The Manor (Paperback)

by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Product Details

Paperback
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre / Not Applicable; Reissue edition (Oct 1 1987)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374520801
ISBN-13: 978-0374520809
Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.9 x 2.5 cm
Shipping Weight: 227 g

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #279,031 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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Product Description

From AudioFile

This is the story, perhaps even the saga, of a Jewish family in nineteenth-century Poland. In it are reflected many of the large movements of the time. Singer's writing is a relentless staccato of short, declarative sentences. Noah Waterman makes the worst of them by reading at a breathless, enervating speed with minimal inflection; however, his diction is amazingly clear. But this is a reading, not a performance. Those who believe that an audiobook should have minimal interpretative intervention from the reader may find this a model production. Those who enjoy oral performance are more likely to be disappointed. Waterman's particular skill and style would be more at home in nonfiction. J.N. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A manor of worship: to God or oneself?, Jun 11 2004

By	Avital (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Manor (Paperback)

With the backdrop set during the late 1800s clash between the tradition and the renewal of Polish Jewry, Isaac Bashevis Singer introduces his novel, The Manor. A host of well developed characters represent the various paths taken in this historical time period. The story revolves around the manor, a residence meant to bring prosperity and the illusion of consequent happiness riches are expected to produce. Calman Jacoby, a spiritual and honest Jew, obtains the manor, and so begins a new phase of his life as a wealthy business man.
The Jacoby's have four daughters, and their stories show a different level of keeping, or rejecting, the traditions instilled in each by Calman. The relationships between characters, especially between the daughters and their husbands, are continually being tested. Singer explores how passion can lead one into irrational and blatantly immoral behavior. Loyalties are promised and broken and then reaffirmed again amidst affairs, lost belief in G-d, and renewed spirituality. The constant questioning thoughts of each character invokes conflicting feelings in ones own mind as to what is correct, and with which point of view Singer himself consents. The conflicts extend beyond what the characters actually think. Singer presents the beauty of certain scenes through metaphors and people's good deeds, only to contrast them to the mundane reality of others.
The novel is told in a refreshingly simple tone that is somehow able to communicate the characters' innermost feelings. Although I was surprised by the lack of communication among the daughters, I found The Manor to be an impressive book, one that incorporated historical fiction with exciting storylines, credible characters, and a theme that is still witnessed today: traditions clashing with the desire for progress.

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