Two Jews on a Train: Stories from the Old Country and the New

by Adam Biro, Catherine Tihanyi (Translation)

"Somewhere between Isaac Bashevis Singer and Morey Amsterdam."— Kirkus Reviews

Two Jews were on a "All Eastern European Jewish jokes start this way, or almost," says Adam Biro, who has assembled this rich volume of such stories, tales in which—thanks to a masterful translation by Catherine Tihanyi—we can hear the voices of generations using humor to teach about the delicacy, anguish, and unpredictability of life itself.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Jewish, Religion

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously with the two Jews finding each other on the trains, the journey is more important than the destination. In each of these extended shaggy dog tales featuring European Jews from the last 150 years, the telling is way more important than the punchlines which are of varying degrees of funny.

There is a familiarity to both the cadence and the content of these stories which may or may not be related to having heard the stories before. The voices are familiar, the shrugging acceptance of less than optimal circumstances, recognizable. The characters here wrestle with identity, good and bad fortune, even with God. Perfectly charming.

[Elias Mendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny wry look at the joys and torments of the diaspora, from the schtetl to the golf course. occasionally steeped in some slightly eye rolling gender roles etc

a Jews home is the road

also a beautiful point about lovers not fighting the end of the world and accepting it

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

So smart and funny, rivaling even Sedaris, while given honest insight into Jewish culture, spiritual and social duty, and self-image. This is a great read!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful if you know some German, French, Hungarian and Yiddish, but wryly funny and tinged with melancholy in any case. A very erudite little book!

[Jj Burch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since this seems to be the week I am embracing my inner-Jewishness, this books feels like it's letting me in on a secret. Sometimes I didn't get the joke, but other times I laughed out loud. Cute and timely.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

delightful

[Sadie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't hold my interest.

[May Koliander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories and a lot of humour.