Talk to me about great Jewish fiction

[ficbot]

I am interested in reading more Jewish-themed novels this year. I was surprised to go through my Calibre library and find a few (list below). I am interested in reading more. I am not looking for works whose sole 'Jewish feature' is the religion of the author; rather, I am looking for books where some sort of Jewish theme or identity is actually a part of the story. I just want to put together an awesome little collection of great Jewish books. Here is what I have so far, sorted by publication date from oldest to newest:

* Exodus by Leon Uris
* The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
* My Name is Ahser Lev by Chaim Potok
* Sophie's Choice by William Styron
* The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman
* The Red Tent by Anita Diament
Kaaterskill Falls by Allegra Goodman
* Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
A Wall of Light by Edeet Ravel
* A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson

* Indicates ones I have read already

Can anyone suggest more?

[rkomar]

Don't know if any of these are ebooks, but here are a few I liked in paper:

"Barney's Version" by Mordechai Richler
"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen" by Tadeusz Borowski
"The Yiddish Policemen's Union" by Michael Chabon
most anything by Saul Bellow

plus a few more I just remembered:

"Friendly Fire: A Duet" by A.B. Yehoshua
"Lion's Honey: the myth of Samson" by David Grossman (part of the "Myths Series")

[HomeInMyShoes]

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler is on my list to potentially read this year if I get through my reading challenges.

I can't help with Jewish-themed books, but I did discover Stanley Elkin, a Jewish-American writer in my reading last year and I haveGeorge Mills on my potential read list as well.

[issybird]

Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot, a Victorian exploration of how a Jew functions in a Christian society.

Gentleman's Agreement, by Laura Z. Hobson, the story of a reporter who pretends to be Jewish in mid-20th century America.

Oh, and you should include something by Saul Bellow and Philip Roth!

[JSWolf]

Don't forget the following classic...

Fiddler on the Roof: Based on Sholom Aleichem's Stories by Joseph Stein, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnic

Also, any books by Sholom Aleichem.

[WT Sharpe]

I found Jew Boy by Alan Kaufman to be quite compelling. He's a master story teller, and this autobiographical work is powerful. I wrote briefly about it here in the "Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?" thread in March of 2010. Unfortunately, it's not available as an ebook (which should come as no surprise to those who had dealings with him in his brief time as an active member on our boards).

[cghipp]

Here are two from my wish list; don't know if they're both available as ebooks:

"If Not Now, When?" by Primo Levi
"People of the Book: A Novel" by Geraldine Brooks

[RichL]

Eva Hoffman's SHTETL, The Life and Death of a Small Town and the World of Polish Jews

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by cghipp

Here are two from my wish list; don't know if they're both available as ebooks:

"People of the Book: A Novel" by Geraldine Brooks

I've seen this one at my e-Library...

[caleb72]

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Yael was born of a dead mother and father who knows how to become invisible. Revka learned silence when her grandsons lost their voices after witnessing their mother’s brutal murder. Aziza became a boy to protect herself, and hates being forced to turn back into a woman. And Shirah will do anything to protect those she loves from the horrors of the world. The power and violence of these women is evident in every word of The Dovekeepers. Hoffman’s prose is vivid and unforgettable, scorching like the desert heat, and will stay with you long after you finish the last page. A story of sacrifice, endurance, and above all, survival, The Dovekeepers is homage to anyone who’s ever held fast to their beliefs in the face of nearly insurmountable adversity.

I haven't read it but I came across it recently and put it on my wishlist at Amazon.

[caleb72]

Here's a pretty famous one:

The Source by James A Michener.


Seems to be available in Amazon US. Not available in Australia though.

In his signature style of grand storytelling, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the Holy Land, thousands of years ago. By exploring the lives and discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of Tell Makor, Michener vividly re-creates life in and around an ancient city during critical periods of its existence, and traces the profound history of the Jews, including that of the early Hebrews and their persecution, the impact of Christianity on the Jewish world, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition. Michener weaves his epic tale of love, strength, and faith until at last he arrives at the founding of Israel and the modern conflict in the Middle East. The Source is not only a compelling history of the Holy Land and its people but a richly written saga that encompasses the development of Western civilization and the great religious and cultural ideas that have shaped our world.

[flipreads]

People of the Book: A Decade of Jewish Science Fiction & Fantasy edited by Rachel Swirsky and Sean Wallace

[PBank]

Michael Chabon's books are soon to be e-books. (news report). I discovered his books by first reading the Yiddish Policeman's Union - which is, marvellous - combines humour and social/historic perspectives and commentary in an alternative history/detective novel blend of genres (it is set in Sitka Alaska, but a Sitka that is a large city, populated mainly by Yiddish speaking Jews who were refugees from Israel when it was destroyed).
His Pullitzer Prize winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is my favourite of his books and one of the best novels I have ever read - about Jews in New York before, during and after WW2, about the early history of comic books, and about so much more than that.

I also really enjoyed Gentlemen of the Road, another 'genre' book - a great adventure story (Rider Haggard style, but better written) set about 1000 AD along the Silk Road, and the Jewish empire of the Khazars.

[rhadin]

Perhaps the best place to find out about contemporary Jewish fiction is the Jewish Review of Books. And I suspect that the best authors to start with are Sholom Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer. One thing to note, however, is that Singer and Aleichem are Yiddish-centric rather than Jewish-centric. Yiddish culture is a subculture of Jewish culture but is not the same as Jewish culture.

You might also check out author Harry Kemelman's mystery series featuring Rabbi David Small. Friday the Rabbi Slept Late is the first in the 12-book series.

[elemenoP]

I don't know if you are trying for only one per author, but I would also suggest The Chosen by Chaim Potok.

Also may I suggest a graphic novel: Maus by Art Speigelman. I wonder if they make a version of this for color readers.

eP