Description
Book SynopsisSheds light on the works of Cynthia Ozick, one of America's foremost writers. Arguing that Ozick's fiction is a form of comedy, this title interweaves religion and literature, and illuminates the complex relationship between the comic and the sacred. It explores Ozick's art in works such as "Trust", "The Cannibal Galaxy", and "The Pagan Rabbi".
Trade Review"In presenting Ozick as a 'comedian of ideas', Sarah Blacher Cohen has raised the study of Ozick to a new level." Alan L. Berger "[Cohen] understands Ozick's hybrid conception of human nature, her realization that the secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow and that the ironic mode ... is the best way of telling the truth." Daniel Walden "Cohen has succeeded in showing a fusion of Ozick's writing as sacred and comic. Defining humor broadly, Cohen persuasively argues that levity and liturgy are natural companions, enriching each other, especially in the creative imagination of Cynthia Ozick." Midstream " ... a thoughtful introduction to a monumental though underrated writer." SHOFAR "This study is a welcome addition to the growing body of scholarly criticism of Ozick and focuses on her comedic style." Choice "Cohen has written an important ... book, one that celebrates Ozick's 'liturgical laughter', emphasizing on every occasion the connection between the comic and the sacred. It is a connection we should be reminded of often." Belles Lettres "Cohen's readings of these stories reveal their many levels and meanings in a language as acute and perceptive as that of Ozick herself." St. Louis Post-Dispatch Magazine
Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I. Introduction: Cynthia Ozick's Comic Art of Truth-Telling
II. Trust: Comedy of Manners and Morals
III. Envy; or Yiddish in AMerica: Elegy, Satire, and Celebration
IV. The Pagan Rabbi, Levitation, and Usurpation: Wry Jokes on Realism
V. The Puttermesser Stories: Feminist Follies
VI. The Cannibal Galaxy: From Caustic Humor to Midrashic Laughter
VII. The Messiah of Stockholm and the Cackle of Satire
VIII. The Shawl: The Tragicomedy of Revolt and Survival
IX. Conclusion: From Low to High Comedy
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
