From a Distant Relation (Paperback)

In his short life (1865-1921), Micha Josef Berdichevsky was a versatile and influential man of letters: an innovative Hebrew prose stylist; a collector of Jewish folklore; a scholar of ancient Jewish and Christian history. He was at once a peer of the Brothers Grimm, Sholem Aleichem, Friedrich Nietzsche, and a diverse circle of Jewish writers in the Russian Empire and German-speaking countries. As a Yiddish writer, however, he remains largely unknown to gen eral readers. Originally published in the 1920s, his stories were dismissed by prominent critics and viewed as out of step with the literary taste of his own time. Yet these vivid portraits of a small Jewish town (shtetl) in the southern Russian Empire can speak powerfully to audiences today. With enchanting humor, social satire, and verbal dexterity, From a Distant Relation captures the world of the shtetl in a sharp realist prose style. Themes of repressed desire, poverty, relations with non-Jews, and historic upheavals echo in a cast of memorable characters. Many of the stories and monologues feature strong female protagonists, while others shed light on the misogynistic culture of the shtetl. At the border between fiction and reportage, with a gritty underbelly and a deceptive naivete, Berdichevsky's stories explore dynamics of wealth, power, and gender in an intimate setting that resonates profoundly with contemporary Jewish life.

General

Imprint:	Syracuse University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Judaic Traditions in Literature, Music, and Art
Release date:	December 2021
Authors:	Mikhah Yosef Berdichevsky
Editors:	James Adam Redfield
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 35mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	448
ISBN-13:	978-0-8156-1136-3
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Literary & linguistic reference works > General Books > Fiction > General & literary fiction > Modern fiction Books > Fiction > Special features > Short stories Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Jewish studies Books > Fiction > Promotions
LSN:	0-8156-1136-6
Barcode:	9780815611363

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