The World According to Itzik: Selected Poetry and Prose

by Itzik Manger, Leonard Wolf (Editor)

In the years between 1929 and 1939, when Itzik Manger wrote most of the poetry and fiction that made him famous, his name among Yiddish readers was a household word. Called the Shelley of Yiddish, he was characterized as being "drunk with talent." This book-the first full-length anthology of Manger's work-displays the full range of his genius in poetry, fiction, and criticism. The book begins with an extensive historical, biographical, and literary-critical introduction to Manger's work. There are then excerpts from a novel, The Book of Paradise, three short stories, autobiographical essays, critical essays, and finally, Manger's magnificent poetry-ballads, bible poems, personal lyrics, and the Megilla Songs. These works, which have the patina of myths acquired ages ago, also offer modern psychological insight and irrepressible humor. With Manger we make the leap into the Jewish twentieth century, as he recreates the past in all its layered expressiveness and interprets it with modernist sensibilities.

Genres: Poetry, Romanian Literature

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Manger was born in Czernowitz, in Austria-Hungary. He lived in Romania, Poland, France, England and finally in Israel where he died in 1969.

http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/war...

Reviews

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A selection of poems and prose written in 1939, this translation was published in 1965, although I think a fresh translation would breathe new life into these works. I was most taken with his writings on the great Sholem Alechem.

[Erika Dreifus]

Technically, I didn't really "finish" this book. I read through the extensive introduction and the poetry section, but surrendered the book to the library before I could make it through the "prose." Very glad that I read what I did, but it was time to move on!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finely attuned poetry of religion.