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does anyone know how to speak directly to a moderator my posts never seem to go thro
I would recommend the frum novelist Herman Wouk’s three works of historical fiction set in and around World War II: *The Caine Mutiny*, *The Winds of War*, and *War and Remembrance. (The first is not Jewish-themed.) Wouk also wrote two great non-fiction books about Judaism, *This Is My God*, and *The Will to Live on: Reclaiming the Jewish Heritage*.
Hi Balanced, what did your mother consider to be Jewish books by Jewish authors? I suppose I was lucky, and my mother had a very wide definition of what was a Jewish book.
As a teenager, I read the epic novels of I.J. Singer (Israel Joseph Singer, elder brother of Isaac Bashevis Singer), with his sweeping histories of generations of Jewish families in Europe, and eventually America. The engrossing stories had extraordinarily vivid characters linked with their historical and socioeconomic settings. I recall “The Brothers Ashkenazi” and “The Family Carnovsky,” in particular. At the time of their writing, they were serialized in the Jewish Daily Forward and were extremely popular. When you finished one of these large novels, you felt like you had known and been part of the family, and I was always sorry to have to leave the characters at “The End.”
Not sure that most here would consider these Jewish books, and they may not be modest enough for general consumption, but they brought history alive, were never predictable, had wonderfully bad and delightfully bad characters, and were written by a first-rate talent. They start out in the shtetls or cities of Europe, and end up in America: you feel as if you made the trip with them.
It’s been over 35 years since I read these books, and they made a lasting impression on me. I also enjoyed them immensely during the weeks or months they took to read.
Some other favorites, that I would consider great Jewish literature:
1. Exodus, by Leon Uris.
2. City Boy, by Herman Wouk
3. Hope and Glory (two books) by Herman Wouk
I’m a big fan of Yair Weinstock. Although I generally stopped reading novels, I find his books a work of art, & the plots fascinating – you always end up with surprises, and there’s a lot of extra knowledge thrown in so I always learn something new.
It takes talent to write what ‘just anybody’ can’t.
Willi, I remember reading The Gordian Knot. That first third was amazing… and then it turned typical thriller on you. His full length fiction novels are fine escapism, and his story collections are a wonderful contribution, but it’s not what I think people here are hoping to cultivate.
charliehall- thanks for the recommendations
ronrsr – my mother wanted me to read books by frum authors. but she didnt stop me from going to the library (i guess she realized kids need an outlet and better one you know about than one you dont)and by the time she tried convincing me i was already reading books far more advanced than the avg. jewish book so it was a lost cause.
the truth is its dangerous bec most books arent so clean and it was hard to part w reading, which i did for the most part in my first years of bais medrash
Has anyone read Susie Garber’s book, “Denver Dreams”? She is a frum woman, with degrees from Columbia University in writing (she has also authored books on teaching writing skills). Which is to say that there are frum people who can write. In English, not Yeshivshe.
As somebody mentioned, “Sun Inside Rain” is also an amazing book, but IMO it’s a jewishized typical romance novel.
Awomanoutsidebrooklyn, I had issues with that book. I don’t want to say much. There was one anachronism, a character having a cell phone in the eighties. I don’t remember the eighties that way.
I only mention that so that if there are future printings, they can rewrite that bit.
Actually, there were cell phones in the 80s. I remember them. They were big and bulky.
I sit corrected. I remember car phones but not cell phones. Did they fit easily into pockets?
i know everyone is saying there is no decent orthodox books. but i thinks avner gold is amazing.
Did they fit easily into pockets?
Not even close! They were huge! I remember one guy who had one of the first ones. It was about the size of a briefcase.
Cell phones (and more importantly) cellular networks were available in the US from the early ’80s.
Here’s a photo of a very popular cell phone from 1983, the Motorola Dynatac:
It’s pretty big. you probably remember it.
It was used mostly as a car phone, since the FCC limited its power outside of the car. If memory serves, the transmitter could be up to three watts in a car, but about 1/5 of that outside of a car.
They didn’t really become very popularly priced until the 90’s though.
i have a GREAT idea for a jewish novel…how about, a kolel guy who somehow gets involved in a plot with the FBI…CIA…NSA…DOD…KGB…MI6…MI5…GSS…MOSSAD…COS…DCPJ…ASIS…FSB…INTERPOL…BND…CSIS and a few others…and he holds a piece of kugel in which is a piece of pepper that is really a microfil containing the identity of the man who really shot kennedy…and somehow his rosh yeshiva comes in at the last minute on a private jet, and figures it all out based on a goral hagra…sounds good?:D:D:D
Bombmaniac, I feel like I read that one already.
lol yair weinstock much…?
oomis1105; You know him TOO?!!!
haifagirl; Thanks, I tried to make a valid point though! 🙂
ronrsr; Neither! His cousin once removed originally from the U.S. he made an aliyah
to be more adventurous, for the book of course!
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