The novel “Esau” by leading Israeli prose writer Meir Shalev is a family saga spanning the period from the end of the First World War to almost the present day. In the center of events is the dramatic fate of two twin brothers, whose story is in many ways reminiscent of the biblical story of Jacob and Esau (in the Russian translation of the Bible - Jacob and Esau). The novel captivates with a striking fusion of seriousness and mocking play, fantasy and reality. The wide epic breath and magical atmosphere make it similar to Marquez’s books, and the ironic intellectualism and sophisticated plot game evoke Nabokov’s “The Gift.”