What do you think?
Rate this book
孟納生的夢
本書裡的故事，基本上並不分是給大人或是小孩看的。每個故事的精神和對世界的憧憬都不變，甚至是以相同的村子或城鎮為背景，有著猶太人的特殊影像和等質。
《孟納生的夢》裡的那座「萬物不滅之城」，也正是本書作者，諾貝爾文學獎得主以撒．辛格對文學的隱喻。
《孟納生的夢》裡的那座「萬物不滅之城」，也正是本書作者，諾貝爾文學獎得主以撒．辛格對文學的隱喻。
135 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
5 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Bashevis Singer
547 books1,113 followersIsaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish American author of Jewish descent, noted for his short stories. He was one of the leading figures in the Yiddish literary movement, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.
His memoir, "A Day Of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw", won the U.S. National Book Award in Children's Literature in 1970, while his collection "A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories" won the U.S. National Book Award in Fiction in 1974.
His memoir, "A Day Of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw", won the U.S. National Book Award in Children's Literature in 1970, while his collection "A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories" won the U.S. National Book Award in Fiction in 1974.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 5, 2009
I woke in the middle of the night, thinking about this book, and how much my son would love it. He does. And now I love it more.
January 27, 2025
i was giggling
July 9, 2019
All the flavor of that time.
Reading a few reviews, I see that some people have no frame of reference for this.
Ah, to go back and get much more of that flavor from my parents! And more facts and information would be good too.
Some similarities with Russian folk tales -- clear stereotypes, high levels of cleverness and none at all. (more, I'm sure)
Reading a few reviews, I see that some people have no frame of reference for this.
Ah, to go back and get much more of that flavor from my parents! And more facts and information would be good too.
Some similarities with Russian folk tales -- clear stereotypes, high levels of cleverness and none at all. (more, I'm sure)
September 23, 2017
Solid, well-illustrated book of Yiddish tales, partly original, partly from the oral tradition. I prefer it slightly over Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories because the stories have more purpose and focus.
My favorite out of the collection is "Shrewd Todie and Lyzer the Miser," but I'm not so sure about using it instructionally. One Jewish character is greedy, and the other is a fraud. Not exactly fighting the stereotype, there. "Utzel and his daughter Poverty" or the title story would be better choices.
My favorite out of the collection is "Shrewd Todie and Lyzer the Miser," but I'm not so sure about using it instructionally. One Jewish character is greedy, and the other is a fraud. Not exactly fighting the stereotype, there. "Utzel and his daughter Poverty" or the title story would be better choices.
July 16, 2022
Very enjoyable. I don't think I had ever read this before. There are original tales as well as retellings and both are excellent. I think this would work well as a read-aloud, though I would be even keener to find an audio version done by someone who could pull off the appropriate accent.
August 22, 2011
"In our time, when literature is losing its address and the telling of stories is becoming a forgotten art, children are the best readers."
—When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw & Other Stories, from the Foreward
I have to admit, Isaac Bashevis Singer really has a way with folk tale humor. His shlemiels do such comically absurd things that it will make anyone laugh, and in doing so the author has achieved the rarity of a book with comedic appeal to readers of any age or background. Most of the vignettes included in When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw and Other Stories have their roots in Isaac Bashevis Singer's Yiddish culture, and seem nearly unique in the way that they portray most of the main characters as unbelievable fools, yet still deliver a relevant message about human nature and life as we know it.
Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the Miser, the first story in this collection, is one of those "just desserts" tales of retribution about the poor but crafty man getting one over on the wealthy but penurious neighbor whom everyone has been waiting for years to see get knocked down a peg. Todie isn't your typical hero, being incurably lazy himself, but he gets the job done. Tsirtsur & Peziza is a short but effective fable about an imp and a cricket who live in what is essentially a hole in the wall, and what happens when their world is turned upside down one day as they are forced to evacuate the home they've always known. The story allegorically demonstrates that perceived safety can actually be a negative thing when it inhibits healthy risk taking and personal growth, and Tsirtsur and Peziza are the living objects for this lesson. All told, I would argue that this is probably the second-best story in the book.
