Small Worlds
Published on 17. October 1996
Book
Hardback
280 pages
978-0-7892-0129-4 (ISBN)
Description
Classic in its vision and generosity, this extraordinary novel follows the lives and loves of the villagers of Krimsk, a small Hasidic settlement in Eastern Europe, in 1903.
The first volume in Allen Hoffman's critically acclaimed series, Small Worlds takes place in 1903 and introduces the wondrous rebbe of Krimsk-a small Hasidic settlement in Eastern Europe. Secluded in his study for the past five years, the beloved rebbe suddenly emerges on the eve of Tisha B'Av, the holiday for commemorating the destruction of the holy temple in Jerusalem. His congregants are overjoyed to see him, but their joy is to be short-lived, for this holiday at the dawn of the twentieth century will be marked by strange and momentous events that will change their lives forever.
Small Worlds is the first in a series of novels concerning the people of Krimsk and their descendants in America, Poland, Russia, and Israel. In each volume Allen Hoffman draws on his deep knowledge of Jewish religion and history to evoke the "small worlds" his characters inhabit.
Echoes of Jewish literary tradition can be heard in Small Worlds, especially the mystical realism of Isaac Bashevis Singer and the poignant humour of Sholom Aleichem, on whose tales Fiddler on the Roof is based.
The first volume in Allen Hoffman's critically acclaimed series, Small Worlds takes place in 1903 and introduces the wondrous rebbe of Krimsk-a small Hasidic settlement in Eastern Europe. Secluded in his study for the past five years, the beloved rebbe suddenly emerges on the eve of Tisha B'Av, the holiday for commemorating the destruction of the holy temple in Jerusalem. His congregants are overjoyed to see him, but their joy is to be short-lived, for this holiday at the dawn of the twentieth century will be marked by strange and momentous events that will change their lives forever.
Small Worlds is the first in a series of novels concerning the people of Krimsk and their descendants in America, Poland, Russia, and Israel. In each volume Allen Hoffman draws on his deep knowledge of Jewish religion and history to evoke the "small worlds" his characters inhabit.
Echoes of Jewish literary tradition can be heard in Small Worlds, especially the mystical realism of Isaac Bashevis Singer and the poignant humour of Sholom Aleichem, on whose tales Fiddler on the Roof is based.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Small Worlds: "Allen Hoffman tells a great story. Krimsk...is a wild place, reminiscent of nothing so much as a religiously intense version of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs imaginary village of Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude." -- Commentary "There's magic in Hoffman's first novel...It's much in the tradition of Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer, but with a contemporary edge." -- Detroit Free Press "Every few years readers devoted to Jewish literature...can lift their eyes from the page and whisper, This is it. This I will savor. Such is the case with Small Worlds." -- Jerusalem Post -- A selection of the Jewish Book ClubMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 208 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
463 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7892-0129-4 (9780789201294)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Allen Hoffman, award-winning author of the novel Small Worlds and of a novella and short stories, was born in Saint Louis and received his B.A. in American history from Harvard University. He studied the Talmud in yeshivas in New York and Jerusalem, and has taught in New York City schools. He and his wife and four children live in Jerusalem. He teaches English literature and creative writing at Bar-Ilan University.