Customer Reviews

The Slave

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Slave by Nobel prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer is probably one of the most profound books I ever read. Yep, no kidding.

The Slave is basically the story of a Jew man stranded somewhere in 18th century Poland by the diaspora. On his own living in a Christian village, our protagonist desperately tries to hold on to his religion by reciting psalms and performing all the rituals to the letter so as to not forget them and offend god. He says that the only way someone could tell he was a Jew was his circumcision - he had none of the garments, scriptures and objects that could point that out. He even would engrave on a stone all that he could remember from the Holy books.

He eventually leaves the village and runs across a number of people of different backgrounds and meets and falls in love with a gentile women. He takes her with him in search of his people and eventually runs into a very "proper" Jewish community. They did everything "by the book", showing immense respect and doing all the right things to be "good". But he soon realizes that so many people were filled with hypocrisy, spite, and deception that you wouldn't expect from such "quality" folk. Of course, he must hide the true former religion (she converts for him) of his wife for it was nearly impossible to convert in those days. And while she is the kindest person, she is soon despised by the community... So even though these people looked perfect on the outside were not nearly as good to the higher being that they supposedly worshipped while the woman that had nothing to do with the community was the kindest person.

Singer, who writes in Yiddish and then supervises the translation, writes a very powerful book that really transcends religion. One might think that this is very "Jewish". Sure it is, but that's not the point. It will make many people look at themselves and make them realize that doing everything "by the book", whether it be religion or just life, doesn't mean that you are inherently a good person. The Slave is a fantastic novel that is fantastically written that I highly recommend.

This is a beautiful, spare book about a great, forbidden passion, in which two cultures clash with tragic and yet strangely uplifting results. The Slave is Jacob, a survivor of unspeakable horrors in the 1648 Polish revolution - having lost his entire family and become enslaved in desperate and degrading circumstances, he strives to keep his religion and his inner self intact. What he discovers is an unexpected love in a Polish peasant, Wanda, who though simple is in fact intelligent and deep. There is an air of destiny to them.

The book largely takes the form of Jacob's inner dialogue, which is religious and scholarly, a natural outsider who strives to be good in terms that make sense to himself. This is an alien world of unpredictable dangers, race hatred, and bizarre superstitions that overturn his views of the universe as a good and just place - enough to enable his to cross the barriers he faces as he struggles to create a life for himself and then with Wanda. I found this deeply moving, masterfully translated into terms that I could comprehend and empathize with.

In addition, there is much to learn in this about the history of the Jews in Poland. Singer romanticises nothing and is hard on everyone concerned, with perhaps the exception of the lovers and their constant dread. It adds up to a truly vivid portrait of a time, yet played out with universal philosophical dilemmas. Jacob's is an extraordinary journey, believable and moving.

Warmly recommended. I will never forget this life.

An incredible story of faith and love during a very murderous time in history. The protagonist questions the existence of a God and yet holds on to his faith.

Well, this is my first book review, but I simply had to write this one. I read the Hebrew version of the book and was fascinated with the language, the descriptions and the story.
Isaac does an amazing job of bringing you back there to the time of the 18th century when Jews were killed in Poland and yet managed to build up communities (that later on were demolished and so on).
He describes the people, and makes you feel like you are seeing the entire story unfolding before your very eyes. With every line you become more and more caught up in the story, and that makes this book one book that is very hard to put down. I read it in about 2 days, and would probably read it in one if I could :) .
Anyway, it's an amazing story, story about the power of people, the good and bad and the power of belief...

In "The Slave", Singer presents us with a pious Jewish man (Jacob) who, despite the fact that he has lost his wife and children in a massacre in 1648 Poland, still retains his religious beliefs.

Jacob, after losing his entire family in a slaughter, is sold as a virtual slave to a Polish farmer, where he lives years of his life in a barn. Part of this time he is tended to by the farmers' daughter Wanda, with whom he eventually falls in love. Jacob is a slave to the Polish farmer, and his love for Sarah (name changed from Wanda because of societal pressures) make him a sort of slave also, forcing him to forgo religious convictions which do not permit the marriage of Jews and Gentiles. And for the rest of his life, he and Wanda also must live as virtual slaves to the mores and arbitrary rationales which permeates the country and do not allow the two to live simply as husband and wife. Their love which is one which is not permitted by any of the cultural backgrounds of the time. And because of this, a surreptitious love must take place, making the two of them slaves to societal norms of the times.

In the end, The Slave is a simple story of love, of acknowledging what actions and beliefs of man go against God's will, and of shedding the yoke of slavery and of these societal norms, and in doing what indeed is the will of Providence.

Another masterpiece by Singer.

I could not put this story down. The writing is vivid and engrossing in this compelling story set during an almost barbaric time in Polish history.

The Jewish, Christian, pagan undertones shape the story. The quest for love and happiness send the reader through many years of trials.

Highly recommended.

Book club loved it. We laughed. We cried. So glad we didn't live in 18th century Poland as poor people. Clever and realist portrayal of an individual struggle with temptation. And critical description of man's inhumanity without sparing either side. Read also, "A Day of Pleasure" Singer's memoirs as a boy in Warsaw. Sheds some light.

I know I'm stepping on religious ground. "God" help me! If you're Jewish, this book has appeal. If you're an atheist or even a non-Jew, however, this book is a chronicle of pain, suffering, torture, guilt, hypocritical behavior, and misery. I pretty much hated the story, which I found endlessly repetitive, even though the writing was briliant in places. Typically, I. B. Singer writes with graphic clarity about barbaric behavior that is hard to stomach. The Jewish community isn't immune from such behavior either in the form of envy, hypocrisy, and intolerance. And I'm sure Jews have been tortured, slaughtered, and enslaved during the historic period Singer writes about here. In the end, however, the story confirmed for me the insanity of religion, the inherent animalistic nature of humans, and the endless need to accept each other as we are, warts and all. Humanity has a long long way to go toward creating a civilized world. Perhaps that's what Singer's message was to the world. This story resonates with modern history and with current events, unfortunately.

I stayed all night reading this book, a love story between an enslaved Jew and the gentile daughter of his owner. On the other hand, this book is undeniably a second-rate book. With the exception of the hero/narrator, nearly all of Singer's characters (especially the women) are either unspeakably virtuous and desirable or unspeakably degraded.

A most beautiful, elegant protrayal of life in a time long past when the heart and soul was held in great esteem. Spells are cast and prayers are recited for a love and passion that is stronger than the physical realm.