Rabbi Leib & the Witch Cunegunde is another tale with a definite moral. This one concerns the triumph of good over evil when a person on the side of good is willing to use smart trickery to achieve victory. The Elders of Chelm & Gendel's Key returns us to a world of pure but entertaining nonsense, as the town elders of Chelm prove time and again that their buffoonery is the stuff of legend. Picking up where that one left off is Shlemiel, the Businessman, which relates the story of the ways that simpleminded Shlemiel gets tricked out of his money again and again, and how no one in his village can figure out what's actually happening (remember, this is still Chelm we're talking about, so it's not a town populated by geniuses).
Switching back to a moral fable, Utzel & His Daughter Poverty tells the tale of a lazy man and his daughter as they come to learn something about the connection between hard work and personal success. This is probably the story that has the most obvious fantasy elements to it, but the lesson to be learned is very real and grounded firmly in common sense. I'd have to say that Menaseh's Dream, which comes up next, has to be the finest story of the entire lot. Twelve-year-old Menaseh, who has lost his parents and grandfather to death at a young age, is visited by a dream that gives him a glimpse of his future. He's even able to see his parents and grandfather for a few moments during the dream, and they assure him that he will join them one day, but that he must complete a long and difficult journey first. Menaseh awakens from his vision and is met by an unmistakable sign that what he experienced was more than just a dream, and it's enough to give him hope for his future. The story's emotion is played lightly, but the depth of its meaning still outshines that of the other tales, in my opinion.
For the finale, we have the one we all were waiting to read, When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw. Back we go to Chelm, where Shlemiel has now decided that he needs to get out and see the world on his own, without his wife and kids. On his way to Warsaw, a prankster turns Shlemiel's shoes around at night so that when he puts them on in the morning he unwittingly (which seems to happen a lot) travels back to Chelm. Shlemiel is dumbfounded (again, a common occurrence) to have somehow ended up back in Chelm, and draws the conclusion that there must be a second village called Chelm exactly like his own, populated with people who look and act exactly like the neighbors he's always known. So what is he to do when his "family" approaches him in this alternate Chelm, and expects him to be their husband and father?
Whether funny or thoughtful, each of the short stories told by Isaac Bashevis Singer in this book has its own distinct merit, and are well worth reading for anyone interested in stories that offer a sense of culture, a lot of quirky humor and a vivid object lesson or two. When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw & Other Stories is a book both entertaining and enlightening, and I definitely had fun with it. I hope that other readers do, too. I would rate it at two and a half stars.
—When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw & Other Stories, from the Foreward
I have to admit, Isaac Bashevis Singer really has a way with folk tale humor. His shlemiels do such comically absurd things that it will make anyone laugh, and in doing so the author has achieved the rarity of a book with comedic appeal to readers of any age or background. Most of the vignettes included in When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw and Other Stories have their roots in Isaac Bashevis Singer's Yiddish culture, and seem nearly unique in the way that they portray most of the main characters as unbelievable fools, yet still deliver a relevant message about human nature and life as we know it.
Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the Miser, the first story in this collection, is one of those "just desserts" tales of retribution about the poor but crafty man getting one over on the wealthy but penurious neighbor whom everyone has been waiting for years to see get knocked down a peg. Todie isn't your typical hero, being incurably lazy himself, but he gets the job done. Tsirtsur & Peziza is a short but effective fable about an imp and a cricket who live in what is essentially a hole in the wall, and what happens when their world is turned upside down one day as they are forced to evacuate the home they've always known. The story allegorically demonstrates that perceived safety can actually be a negative thing when it inhibits healthy risk taking and personal growth, and Tsirtsur and Peziza are the living objects for this lesson. All told, I would argue that this is probably the second-best story in the book.
Rabbi Leib & the Witch Cunegunde is another tale with a definite moral. This one concerns the triumph of good over evil when a person on the side of good is willing to use smart trickery to achieve victory. The Elders of Chelm & Gendel's Key returns us to a world of pure but entertaining nonsense, as the town elders of Chelm prove time and again that their buffoonery is the stuff of legend. Picking up where that one left off is Shlemiel, the Businessman, which relates the story of the ways that simpleminded Shlemiel gets tricked out of his money again and again, and how no one in his village can figure out what's actually happening (remember, this is still Chelm we're talking about, so it's not a town populated by geniuses).
