The Cross and Other Jewish Stories

by Lamed Shapiro, Leah Garrett (Editor)

A riveting collection of controversial tales about violence in the modern world, by an undiscovered Yiddish master

Lamed Shapiro (1878-1948) was the author of groundbreaking and controversial short stories, novellas, and essays. Himself a tragic figure, Shapiro led a life marked by frequent ocean crossings, alcoholism, and failed ventures, yet his writings are models of precision, psychological insight, and daring. Shapiro focuses intently on the nature of violence:  the mob violence of pogroms committed against Jews; the traumatic aftereffects of rape, murder, and powerlessness; the murderous event that transforms the innocent child into witness and the rabbi's son into agitator. Within a society on the move, Shapiro's refugees from the shtetl and the traditional way of life are in desperate search of food, shelter, love, and things of beauty. Remarkably, and against all odds, they sometimes find what they are looking for. More often than not, the climax of their lives is an experience of ineffable terror. This collection also reveals Lamed Shapiro as an American master. His writings depict  the Old World struggling with the New, extremes of human behavior combined with the pursuit of normal  happiness. Through the perceptions of a remarkable gallery of men, women, children—of even animals and plants—Shapiro successfully reclaimed the lost world of the shtetl as he negotiated East Broadway and the Bronx, Union Square, and vaudeville. Both in his life and in his unforgettable writings, Lamed Shapiro personifies the struggle of a modern Jewish artist in search of an always elusive home.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Jewish, Fiction

226 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really excellent collection of short stories translated from Yiddish. Maybe it's because most of the Yiddish stories I read/heard growing up were of the I.B. Singer variety, but I was really struck by how dark and often depressing these stories were. Highly recommended if you want a taste for Yiddish writing that reads more as existential crises than Aesop's Fables.

[Brendan Shusterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was a profound experience for me and I have thought back time and time again on these stories, specifically the first half of this book, which includes his pogrom tales that are both shocking and horrific and in many ways some of the weirdest and most terrifying things I’ve ever read for their sheer honesty and realism. If the first half of this book was ever adapted to film (and it should be) it would cause a good uproar amongst the sorts of people who like to forget History and sugarcoat things. I hope someday Lamed’s stories reach a larger audience, because I think it might do some good in the world. As for the Old World Stories, there are macabre presentations mixed in with delicate beauties, sometimes interchangeable. There is found within here some of weird fiction at its best, in my opinion, and it’s a shame more people do not know about it. The New World stories are a bit more upbeat and even humorous at times, but not without some melancholia mixed in.

If you can get your hands on this hard-to-find book, please do. Its a book more people should read.

[987643467881 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories in Part 1 (Pogrom Tales) all read like the sadomasochistic fantasies of a slightly deranged and deeply disturbed individual (and I don't think that I only got that impression because I was biased by the author's biography in the introduction). In the introduction the editor mentioned that the author hardly ever edited his short stories (as opposed to his essays) and that the final versions were almost exactly the same as the original drafts; based on the impulsive progressions of the stories and the unabashedly raw human emotions expressed, I'm inclined to believe this. Part 1 is basically rape, murder and violence galore. There's no subtlety, no curiosity, no intrigue - it's mostly just raw rage. Despite this (or maybe because of it), part 1 is definitely more memorable other 2 parts of the book (The Old World, The New World). Perhaps some readers it may find it to be cathartic experience.

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lighthearted book. It's full of stories with endings that will make you close the book.

[lifeisjustablurblog]

Read “White Challah”