The People and the Books
18 Classics of Jewish Literature
WW Norton · Print & ebook · October 10, 2017
An accessible introduction to the classics of Jewish literature, from the Bible to modern times, by "one of America’s finest literary critics" (Wall Street Journal).
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- Who it’s for
- A serious, readable guide to Jewish literature’s long conversation with history and religion.
- Genres
- Jewish Literary Criticism, Judaism, Jewish History
- Published
- WW Norton, October 10, 2017
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Start with this bookAbout this book
An accessible introduction to the classics of Jewish literature, from the Bible to modern times, by "one of America’s finest literary critics" (Wall Street Journal). Jews have long embraced their identity as “the people of the book.” But outside of the Bible, much of the Jewish literary tradition remains little known to nonspecialist readers.
Continue reading
The People and the Books shows how central questions and themes of our history and culture are reflected in the Jewish literary canon: the nature of God, the right way to understand the Bible, the relationship of the Jews to their Promised Land, and the challenges of living as a minority in Diaspora. Adam Kirsch explores eighteen classic texts, including the biblical books of Deuteronomy and Esther, the philosophy of Maimonides, the autobiography of the medieval businesswoman Glückel of Hameln, and the Zionist manifestoes of Theodor Herzl. From the Jews of Roman Egypt to the mystical devotees of Hasidism in Eastern Europe, The People and the Books brings the treasures of Jewish literature to life and offers new ways to think about their enduring power and influence.
Literary Conversation
A serious, readable guide to Jewish literature’s long conversation with history and religion.
Come here for
- cultural-literacy frame
- layered, accessible, specialist range
Expect
- short-story to worldview sweep
- literary criticism with theological weight
Where it sits
| Jewish Literary Criticism | 86% |
|---|---|
| Jewish History | 54% |
| Judaism | 42% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Jewish History
- Authors
- Adam Kirsch
- Publisher
- WW Norton
- Published
- October 10, 2017
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Jewish History