Jewish Literature

Philip Roth’s “The Counterlife:” A Five-Part Adventure

Philip Roth's "The Counterlife" explores contradictory realities through its protagonist, Nathan Zuckerman.

Excerpt: “King of the Jews” by Leslie Epstein (1979)

Leslie Epstein's controversial novel explores Jewish power dynamics in the Lodz Ghetto.

Vasily Grossman’s “Life and Fate:” A Journalist’s Retelling of the Horrors of World War II

"Life and Fate" brings the reader to World War II-era Russia, where the novel was written.

Excerpt: Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman (1960)

Vassily Grossman's "Life and Fate" was smuggled out of Stalinist Russia, where it takes place.

Bernard Malamud’s “The Assistant:” A Jewish Struggle for an Ethical Life

Bernard Malamud's "The Assistant" explores Jewish identity in Depression-era Brooklyn.

Clarice Lispector’s “Near to the Wild Heart:” A ‘Lush and Lucid’ First Novel

"Near to the Wild Heart" combines Lispector's Brazilian and Jewish roots into a modern masterpiece.

Excerpt: The Family Mashber by Der Nister (1939)

The first pages of "The Family Mashber" set the stage for what's to come. Take a look.

Der Nister’s “The Family Mashber:”A Perspective on Jewish Life in 1800s Europe

"The Family Mashber" is one of the greatest works of Yiddish literature.

Excerpt: Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska (1925)

Anzia Yezierska's book explores the early 20th-century immigrant experience, and women's place in it.

Anzia Yezierska’s “Bread Givers:” A Lens on the Beehive of the Lower East Side

In "Bread Givers," her 1925 novel, Anzia Yezierska explored a world of pushcarts and tenements.

Jewish Children’s Books Quiz

How closely have you been reading these great Jewish kid's books?