In this wonderfully entertaining collection edited by Nobel Prize-winning author Saul Bellow, 28 stories by outstanding Jewish authors capture all the bold color and rich flavor of Jewish culture through the ages. Includes stories by Sholom Aleichem, Isaac Bebel, S.J. Agnon, and others. Reissue.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
From the Publisher
The Jewish imagination and world view come alive in 29 stories from ancient and contemporary authors. These works, beginning with a book of the Apocrypha about a pious old man, Tobut, to Philip Roth's modern hero Epstein, capture the essence of the Jewish experience. They convey the impact of religion, community and family on every aspect of life from the marketplace to the bedroom. Saul Bellow's wide-ranging selections capture the wit, warmth, humor, and tragedy of a unique people and create a quintessential collection that is movingly universal in its wisdom and timeless in its appeal.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Mass Market Paperback
When a collection contains stories by such writers as Agnon, Aleichem, Babel, Malamud, Singer, and Zweig, you know that you're not going to get a bunch of junk ! Sure enough, there are some great stories in this volume, some by people perhaps not so well known, like Joseph Opatashu and Leo Litwak. There are also weak links, but "weak" is certainly in the eye of the beholder, I admit. Nevertheless, I'd have to say that this is an uneven collection and I wonder what the purpose of it was, other than to say, "Yep, we can compile a bunch of stories written by Jews and mostly about themes which relate to Jews." Perhaps the time for such collections has gone by and we can now say that as people, Jews have intimate connections to every aspect of human existence, just like everyone else. Is there really "African-American literature" which is only of interest to African-Americans ? Is there really a "Jewish" literature ? This book provides proof of two answers: one is yes, the other is no. I suppose it depends upon your already-existing perspective. Anyhow, if you want to read some excellent stories, whether you are Jewish or not, try this book. There are a lot of five star stories here---I give the book three stars as a "concept".
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A pioneering collection
Oct 13 2004
By Shalom Freedman
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
What a pity editor Bellow could not include his great long short story " The Old System" in this collection. As it is it contains a number of truly wonderful stories, including the very great story that Bellow translated into English and is one of the most remarkable stories ever written Singer's ' Gimpel the Fool' But there are many other treats here which make for much absorbing reading.
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Everybody can find something in this collection
May 11 2000
By Robert S. Newman
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
When a collection contains stories by such writers as Agnon, Aleichem, Babel, Malamud, Singer, and Zweig, you know that you're not going to get a bunch of junk ! Sure enough, there are some great stories in this volume, some by people perhaps not so well known, like Joseph Opatashu and Leo Litwak. There are also weak links, but "weak" is certainly in the eye of the beholder, I admit. Nevertheless, I'd have to say that this is an uneven collection and I wonder what the purpose of it was, other than to say, "Yep, we can compile a bunch of stories written by Jews and mostly about themes which relate to Jews." Perhaps the time for such collections has gone by and we can now say that as people, Jews have intimate connections to every aspect of human existence, just like everyone else. Is there really "African-American literature" which is only of interest to African-Americans ? Is there really a "Jewish" literature ? This book provides proof of two answers: one is yes, the other is no. I suppose it depends upon your already-existing perspective. Anyhow, if you want to read some excellent stories, whether you are Jewish or not, try this book. There are a lot of five star stories here---I give the book three stars as a "concept".
›
Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
