The Magic Barrel: Stories (Paperback)

by Bernard Malamud (Author), Jhumpa Lahiri (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"In the short story, Malamud achieved an almost psalmlike compression. He has been called the Jewish Hawthorne, but he might just as well be thought a Jewish Chopin, a prose composer of preludes and noctures."--Mark Shechner, Partisan Review

"There are thirteen stoires in The Magic Barrel and every one of them is a small, highly individualized work of art. This is the kind of book that calls for not admiration but gratitude."--Richard Sullivan, The Chicago Tribune
-- Review

Review

"In the short story, Malamud achieved an almost psalmlike compression. He has been called the Jewish Hawthorne, but he might just as well be thought a Jewish Chopin, a prose composer of preludes and noctures."--Mark Shechner, Partisan Review

"There are thirteen stoires in The Magic Barrel and every one of them is a small, highly individualized work of art. This is the kind of book that calls for not admiration but gratitude."--Richard Sullivan, The Chicago Tribune

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Paperback: 232 pages Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Reprint edition (July 7, 2003) Language: English ISBN-10: 0374525862 ISBN-13: 978-0374525866 Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #365,776 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #9 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > Malamud, Bernard

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Citations (learn more)

83 books cite this book:

• Conversations with Bernard Malamud (Literary Conversations Series) by Lawrence Lasher on 23 pages
• The Sincerest Form by Nicholas Delbanco on 9 pages
• The Short Story: The Reality of Artifice (Genres in Context) by Charles May on 8 pages
• Storied Cities: Literary Imaginings of Florence, Venice, and Rome (Contributions to the Study of World Literature) by Michael L. Ross on 4 pages
• The Modern Jewish Canon: A Journey Through Language and Culture by Ruth R. Wisse on page 292, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 83 books citing this book

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews 5 star:  (8) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 9 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a sheer jewel, May 21, 1999 By  Schmerguls "schmerguls" (Sioux City, Ia USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)       Since this book won the 1959 National Book Award, and I had not read it, I found a copy and was amazed at the power of the stories. I usually am not too enamored of short story collections, since I don't appreciate starting anew every few pages in a book. But this book is an exception. I was amazed at how quickly one became caught up in each story. The first story is The First Seven Years, and is a most touching story, setting the reader up most felicitously for enjoyment of each of the following 12 stories. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, powerful stories, December 13, 2007 By  Lazyboy (San Francisco, USA) - See all my reviews It was such a pleasure to read these stories. Each story grabs you quickly, and makes its narative thrust accessible. His stories don't stray from his simple narratives; there is very little excess or digression. The stories are very personal and moral without being preachy. He knows how to capture people's moral ambivalence without judging them or resorting to stereotypes. I found this book to be both an easy read and very moving. 5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Stories Covering a Surprising Range of Emotions, July 22, 2000 By  Jack L. Keller "Avid Reader" (Federal Way, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This set of stories surprises one with breadth of understanding which it exhibits. From the first story ("The First Seven Years") which deals with a father's desire to provide the best for his daughter through the last story ("The Magic Barrel")which provides an interesting contrast to the first, all of these stories expand on the single theme of human experience. The frustration built upon in "The Key" and "The Last Mohican" if offset nicely by the humor in "A Summer's Reading" and "The Lady of the Lake". "Take Pity" and "The Mourners" offer great insigth into growing old and dealing with lonliness. While "Angel Levine" is probably the most off beat of the set it still manages to increase hope, whereas "The Prison" causes an equal loss of faith in the human race. The 12 stories here provide a wonderful evening's reading, however if your looking for more they are included in the books of his complete stories.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 1.0 out of 5 stars Wrong title, right author I selected the complete short stories of Malamud and this book is only a selction of short stories. I was disappointed but we decided to keep it and be more careful in ordering. Published 9 months ago by John Wright 5.0 out of 5 stars Book Exactly as Described-Fast Delivery I was looking for a hard to find book in large print. I was shocked to see that they were selling a new edition for about $1.57. Read more Published on December 1, 2006 by Craig T. Heard 5.0 out of 5 stars Magic Malamud Malamud does three or four tricks in his fiction well, and here he does each one to utter perfection. Read more Published on December 1, 2006 by Eric Maroney 5.0 out of 5 stars 50 years later, still relevant These stories about New York, even when read fifty years later by someone like me from a totally different demographic, in Los Angeles, are still relevant. Read more Published on March 17, 2006 by Beatrice Izzey 5.0 out of 5 stars Small sad suffering and quiet beauty These stories are pervaded with a certain sadness and disappointment, a sense of life as largely a trial in suffering. Read more Published on October 12, 2004 by Shalom Freedman 2.0 out of 5 stars BORING! I would suggest before sitting down to read this book that you brew a large pot of coffee. Or better yet, don't sit down to read it at all. This is dry stuff! Published on October 6, 2004 by Chuck Brown 3.0 out of 5 stars Strange.... This is a very strange book. There are a lot of small messages that Mr. Malamud delivers in each of his stories. Everything from the mistreatment of others to stealing. Read more Published on May 8, 2004 by 5mollet 2.0 out of 5 stars Impressive character development but mostly morbid. "The Magic Barrel" was a collection of stories that intrigued me, if only for the whimsical sounding name. Read more Published on February 1, 2004 by Elissa Bogos 5.0 out of 5 stars Notes on a (Narrow) Slice of Life So who could say that Bernard Malamud didn't write well ? Not me. He writes very well indeed. These 13 stories, mainly about first-generation Jewish immigrants in America, but... Read more Published on April 23, 2003 by Robert S. Newman Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Reprint edition (July 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374525862
• ISBN-13: 978-0374525866
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #365,776 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #9 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > Malamud, Bernard

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a sheer jewel, May 21, 1999

By	Schmerguls "schmerguls" (Sioux City, Ia USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Since this book won the 1959 National Book Award, and I had not read it, I found a copy and was amazed at the power of the stories. I usually am not too enamored of short story collections, since I don't appreciate starting anew every few pages in a book. But this book is an exception. I was amazed at how quickly one became caught up in each story. The first story is The First Seven Years, and is a most touching story, setting the reader up most felicitously for enjoyment of each of the following 12 stories.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, powerful stories, December 13, 2007

By	Lazyboy (San Francisco, USA) - See all my reviews

It was such a pleasure to read these stories. Each story grabs you quickly, and makes its narative thrust accessible. His stories don't stray from his simple narratives; there is very little excess or digression.
The stories are very personal and moral without being preachy. He knows how to capture people's moral ambivalence without judging them or resorting to stereotypes.
I found this book to be both an easy read and very moving.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Stories Covering a Surprising Range of Emotions, July 22, 2000

By	Jack L. Keller "Avid Reader" (Federal Way, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This set of stories surprises one with breadth of understanding which it exhibits. From the first story ("The First Seven Years") which deals with a father's desire to provide the best for his daughter through the last story ("The Magic Barrel")which provides an interesting contrast to the first, all of these stories expand on the single theme of human experience.

The frustration built upon in "The Key" and "The Last Mohican" if offset nicely by the humor in "A Summer's Reading" and "The Lady of the Lake". "Take Pity" and "The Mourners" offer great insigth into growing old and dealing with lonliness. While "Angel Levine" is probably the most off beat of the set it still manages to increase hope, whereas "The Prison" causes an equal loss of faith in the human race.

The 12 stories here provide a wonderful evening's reading, however if your looking for more they are included in the books of his complete stories.