| Classic Yiddish Stories of S. Y. Abramovitsh, Sholem Aleichem, and I. L. Peretz Contributor(s): Frieden, Ken (Editor), Frieden, Ken (Translator), Gorelick, Ted (Translator) |
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ISBN: 0815607601 ISBN-13: 9780815607601 Publisher: Syracuse University Press OUR PRICE: $17.96 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: March 2004 Annotation: Two novellas by S. Y. Abramovitsh open this anthology, the first comprehensive overview of works by the three classic Yiddish authors. They describe Jewish life in Eastern Europe during the nineteenth century and introduce the reader to Abramovitsh' alter ego, Mendele the Book Peddler, who narrates both The Little Man and Fishke the Lame. Here he presents a diverse cast of characters including Isaac Abraham as tailor's apprentice, choirboy, and corrupt businessman, and Fishke traveling through the Ukraine with a caravan of beggars. Sholem Aleichem reintroduces us to Tevye the Dairyman's beloved daughters Hodel and Chava, known to everyone familiar with the musical or film Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye is a gregarious storyteller who describes the pleasures of raising independent-minded daughters. The selections from Peretz include his best stories about life of the hasidim. We catch glimpses of inspirational rebbes and awe-inspiring rabbis. These translations breathe new life into the unforgettable worlds of Yiddish literature. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Jewish |
| Dewey: 839.130 |
| LCCN: 2003026524 |
| Series: Judaic Traditions in Literature, Music, and Art |
| Physical Information: 1.05" H x 6.22" W x 9.66" (1.27 lbs) 304 pages |
| Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - Jewish |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Two novellas by S. Y. Abramovitsh open this collection of the best short works by three influential nineteenth-century Jewish authors. Abra- movitsh's alter ego--Mendele the Book Peddler--introduces himself and narrates both The Little Man and Fishke the Lame. His cast of characters includes Isaac Abraham as tailor's apprentice, choirboy, and corrupt businessman; Mendele's friend Wine 'n' Candles Alter; and Fishke, who travels through the Ukraine with a caravan of beggars. Sholem Aleichem's lively stories reintroduce us to Tevye, the gregarious dairyman, as he describes the pleasures of raising his independent-minded daughters. These are followed by short monologues in which Aleichem gives voice to unforgettable characters from Eastern Europe to the Lower East Side. Finally, I. L. Peretz's neo-hasidic tales draw on hasidic traditions in the service of modern literature. These stories provide an unsentimental look back at Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Although nostalgia occasionally colors their prose, the writers were social critics who understood the shortcomings of shtetl life. For the general reader, these translations breathe new life into the extraordinary worlds of Yiddish literature. The introduction, glossary, and biographical essays contemporaneous to each author put those worlds into context, making the book indispensable to students and scholars of Yiddish culture. |