Issac Singer (1902-1991-born Poland) won the Nobel Prize in 1986 for the full body of his work. He is best known to the general public as the author of Yentil, the basis for a very popular movie. Singer's, even though he left Poland in 1935 because of the rise of the Nazis, work is very rooted in the culture in which he was raised. He became an American citizen. Singer died and is buried in Florida. . He indicated his biggest influences as a short story writer were Anton Chekhov and Guy de Maupassan
The plot is set in the mid-1880s in Russian-ruled Poland. The main character Yasha Mazur is a magician from Lublin, who travels around Poland to perform before audiences. He is Jewish, but not very devout, and married to Esther. He has affairs with his assistant Magda, with a young Jewish woman in Piaski named Zeftel and with a middle class Catholic widow in Warsaw named Emilia.
The Magician of Lublin centers on man of dubious morality, a serial philander who scrapes out a living as a Magician, picking locks and doing various tricks. He wants to work in Paris, Rome even America. His agent can not place him. He is loved by his wife and mistresses. He has no children. Warsaw is full of theives, hookers, people starving while others enjoy extremely affluent existences.
He thinks a lot about his religious teachings from his youth but can now see little sense in them. His wife knows he has other women but still has a passion for him. The ending, in which we flash forward three years is an amazing turn.
The Magician of Lublin goes into the entrapment of young women to be sold to brothels in Argentina, theatrical work, the cost of living, the indifference of the rich to the poor, the relationships among various national groups among other things
It is a an exciting work with numerous cliff hangers. There are near R rated sex scenes
This book is included in The Kindle Unlimited program along with 23 other Singer works.
I hope to read much more by Singer
Mel Ulm
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ReplyDeleteI have read Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy but nothing else by this author. I loved the book I read as I loved the film, though, as usual, they have not that much in common but since I love Barbra Streisand, I really had to love the film, right?
ReplyDeleteI'll have to see whether I will try to look for a used copy, I doubt my library has it, they only have newer books.
Thanks.