The I. L. Peretz Reader
by Isaac Leib Peretz
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Description
Isaac Leybush Peretz (1852-1915) is one of the most influential figures of modern Jewish culture. Born in Poland and dedicated to Yiddish culture, he recognized that Jews needed to adapt to their times while preserving their cultural heritage, and his captivating and beautiful writings explore the complexities inherent in the struggle between tradition and the desire for progress. This book, which presents a memoir, poem, travelogue, and twenty-six stories by Peretz, also provides a detailed show more essay about Peretz's life by Ruth R. Wisse. This edition of the book includes as well Peretz's great visionary drama A Night in the Old Marketplace, in a rhymed, performable translation by Hillel Halkin."If you want to discover the beauty, the depth, the unique wonder of Yiddish literature-read this volume by its Master."-Elie Wiesel"For any American reader, this will be a handy and skillfully edited selection of the most representative writings of one of the masters of world literature. For any Jewish American reader, it will also be a monument in commemoration of . . . a writer who . . . laid the foundations for the modern Yiddish literary tradition."-Stanislaw Baranczak, The New Republic"The tales, which occupy most of the book, vary widely. Some have the form and tone of simple folk tales. Others suggest a Hasidic-like mysticism, sometimes approaching the surreal. The best, I think combine both a sympathy for the values of the shtetl and a note of irony."-Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times Book Review"[Peretz's] works stand in brilliantly evocative tribute to a bygone era."-Publishers Weekly show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I have not read the entire book. In addition to an introduction by Ruth R. Wisse and an afterword by Hillel Halkin, there are many of Peretz's short stories, his memoirs, a play and other works translated by several people.
There is a lovely anecdote in the introduction from Peretz' memoir:
"....once, when a guest demonstratively poured full beakers of water over his hands in the ritual washing before a meal, she said that he was 'frum oyf Ayzikl's ksesbn"---pious at Ayzikl's expense. Ayzikl was the water carrier who for a fixed fee maintained the household's supply of well water. The distinction his mother was making between excessive ritual piety and genuine religious sensitivity became a recurrent theme of Peretz's work.
There is a lovely anecdote in the introduction from Peretz' memoir:
"....once, when a guest demonstratively poured full beakers of water over his hands in the ritual washing before a meal, she said that he was 'frum oyf Ayzikl's ksesbn"---pious at Ayzikl's expense. Ayzikl was the water carrier who for a fixed fee maintained the household's supply of well water. The distinction his mother was making between excessive ritual piety and genuine religious sensitivity became a recurrent theme of Peretz's work.
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Jewish Books
367 works; 24 members
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Author Information
162+ Works 737 Members
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1990
- People/Characters
- Isaac Leib Peretz
- Dedication
- For Lucy S. Dawidowicz
- Original language
- Yiddish
Classifications
- Genre
- Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 839.1 — Literature & rhetoric German & related literatures Other Germanic literatures Yiddish literature
- LCC
- PJ5129 .P4 .A28 — Language and Literature Oriental languages and literatures Oriental philology and literature Hebrew Other languages used by Jews Yiddish
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 152
- Popularity
- 214,714
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 1
