husband and most of her extended family to recurring wars and never-ending terrorism. She dedicates her life to the preservation of Israel, but to whom will she dedicate her heart? The brilliant professor from Bethel University? Or the gallant captain who now leads Kidon?

Harvey Holmes, the Sherlock of Haunted Houses, is a Hollywood TV host whose reality show just flopped. When a Lebanese restaurant owner requests his ghost-hunting services, he believes the opportunity will resurrect his career. All he has to do is exorcise the ghosts that are haunting the restaurant. It happens to be located right across the street from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.




Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Antagonists, Continued

Talked about antagonists in KILLER OF KILLERS and KILLER EYES. What about THE VASE? That's not such an easy one. Especially if you want to call the antagonist the bad guy. Because bad guys in one viewpoint are often the good guys in another viewpoint.

For instance, Professor Hiram Weiss is an art professor. He is also a Mossad operative. And to many people he would be considered the good guy. But not to the Palestinians, and certainly not to Muhsin Muhabi, the vase-maker. That's because Weiss wants to blow up Mushin's pottery shop. But Muhsin, poor guy, knows nothing about it.

But there are some bad guys. They are terrorists. But in their viewpoint, they are freedom fighters. And in their minds, they are the good guys. Still, killing innocents, even for a cause, is considered a bad thing to anyone with a conscience. Therefore, I will say that they are bad guys and the real antagonists in this story.

Yes, antagonists, (or bad guys,) are often not easily defined.
Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)