The "Reader "draws on Oz's entire body of work, loosely grouped into four themes: the kibbutz, the city of Jerusalem, the idea of a "promised land," and his own life story. Included are excerpts from his celebrated novels, among them "Where the Jackals Howl, A Perfect Peace, My Michael, Fima, Black Box, "and "To Know a Woman. "Nonfiction is represented by selections from "Under This Blazing Light, The Slopes of Lebanon, In the Land of Israel, "and Oz's masterpiece, "A Tale of Love and Darkness. "Robert Alter, a noted Hebrew scholar and translator, has provided an illuminating introduction.