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I’ve enjoyed the series very much. I wonder how much of the stories are original and how much is inserted Leshem psychology. It seems to me that every father/Menahel/Rebbe/bike repairman speaks with Chaim Walder’s voice.
Since it wasn’t stressed, I wonder if the connection in Our Heroes is his own or if thee Gadol story was actually told to the kid in the story.
Well, it could have happened. What’s the difference to you? You want to know if some tears you shed are for a true incident or for an author’s parnassa?
All his stories are true (except his comix and long books and short stories) he juat switches the names
All the people sound the same because they are (a) all written by Walder in his writing style, and (b) translated from Hebrew.
It’s hard to be inspired by a fabricated hashgacha protis story, because it didn’t actually happen!
I think he specifies in each preface which are true.
Yes, they are all written in his voice. I assume that the content of the stories is true (possibly with minor details changed for clarity etc) and just told over in his own style.
@Wallflower — I had the privileged of meeting Mr. Walder while visiting my Israeli friend’s school. Alas, I was surprised (and dismayed) that he didn’t seem to speak English, and it was then that I realized, yes, his books are translated. >.<
When I was young, I loved reading an advice column in a secular kids’ magazine — I learned later on that the author never accepted reader submissions, and instead wrote her column based on what she thought kids would want to know. I felt a bit … dismayed, because I hate when authors *think* they know how young peoples’ minds work, but then fail epically.
From what I understand, I think Mr. Walder’s stories are inspired by the things kids tell/send him, but he adapts the events into story form and I would guess that he would have to add details so that it’s more interesting…. Still, I’ve found what I’ve read of his to be very inspiring. I liked the book about the Israeli boy who came to America and had to deal with being different….
I agree that Chaim Walder’s books have a common voice, but I was always done l’calf zechus that it is because they are translated.
There was a story in one of the books which was a Jewish version of O.Henry’s “Gift of the Magi”, with the father/son replacing husband/wife, and the gifts (calculator battery, fountain pen ink, IIRC) replacing the watch chain and hair combs, but the same idea of each one selling something to purchase a gift which is now useless.
I assume someone wrote the story and sent it in to him, and he didn’t realize that he was being duped.
DaasYochid – Read the link I posted earlier.
LevAryehBoy, thanks, I missed that. I was always wondering who else noticed that. He supposedly doesn’t read English, so he either read a translation, or as I’d like to believe, was tricked.
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