Switching back to a moral fable, Utzel & His Daughter Poverty tells the tale of a lazy man and his daughter as they come to learn something about the connection between hard work and personal success. This is probably the story that has the most obvious fantasy elements to it, but the lesson to be learned is very real and grounded firmly in common sense. I'd have to say that Menaseh's Dream, which comes up next, has to be the finest story of the entire lot. Twelve-year-old Menaseh, who has lost his parents and grandfather to death at a young age, is visited by a dream that gives him a glimpse of his future. He's even able to see his parents and grandfather for a few moments during the dream, and they assure him that he will join them one day, but that he must complete a long and difficult journey first. Menaseh awakens from his vision and is met by an unmistakable sign that what he experienced was more than just a dream, and it's enough to give him hope for his future. The story's emotion is played lightly, but the depth of its meaning still outshines that of the other tales, in my opinion.
For the finale, we have the one we all were waiting to read, When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw. Back we go to Chelm, where Shlemiel has now decided that he needs to get out and see the world on his own, without his wife and kids. On his way to Warsaw, a prankster turns Shlemiel's shoes around at night so that when he puts them on in the morning he unwittingly (which seems to happen a lot) travels back to Chelm. Shlemiel is dumbfounded (again, a common occurrence) to have somehow ended up back in Chelm, and draws the conclusion that there must be a second village called Chelm exactly like his own, populated with people who look and act exactly like the neighbors he's always known. So what is he to do when his "family" approaches him in this alternate Chelm, and expects him to be their husband and father?
Whether funny or thoughtful, each of the short stories told by Isaac Bashevis Singer in this book has its own distinct merit, and are well worth reading for anyone interested in stories that offer a sense of culture, a lot of quirky humor and a vivid object lesson or two. When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw & Other Stories is a book both entertaining and enlightening, and I definitely had fun with it. I hope that other readers do, too. I would rate it at two and a half stars.
January 6, 2025
Un libro interesante para relajarse que encontré en mi casa de casualidad. Muy bueno para matar el tiempo :)
December 10, 2013
When Shlemiel Went To Warsaw is a book on eight world war stories based on traditional Jewish tales. Written by one of the great story tellers of out time. The book has Zemach’s illustraion’s to keep the readers wanting to see more.
I think the important part the author is trying to say or immolate is how traditional Jewish tales are very interesting and very personal and close to her because her mother and grandmother used to read the exact stories to her when she was a child. Now she tells them in her own way.
I couldnt really connect with the stories because firstly i don’t like traditional tales or tales at all and secondly there was nothing in the book that related to me or my life.
The author wrote in her own way the stories that where told to her and passed down by her mother and grandmother about traditional Jewish folktale. Which she dedicated to her mother and father who where enthusiastic storytellers.
In conclusion i didn’t really enjoy the book and felt like i chose the wrong book to read. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy reading traditional tales probably from the age of 12 and above.
I think the important part the author is trying to say or immolate is how traditional Jewish tales are very interesting and very personal and close to her because her mother and grandmother used to read the exact stories to her when she was a child. Now she tells them in her own way.
I couldnt really connect with the stories because firstly i don’t like traditional tales or tales at all and secondly there was nothing in the book that related to me or my life.
The author wrote in her own way the stories that where told to her and passed down by her mother and grandmother about traditional Jewish folktale. Which she dedicated to her mother and father who where enthusiastic storytellers.
In conclusion i didn’t really enjoy the book and felt like i chose the wrong book to read. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy reading traditional tales probably from the age of 12 and above.
April 2, 2015
I thought that this book was dumb. Some of the stories maybe deserved 3 stars - maybe. Most did not.
A lot of these stories are about people being stupid. No real morals come about; I think it is to make little kids laugh as you read it to them. Just not my style.
A lot of these stories are about people being stupid. No real morals come about; I think it is to make little kids laugh as you read it to them. Just not my style.
