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S. Ansky (1863–1920)

Author of The Dybbuk

39+ Works 429 Members 5 Reviews 2 Favorited

About the Author

Born in a small town in Belorussia, Ansky studied in traditional Jewish schools and was also self-educated. His writing reflects his democratic ideas and love for the poor and underprivileged, which also prompted his interest in folk psychology and in folklore, its artistic reflection. Ansky gave a show more highly poetic and symbolic interpretation to a popular folk belief in his play The Dybbuk, which is the story of a dead soul that enters the body of a living person as a malevolent spirit. The play is a classic of Yiddish theater. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: S. An-ski

Works by S. Ansky

The Dybbuk (1920) 141 copies
Théâtre yiddish, tome 2 (1997) 3 copies

Associated Works

Yenne Velt: The Great Works of Jewish Fantasy and Occult (1976) — Contributor — 326 copies
A Dybbuk and Other Tales of the Supernatural (1997) — Contributor — 81 copies
A Golden Treasure of Jewish Literature (1937) — Contributor — 75 copies
No Star Too Beautiful: A Treasury of Yiddish Stories (2002) — Contributor — 57 copies
Twenty best European plays on the American stage (1957) — Contributor — 28 copies

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Reviews

Encompassing a selection of Ansky's fiction, drama, and nonfiction, this collection is a step back through time, back to the beginning of the twentieth century and Jewish culture, life, and thought, particularly around the time of WWI. Even the fiction is so detailed, and so culture-rich, it feels as much like a peek into another time and history as it does like fiction. The standouts here are, though, Ansky's drama The Dybbuk and the English translation of a portion of his journals. The drama is as fascinating as it is powerful, and as short as it may be, the characters are built in a fashion that allows readers to fall into the drama's reality. The journals, much as the excerpt here may only be an excerpt of his much longer work, are difficult to read because of the territory of violence and poverty they cover, but also incredibly powerful, to the extent that I wish the rest of his nonfiction had been translated into English already.

I'd absolutely recommend this full collection for all those remotely interested.
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whitewavedarling | 2 other reviews | Mar 3, 2024 |
A classic dramatic play that is a wonderful piece of Jewish literature along with other short stories and writings from S. Ansky. I enjoyed reading The Dybbuk, the premise mixed with the mysticism was very interesting. The other stories offered a nice window into the time period.
 
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Mishker | 2 other reviews | Nov 12, 2013 |
Written as a journalist might write a diary, Ansky’s accountings leave nothing left unsaid, no events colored over with fluff, and we, the readers, are left “watching” the evil through the vivid word images of brutality, destruction, rape, murder, mob mentality, mass-murder, and the affects on the Jewish communities in the shtetls from the events of the nauseating horrors of anti-semitism.

I won’t quote from the book, because one passage alone wouldn’t be sufficient to render the scope of the atrocities and horror. How can I choose one, out of so many? For me it is impossible, and would diminish the content of the book, down to that one blurb. One must read this in order to grasp the intensity of the events.

The Enemy at His Pleasure is a compelling read, and if you are prone to having a weak stomach from graphic word content, then I suggest you read this with that in mind. Do read it, because it will open your eyes to the accountings and sickening events that took place during the turbulent time when Russian, Austrian and German armies overtook the small Jewish shtetls catching and trapping the Jews in the middle. It is a look at history you will not soon forget.

S. Ansky died in 1920 at the age of 57.

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1 vote
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LorriMilli | Jul 6, 2009 |
Great. It's interesting to read about time when social customs were so different, and yet I have come to the conclusion that nothing really changes.
 
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Ibreak4books | 2 other reviews | Oct 31, 2008 |

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Associated Authors

Horst Bienek Translator, Editor
Salcia Landmann Translator
Henry G. Alsberg Translator
Ed Asner Narrator
Gilbert W. Gabriel Introduction
John Hirsch Translator
Winifred Katzin Translator
Paul S. Weldon Illustrator
Golda Werman Translator
Fred Wellner Cover artist

Statistics

Works
39
Also by
5
Members
429
Popularity
#56,934
Rating
3.9
Reviews
5
ISBNs
49
Languages
6
Favorited
2

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