SHIMONI, YOUVAL

SHIMONI, YOUVAL (1955– ), Hebrew novelist. Shimoni was born in Jerusalem. He studied cinema at Tel Aviv University and published two novels which were hailed as major literary events by Israeli critics. Me'of ha-Yonah ("The Flight of the Dove"; German, 1994; French, 2001) is a postmodern prose narrative made up of two parallel stories, printed on the opposite pages of the book. The second novel, Ḥeder ("A Room"; French, 2004), is yet again a highly sophisticated prose work composed of three independent parts that weld into a single entity, oscillating between an army base and Paris, fusing cinematic techniques and reflecting on the substance of life and art. "This book reaches heights of heart-felt longing and grace," wrote Amos Oz. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: M. Ron, "Le-Ever ha-Perurim," in: Siman Keriah, 21 (1990), 189–201; A. Balaban, "Ha-Alilah ha-Nosefet," in: Alei Siaḥ, 31–2 (1992), 79–91; O. Bartana, "Eikh Lehamit Modernizm," in: Dimui, 5–6 (1993), 54–59; H. Herzig, "Dialogim 'im ha-Modernizm ba-Sipporet ha-Ivrit," in: Alei Siaḥ, 39 (1997), 39–45; H. Hever, "Sifrut Yisra'elit bi-Zman Kibbush," in: Alpayim, 25 (2003), 155–69; A. Feldman, "Ha-Mediyum ha-Kolno'i ke-Metaforah shel Meẓi'ut post Modernit," in: Alpayim, 25 (2003), 170–85; N. Ezer, "Alegoriah ve-Simulkarah be-'Omanut ha-Milḥamah' le-Y. Shimoni," in: Iton 77, 288 (2004), 18–21. (Anat Feinberg (2nd ed.)