How did A.B. Yehoshua’s early stories differ from fiction focused directly on Israeli reality?

In the context of Hebrew literature, A.B. Yehoshua was part of the New Wave generation of writers who, in their early work, sought to distance themselves from direct preoccupations with Israeli reality.

Unlike fiction that focused on the immediate social or political landscape of Israel, Yehoshua’s early stories were characterized by a remote narrative tone. His characters were often depicted as being drained of emotion, existing in a state of boredom. Occasionally, this mood would be interrupted by an act of feeling or meaning that served to illuminate the humanity of a character. This approach contrasted with other writers of the period who engaged more directly with the collective ideals, anxieties, or specific social struggles inherent to the Israeli experience.1