Jewish Culture
Orly Castel-Bloom’s ‘Dolly City:’ A Sharp-Witted Look at Israeli Society
Orly Castel-Bloom's novel is not for the faint of heart.
Excerpt: ‘Dolly City’ by Orly Castel-Bloom (1992)
The first pages of this novel introduce its terrifying protagonist.
Philip Roth’s “The Counterlife:” A Five-Part Adventure
Philip Roth's "The Counterlife" explores contradictory realities through its protagonist, Nathan Zuckerman.
Excerpt: “King of the Jews” by Leslie Epstein (1979)
Leslie Epstein's controversial novel explores Jewish power dynamics in the Lodz Ghetto.
Vasily Grossman’s “Life and Fate:” A Journalist’s Retelling of the Horrors of World War II
"Life and Fate" brings the reader to World War II-era Russia, where the novel was written.
Excerpt: Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman (1960)
Vassily Grossman's "Life and Fate" was smuggled out of Stalinist Russia, where it takes place.
Bernard Malamud’s “The Assistant:” A Jewish Struggle for an Ethical Life
Bernard Malamud's "The Assistant" explores Jewish identity in Depression-era Brooklyn.
Clarice Lispector’s “Near to the Wild Heart:” A ‘Lush and Lucid’ First Novel
"Near to the Wild Heart" combines Lispector's Brazilian and Jewish roots into a modern masterpiece.
Excerpt: The Family Mashber by Der Nister (1939)
The first pages of "The Family Mashber" set the stage for what's to come. Take a look.
Der Nister’s “The Family Mashber:”A Perspective on Jewish Life in 1800s Europe
"The Family Mashber" is one of the greatest works of Yiddish literature.
Excerpt: Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska (1925)
Anzia Yezierska's book explores the early 20th-century immigrant experience, and women's place in it.
Anzia Yezierska’s “Bread Givers:” A Lens on the Beehive of the Lower East Side
In "Bread Givers," her 1925 novel, Anzia Yezierska explored a world of pushcarts and tenements.