The Letters of Menakhem-Mendl and Sheyne-Sheyndl and Motl, the Cantor's Son

by Sholom Aleichem

This volume presents an outstanding new translation of two favorite comic novels by the preeminent Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916). "The Letters of Menakhem Mendl and Sheyne Sheyndl" portrays a tumultuous marriage through letters exchanged between the title character, an itinerant bumbler seeking his fortune in the cities of Russia before departing alone for the New World, and his scolding wife, who becomes increasingly fearful, jealous, and mystified. "Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son" is the first-person narrative of a mischievous and keenly observant boy who emigrates with his family from Russia to America. The final third of the story takes place in New York, making this Aleichem's only major work to be set in the United States. Motl and Menakhem Mendl are in one sense opposites: the one a clear-eyed child and the other a pathetically deluded adult. Yet both are ideal conveyors of the comic disparity of perception on which humor depends. If Motl sees more than do others around him, Menakhem Mendl has an almost infinite capacity for seeing less. Aleichem endows each character with an individual comic voice to tell in his own way the story of the collapse of traditional Jewish life in modern industrial society as well as the journey to America, where a new chapter of Jewish history begins. This volume includes a biographical and critical introduction as well as a useful glossary for English language readers.

Genres: Fiction

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Russian-born American humorist Sholem Aleichem or Sholom Aleichem, originally Solomon Rabinowitz, in Yiddish originally wrote stories and plays, the basis for the musical Fiddler on the Roof .

He wrote under the pen name, Hebrew for "peace be upon you."

From 1883, he produced more than forty volumes as a central figure in literature before 1890.

His notable narratives accurately described shtetl life with the naturalness of speech of his characters. Early critics focused on the cheerfulness of the characters, interpreted as a way of coping with adversity. Later critics saw a tragic side. Because of the similar style of the author with the pen name of Mark Twain, people often referred to Aleichem as the Jewish version of Twain. Both authors wrote for adults and children and lectured extensively in Europe and the United States.

Reviews

[david · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a pleasure, you would not know.
This is the guy who wrote ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ or at least the skeleton of it.
Beginning of the nineteenth century. Europe/America.
Pain creates humor.
Intense pain – Intense humor.
Constant, incessant pain and a hurtful society will create the stories I have just consumed.
A page from the book of life can be interpreted in many ways.
Then or now, it was/is not better or worse.
Life is a struggle.
Period.
(but we do what we do with what little we have; without a guidebook and sometimes in opposition to the caprices of Mother Nature. And certainly, without the power of the value we might believe ephemeral erudition recompenses.)

[Madeleine Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I particularly loved the letters between Mendele and Sheindele. They were full of hilarity and displayed the struggles of a married couple living apart with completely different mindsets and focuses. Yiddish lovers. A must read!

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two cute and amusing stories.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best kind of humor. Clever satire. The letters of menachem are incredibly silly with the character never learning from his mistakes, being gullible and always putting faith in strangers.
I love the tale of a 9 year old in Motl's story. Also holds clever satire with continual family troubles.
In both stories there includes amounts of traveling and even amounts of American History. Cool stuff

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked both, but my favorite between the two is "Motl, the Cantor's Son".

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s something magical about exchanging letters. Having had penpals for the last ten years, I’m always captivated by this intimate method of communication- which is why I picked up The Letters of Menakhem-Mendl and Sheyne-Sheyndl and Motl, the Cantor’s Son during my visit to NetGalley. Boy, was I startled when I found out that this book was published in 2002.

Personally, I have an ambivalence feeling with this book. The bad news is that there’s hardly any action in this book. I was basically yawning through the letters exchanged between the title characters. The good news? It gets riveting during the first-person narrative of Motl, Peysi the Cantor’s Son. There are holes in the plot, but I find The Letters of Menakhem-Mendl and Sheyne-Sheyndl and Motl, the Cantor’s Son to be intellectually invigorating.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange of my honest review through NetGalley.

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories in this book would have been amusing 20-page short stories- but as novels, they are just repetitive enough to be tedious.