In the Land of Israel is Oz’s best-known nonfiction work. It consists of a series of interviews, conducted by Oz, with various Israeli citizens. It presents a vision of a pluralistic, creatively contentious society which many have said tells the reader more about Oz and his view of Israel’s future than about Israel as it is today. In Israel, when published by Am Oved as Poh va-sham be-Erets-Yisra’el bi-setav in 1982, Oz was criticized for painting exaggerated portraits of Israelis that were tailored to suit his politics.

Originally published in Hebrew as Kufsah shehorah by Am Oved in 1986, the first English translation was published by Harcourt Brace in 1988. The title refers to the device used to determine the cause of airplane crashes. An epistolary novel, the narrative focuses on the "crash" of Alex and Ilana Gideon’s marriage. Their letters and others from relatives, friends and business associates chart not only their difficult relationship but also Israel’s entrance into dangerous areas. The dichotomous nature of human existence is once again thematically emphasized by Oz in the novel’s Strinbergian struggle between the erotic, hungry, assertive female element and the powerful, hateful, destructive male element.

A novel with a retired Israeli secret service agent as its main character, Oz uses his favorite theme--the madness inherent in everyday existence--to tell the story of a man trying desperately to know his past in order to escape it. Published in Hebrew by Keter in 1989 as La-dat Ishah.