March 15, 2021
I chuckled at a couple of stories, but am not sure why the Committee chose it as a Newbery Honor book. A knowledge of the Jewish religion is a definite plus in understanding the stories and the humor.
August 1, 2015
The stories were quietly entertaining.
Read
June 11, 2019Please, Mr. Singer... just write women as people... just do that and I would have been able to fully enjoy this book....
(Otherwise really fun stories! Recognized some of them, too.)
(Otherwise really fun stories! Recognized some of them, too.)
March 10, 2021
From my comment for the discussion in the Children's Books group:
Again, like last year's honor book by Singer, not to my taste... and I don't understand the appeal to either the Committee or to children. I'm not particularly enamored with tales of the fools of Chelm, or with the others that kinda resembled parables.
The jacket of the edition that I read on openlibrary claims that they have universal appeal, but I do think that children raised with Jewish heritage would appreciate them more.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Again, like last year's honor book by Singer, not to my taste... and I don't understand the appeal to either the Committee or to children. I'm not particularly enamored with tales of the fools of Chelm, or with the others that kinda resembled parables.
The jacket of the edition that I read on openlibrary claims that they have universal appeal, but I do think that children raised with Jewish heritage would appreciate them more.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
February 15, 2020
Libro de cuentos de 113 páginas, donde Singer, de origen polaco, que huyó a EEUU en 1935, nunca dejó de contar en yidish leyendas y folclore de los judíos polacos de su juventud. En la mayoría de sus cuentos el marco es la aldea inventada de Chelm y su protagonista es Shlemel.
Lo que más me gusta de este segundo libro que leo de Singer, es la forma tan curiosa que tiene que plasmar la lógica de los habitantes de Chelm. Que si bien para un lector adulto parecen todos tontos, para un niño todas las decisiones que toman serían las más lógicas del mundo. De ahí que de la vitalidad de sus cuentos podamos disfrutar tanto con una sonrisa los adultos, como con hermosos ojos abiertos de sorpresa, los niños. Os lo recomiendo sobretodo para leer en compañía.
Lo que más me gusta de este segundo libro que leo de Singer, es la forma tan curiosa que tiene que plasmar la lógica de los habitantes de Chelm. Que si bien para un lector adulto parecen todos tontos, para un niño todas las decisiones que toman serían las más lógicas del mundo. De ahí que de la vitalidad de sus cuentos podamos disfrutar tanto con una sonrisa los adultos, como con hermosos ojos abiertos de sorpresa, los niños. Os lo recomiendo sobretodo para leer en compañía.
February 11, 2020
Esperaba más de un nobel, la neta. Me encontré el libro en mi casa y cuando vi que era de un escritor tan reconocido decidí leerlo (aunque ya lo había leído de niño). La verdad se me hizo medio equis. Muy folklórico pero sin climax, ni mucha intensión de narrar. Lo que sí es el poder arquetípico de los cuentos que rescata. Pero nada como lectura, me quedó debiendo.
December 24, 2024
Klassieke Joodse Oost-Europese kinder en volksverhalen. In Singer's voorwoord staat: In onze tijd (1968) , nu de literatuur steeds minder aanspreekt en het vertellen van verhalen een vergeten kunst wordt, zijn kinderen de beste lezers. Zou hij nu 2024 terug moeten komen kijken, dan zouden de jaren '60 de gouden jaren lijken voor de uitgeverswereld.
September 28, 2017
This is a fun collection of stories for adults as much as young readers. There are a few real gems in the collection, several good tales, and a couple that just aren't that good. But overall this was a pleasure to read.
November 8, 2022
Newbery really had a moment with this author and his folktales. This one was cute, I really liked the one about the cricket and the imp/demon. The others were okay, that's the one that stood out, possibly because it was one of the few not about Shlemiel.
February 5, 2024
This collection of eight stories demonstrates Singer's magic. Tales of foolishness run amok, but ending in happiness for all, of demons and imps, of misunderstandings and their ramifications...fantastic.
November 4, 2017
Fun book of classic Jewish folktales
May 16, 2021
I always enjoy reading lore that I hadn't heard before. Singer's tales are filled with amusing fools, bunglers, and dreamers.
