Description
Book SynopsisThis anthology, the first of this kind in twenty-five years, collects eighteen astounding works of Jewish fiction.
This is the first anthology of translated multilingual Jewish fiction in 25 years: a collection of 18 splendid stories, each translated into English from a different language: Albanian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Ladino, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Yiddish. These compelling, humorous, and moving stories, written by eminent authors that include Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Isaac Babel, and Lili Berger, reflect both the diversities and the commonalities within Jewish culture, and will make you laugh, cry, and think. This beautiful book is easily accessible and enjoyable not only for Jewish readers, but for story-lovers of all backgrounds.
Authors (in the order they appear in the book) include: Elie Wiesel, Varda Fiszbein, S. Y. Agnon, Gábor T. Szántó, Jasminka Domaš, Augusto Segre, Lili Berger, Peter Sichrovsky, Maciej Płaza, Entela Kasi, Norman Manea, Luize Valente, Eliya Karmona, Birte Kont, Michel Fais, Irena Dousková, Mario Levi, and Isaac Babel.
Trade Review“Gold... collects a remarkably diverse array of translated Jewish stories and novel excerpts... This broad and wide-ranging anthology is a fitting ode to the ‘nearly inexhaustible richness and strength’ of the Jewish multilingual tradition."
— Publishers Weekly
“The stories Gold has chosen are almost uniformly gripping. Not only do their plots compel and the skill of their respective translators astonish; they also move the reader to reflect on the multifarious moral dilemmas that have faced the Jewish people, both as Jews and simply as human beings, in all the lands of their dispersion and at all phases of their history. … There is variety and delight in these stories, whose provenance circles the globe. Deeper still is their reflection on the soul of an ancient people spinning dizzily in a modern world.”
— Rabbi David Wolpe, Los Angeles Review of Books
“Edited by Nora Gold, the book delivers on its promise to share beautifully crafted fiction that transports readers across the globe in fifteen minutes or fewer. … This book serves as a testament to the power of translation.”
— Deborah Miller, Jewish Book Council
“What a treasure!”
— Alberto Manguel, Director of the National Library of the Argentine Republic
“[F]iction, particularly when it reflects the diverse experience of Jewish life throughout the world, gives readers the power to know more and expand the perspectives of the Jewish world we thought we knew. … Buy this anthology particularly if you consider yourself a lover of Jewish literature. It’s an outstanding introduction to the rich diversity that exists in Jewish writing around the world these days.”
— Aaron Howard, Jewish Herald-Voice
“What the translations of these pieces show is that there is spiritual unity among the themes expressed in these stories that identify them with the bitter-sweet and tragic history of the Jewish people. … Five stars.”
— Chicago Book Review
“This is a landmark anthology. Nora Gold is a remarkable pioneer who has my heartfelt admiration.”
— Cynthia Ozick
“This book by Nora Gold is like a treasure chest of marvels, each story a gem from a different time and place. There are living marvels here from so many times and places and voices and experiences that every reader’s idea of Jewish literature will have to be fargresert un farbesert—enlarged and improved.”
— Dara Horn, award-winning author of People Love Dead Jews and Eternal Life
“Rich and varied, 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages reminds us how diverse the Jewish experience is. For anyone interested in Jewish literature, it's a must-read book and an important addition to the Jewish literary canon.”
— Joshua Henkin, Winner of the Edward Lewis Wallant Award for American Jewish Fiction
“With this remarkable book, Dr. Gold makes a signal contribution to the current state and study of contemporary Jewish literature. Her anthology offers readers a world tour of Jewish literatures in one volume: 18 works that are of consistently high quality and represent numerous linguistic traditions. I know of no other anthology like this. It deserves significant critical attention and certainly will be of interest to teachers, students, and readers of Jewish literature, comparative literature, and world literature.”
— Adam Rovner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English & Jewish Literature, and Director, Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver
“One thing is for certain: whether winners of the Nobel Prize or secret scribblers in remote Eastern European shtetls (or both), these writers have clung to their Judaism as if to their very being. Yet, ironically, it is this clinging to identity which makes this collection so universal. They are saying that, in all of the best and worst circumstances, this is who we are and who we shall remain. Nothing can change that. What a treat it is to ‘hear’ the voices from far and wide affirming our humanity.”
— Joseph Kertes, Winner of a Canadian National Jewish Book Award and the U.S. National Jewish Book Award for Fiction
“18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages explores the modern Jewish identity through the lenses of brutally honest writers. This luminous collection brims with unsettling glimpses of relatable moments, with evocative characters struggling to make sense of a mutable world. A crucial addition to Jewish fiction and an ideal book club choice, with countless themes for discussion.”
— Shelly Sanders, Bestselling author of Daughters Of The Occupation (Harper Collins, 2022)
“With editorial aplomb and resourcefulness, Gold has selected a wide variety of stories culled from the Jewish Diaspora. To shift the Biblical paradigm, one could also imagine the multicoloured mosaic on the cover as a Joseph’s coat of many colours whose fabric is on display in each of these stories. That garment may be torn or mended – stitched together and stretched across the linguistic spectrum of the Diaspora. … From the Tower of Babel to Isaac Babel, Nora Gold’s 18 is a treasure-trove of translated stories.”
— Michael Greenstein, The Miramichi Reader
“Nora Gold’s 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages is a multilingual journey through Jewish culture. … Gold’s curation allows readers to explore the vastness of Jewish culture through the eyes of renowned authors, offering a collection that is not only culturally enriching but also universally resonant. And it is not just for Jewish readers; it is a must-read for all lovers of stories illuminating the human experience in all its complexity. … Nora Gold’s meticulous curation and the anthology’s unique features make it a standout contribution to the world of literary collections, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of Jewish literature.”
— Norm Goldman, BookPleasures
“Readers interested in Jewish literature will find much to enjoy in 18. The anthology definitely shows the richness of Jewish fiction across the world.”
— Rabbi Rachel Esserman, Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton’s The Reporter
Table of ContentsForeword by Josh Lambert
Introduction by Nora Gold
Hostage
Elie Wiesel
Translated from French by Catherine Temerson
The Guest
Varda Fiszbein
Translated from Spanish by Andrea G. Labinger
And The Crooked Shall Be Made Straight
S. Y. Agnon
Translated from Hebrew by Michael P. Kramer
The First Christmas
Gábor T. Szántó
Translated from Hungarian by Walter Burgess and Marietta Morry
Purimspiel
Jasminka Domaš
Translated from Croatian by Iskra Pavlović
Purchase of Goods of Dubious Origin
Augusto Segre
Translated from Italian by Steve Siporin
The Rebbetzin's Sense of Justice
Lili Berger
Translated from Yiddish by Ronnee Jaeger
New York
Peter Sichrovsky
Translated from German by John Howard
Golem
Maciej Płaza
Translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones
Frozen Spring—Jerusalem Returning
Entela Kasi
Translated from Albanian by the author with assistance from Sarah Lawson
Place of Birth
Norman Manea
Translated from Romanian by Jean Harris
Sonata in Auschwitz
Luize Valente
Translated from Portuguese by Claudio Bethencourt
The Washerwoman’s Daughter
Eliya Karmona
Translated from Judeo-Spanish by Michael Alpert
A Place Nowhere
Birte Kont
Translated from Danish by Nina Sokol
The Researcher
Michel Fais
Translated from Greek by Mina Karavanta
Luck
Irena Dousková
Translated from Czech by David Livingstone
Where Were You When Darkness Fell
Mario Levi
Translated from Turkish by Leyla Tonguç Basmaci
Red Cavalry
Isaac Babel
Translated from Russian by Boris Dralyuk
Acknowledgments
Contributors
Notes
