The Song of Songs [Hardcover]

Sholom Aleichem (Author), Devis Grebu (Illustrator), Curt Leviant (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 1996

The Jewish gift book of the year! Never before issued as a complete novella in English, this is Sholom Aleichem's elliptical tale of a love that cannot be, exquisitely rendered by the world's leading translator of the Yiddish master--and beautifully illustrated by an award-winning artist. 15 watercolors.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

An illustrated gift edition of a previously untranslated novella (written in 190911) by the beloved Yiddish master (The Bloody Hoax, 1992, etc.), whose matchless feel for the fabric of his culture is brilliantly displayed even in this deliberately simple story. It's the tale, told by himself, of young Shimek's helpless forbidden love for his beautiful niece Esther (``Buzie''), the daughter of his dead older brother. The pair are raised as brother and sister, and so Shimek's veiled declarations of love (using the complex language of the biblical Song of Songs) are interpreted by all as simple fraternal affection. Afraid to unburden himself, he leaves his village to pursue a career as a scholar and finds, years afterward, that he can return neither to the bosom of his family nor even to innocent intimacy with the ``enchanted princess'' of his youthful dreams. The story is very slight and, by any rational standard, very minor Aleichem. It's also irresistible. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Yiddish

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 4, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684814862
• ISBN-13: 978-0684814865
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,068,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Song of Songs, July 22, 2008

By 

Alvena (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of Songs (Hardcover)

This short book really touched me the first time I read it, and I wasn't really sure why. Something about the way a beautiful, tragic love story is intertwined with the verses of the Biblical Song of Songs and full-page illustrations. They say Sholom Aleichem wrote much bigger, more important works than this, and he did, but the simplicity, the poignancy, the grace of this slim volume is something unique which will always have a value all its own. Highly recommended.