Opgang: An MLA Text Edition (MLA Texts and Translations)

by Dovid Bergelson

Descent, published in 1920, describes the complex Jewish life of Russia and Ukraine through the turbulent period leading up to the October Revolution of 1917: the emptiness of bourgeois values, the rise of secularism, the rejection of old traditions, the alienation of intellectuals, and the attempt of different generations to find a place for themselves inside and out of the shtetl.

The novella centers on the mystery of the suicide of a young pharmacist in Rakitne, a provincial town. Did his death have anything to do with the two women who loved him? Was it the result of despair or an act of protest? And if protest, against what? His old friend seeks answers but finds none. The prose is immaculately crafted, the narrative indirect, and the mood poignant, dark, and disquieting.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

Dovid Bergelson (12 August 1884 – 12 August 1952) was a Yiddish language writer. Ukrainian-born, he lived for a time in Berlin, Germany. He moved back to the Soviet Union when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. He was ultimately executed during an antisemitic campaign against "rootless cosmopolitans".

Bergelson is best remembered for his moody, Yiddish fiction set in turn-of-the-century Europe. In a series of novels and short stories, Bergelson explores the social and psychological worlds of European Jews: his early work deplores the loss of commitment in the shtetl, or village, while his later work promotes the possibilities of Communism.

Reviews

[Jonathan W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Descent is a difficult novel to read and is deserving of multiple close readings. The central character is dead by the first page. The book is highly enigmatic and the barely perceptible clues into Meylekh's suicide do not give a concrete insight into his motivations. Although the novel is mainly concerned with romantic relationships (Meylekh and his three women, Khave and the school teacher, Khaim-Moyshe and Hanke), there is also a strong narrative about the destruction of the previous social order, the role of wealth and capital and alienation. Meylek's suicide is a protest against the stagnant political, economic and social order, not simply the actions of a young man in a complicated romantic situation. The bleak depictions of romance and social/political/economic life are particularly relevant in light of the world-wide recession, impotent governments, social alienation and "occupy" movements.

[BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read this book as part of the Winter Challenge of 'The Netherlands and Flanders' group, please see http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1... (message 68) for a review in Dutch.