July 27, 2022
Drole
November 20, 2022
This collection of stories has its ups and downs. It doesn't stand out to me among his other story collections, but I enjoyed the stories and got a piece of the culture of a Polish Jewish village.
January 14, 2023
2.5. This book was hit or miss for me. My favorite story was Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the Miser.
February 3, 2024
I enjoyed this! The story about the imp and the cricket I could totally see being turned into a Miyazaki film.
July 9, 2025
Wonderful collection of stories by this author; each one has an interesting twist which will keep readers engaged. Fun for readers of all ages.
May 31, 2013
“The Foolish Foibles of Folks from Chelm”
These 8 little tales, reflecting life in a Jewish village in Poland, are lighthearted spoofs on simpletons, as well as the respected Elders of Chelm. They even include a fable about an unlikely pair of friends--a cricket and an imp. We witness both harmless pranks and dishonest cheats; delusions and dreams factor in as well. The witch Cunegonde wages war on a wise rabbi (the eternal struggle between Good and Evil), and we witness the trials of a poor girl with no dowry or beau. Married life is satirized, while the value of hard work (or at least honest labor) is praised. Stinginess and Laziness are ridiculed. Typical peasant fare—which applies to human nature thew world over.
The word “Shlemiel” means a simpleton--a naïve fellow, in
Yiddish. But sometimes even a fool can outwit another fool and
once in a while a fool may actually stumble into a good deal. Cute fluff for readers 12 and up, offering universal appeal.
(March 30, 2013. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
These 8 little tales, reflecting life in a Jewish village in Poland, are lighthearted spoofs on simpletons, as well as the respected Elders of Chelm. They even include a fable about an unlikely pair of friends--a cricket and an imp. We witness both harmless pranks and dishonest cheats; delusions and dreams factor in as well. The witch Cunegonde wages war on a wise rabbi (the eternal struggle between Good and Evil), and we witness the trials of a poor girl with no dowry or beau. Married life is satirized, while the value of hard work (or at least honest labor) is praised. Stinginess and Laziness are ridiculed. Typical peasant fare—which applies to human nature thew world over.
The word “Shlemiel” means a simpleton--a naïve fellow, in
Yiddish. But sometimes even a fool can outwit another fool and
once in a while a fool may actually stumble into a good deal. Cute fluff for readers 12 and up, offering universal appeal.
(March 30, 2013. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
December 12, 2015
I didn't know anything about this book before encountering the title in the Children's Authors card game, but I'm glad I did.
Shlemiel's stories (three in this collection) are amusing to read, conveying life lessons even as they are ridiculous, and I found myself wishing I could share these stories with slightly younger children. I liked the other stories, which Singer claimed his mother told him and he reworked, but not all of the stories were equally pleasing. The story of Utzel and his daughter Poverty and the story of the imps and the crickets seemed more heavy-handed as stories with morals and no real adventure or charm, like the other stories.
Shlemiel's stories (three in this collection) are amusing to read, conveying life lessons even as they are ridiculous, and I found myself wishing I could share these stories with slightly younger children. I liked the other stories, which Singer claimed his mother told him and he reworked, but not all of the stories were equally pleasing. The story of Utzel and his daughter Poverty and the story of the imps and the crickets seemed more heavy-handed as stories with morals and no real adventure or charm, like the other stories.
March 9, 2023
Una serie de cuentos con todas las características de los cuentos: la realidad fantástica campa a sus anchas y la gente no usa la lógica tal y como la concebimos, creando una absurdidad que te hace reir. Hay de todo: cuentos con moraleja, cuentos sobre que el bien vence al mal y otros que simplemente son disparatados.
Resulta un libro interesante sobre todo por la obvia ambientación judía. El autor quería hacer honor a sus raíces y recoger su tradición oral y cultura, muy similar a la del resto de Europa, pero, a la vez, con algunas notas características que la hacen distinguible.
Resulta un libro interesante sobre todo por la obvia ambientación judía. El autor quería hacer honor a sus raíces y recoger su tradición oral y cultura, muy similar a la del resto de Europa, pero, a la vez, con algunas notas características que la hacen distinguible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews