Filled with princesses and witches, dybbuks and wonder-working rebbes, the two hundred marvelous tales that make up this delightful compendium were gathered during the 1920s and 1930s by ethnographers in the small towns and villages of Eastern Europe. Collected from people of all walks of life, they include parables and allegories about life, luck, and wisdom; tales of magic and wonder; stories about rebbes and their disciples; and tales whose only purpose is to entertain. Long after the culture that produced them has disappeared, these enchanting Yiddish folktales continue to work their magic today.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The repetitive nature, didacticism and brevity (some are a mere paragraph long) of its tales limits the appeal of this newest volume in Pantheon's Fairy Tale and Folklore Library; it has considerable value as a reference tool but not as an absorbing collection of short stories. Weinreich, a research associate at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York, culls from YIVO's archives 178 examples of moral allegories, religious stories with ethical messages, children's, fairy and humorous tales, and legends of saints, villains and supernatural demons. Much here has a Jewish flavor: rabbis and Elijah the Prophet people stories set on Passover, Sukkoth or the Sabbath. But one is also struck by the similarity of many of these tales to those gathered by the Brothers Grimmreaders will wish for greater documentation of dates and sources and more analytical material comparing this work and its elements to others in the folklore genre, as well as discussing its place in Yiddish literature. (Nov).
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
"As host of the National Public Radio series Jewish Short Stories from Eastern Europe and Beyond, I had the opportunity to rediscover the joys of Yiddish literature. Many of the translations that we used were taken from Schocken's excellent Library of Yiddish Classics--a series that brings together a body of work that is very much alive and continues to dazzle us with its brilliance, wit, and humanity."
--Leonard Nimoy
"Filled with homey Eastern European Yiddish truths refracted through the colorful prism of fantasy and fancy, Yiddish Folktales evokes the vitality of a distant yet immediate realm, and thus re-creates it."
--The New York Times Book Review
"This gem of a collections open a breathtaking vista upon a vibrant world now lost to us."
--Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, New York University
--Leonard Nimoy
"Filled with homey Eastern European Yiddish truths refracted through the colorful prism of fantasy and fancy, Yiddish Folktales evokes the vitality of a distant yet immediate realm, and thus re-creates it."
--The New York Times Book Review
"This gem of a collections open a breathtaking vista upon a vibrant world now lost to us."
--Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, New York University
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Seemingly simple folktales with a deeper meaning,
By A Customer
This review is from: Yiddish Folktales (Library of Yiddish Classics) (Paperback)
This book is a treasury of Yiddish folktales just like my grandfather used to tell us. They seem simple and obvious at times but they always contain a deeper interpretation when considered through the eyes of our ancestors and their concerns. The tales are thought provoking at times and humorous at others. My only wish is that there were more allegorical tales which are my favorite, also, it might be nice to have a little author commentary on the origins and meaning of each or even just the major lessons. The artwork- jewish folk art is also beautiful and fitting. Altogether a great book for bedtime stories!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Would make excellent bedtime stories for children,
By
This review is from: Yiddish Folktales (Library of Yiddish Classics) (Paperback)
This is a great read. Many tales have similarities to standard fairytales, but they have a wonderful richness not found in the usual blanded-down stories. The book has 178 stories, some as short as a half-page, so it's also great if you only have short snippets of time. My husband and I enjoyed this book for ourselves, and will definitely read these tales to our future children. I cannot recommend this more strongly
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