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Rating: 
Summary: A Tribute to the Memory of Bernard Malamud
Review: Anyone who enjoys the stories of Bernard Malamud will love this extraordinary collection of essays.Written by people closest to him-- his son, his friends, his colleagues-- we become acquainted with Malamud on a personal level. Anecdotes and reminiscenses bring out what matters most to Malamud. And knowing what an artist values most is key to understanding his life's work.Beyond becoming acquainted and enamored of this man's values, I learned from scholars about recurring themes, archetypes, and personality traits found in all his stories. All of this, of course, helps one understand and enjoy the stories even more. In the words of Cynthia Ozick Bernard Malamud was a "Master" of American Jewish literature. I agree. I also think this book is a wonderful tribute to his memory.
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Summary: Bernard Malamud in the twenty-First Century
Review: Editor Evelyn Avery is one of our most important Malamud scholars whose work on the author extends back to her early <Fiction of Richard Wright and Bernard Malamud> (1979). The new book has a comprehensive introduction and an excellent collection of essays on Malamud's fiction by top literary scholars including Avery herself, Daniel Walden, Sanford Pinsker, and Lillian Kremer. The subjects range from Zen Buddhism and Yiddish Archetypes to Universal Menschen in the fiction. The book also has Paul Malamud's memoir on his father, Cynthia Ozick's "Remembrances," and Joel Salzberg's discussion of Malamud's correspondences. Annotated bibliography is very helpful. It's a terrific read!
Rating:
Summary: Bernard Malamud in the twenty-First Century
Review: Editor Evelyn Avery is one of our most important Malamud scholars whose work on the author extends back to her early (1979). The new book has a comprehensive introduction and an excellent collection of essays on Malamud's fiction by top literary scholars including Avery herself, Daniel Walden, Sanford Pinsker, and Lillian Kremer. The subjects range from Zen Buddhism and Yiddish Archetypes to Universal Menschen in the fiction. The book also has Paul Malamud's memoir on his father, Cynthia Ozick's "Remembrances," and Joel Salzberg's discussion of Malamud's correspondences. Annotated bibliography is very helpful. It's a terrific read!
Rating:
Summary: The Magic Worlds of Bernard Malamud
Review: Professor Avery has performed a great service by revealing the extraordinary contributions of Professor Malamud. I must confess that I had read very little of the author's work. If I had been awakened at 3:00 A.M. and asked about him, I would have said that he was a celebrated American Jewish writer. Dr. Avery reveals him to be much more than that. He should be classed with masters of world literature, involved with but not dependent on ethnicity or religion.
Evelyn Avery takes us on an excursion exploring all aspects of Malamud's work. She begins with her personal friendship with the man extending from 1971 until his death. She then offers analyses of the author and his work by his son Paul and by five other colleagues who knew the author on a personal and social level. She goes on to present essays by five scholars who knew Malamud on a professional level. She then offers six analyses of the themes in Malamud's fiction. One of these by Evelyn Avery compares Malamud's work to that of Cynthia Ozick. The book concluded with a select bibliography, a contributor's list and an index.
When you are through with those Magic Worlds you ought to know Bernard Malamud on a very intimate level. Certainly Professor Avery has enriched American literature by familiarizing her readers with a writer who transcends the limited role of "Jewish authorship."
Rating:
Summary: The Magic Worlds of Bernard Malamud
Review: Professor Avery has performed a great service by revealing the extraordinary contributions of Professor Malamud. I must confess that I had read very little of the author's work. If I had been awakened at 3:00 A.M. and asked about him, I would have said that he was a celebrated American Jewish writer. Dr. Avery reveals him to be much more than that. He should be classed with masters of world literature, involved with but not dependent on ethnicity or religion.
Evelyn Avery takes us on an excursion exploring all aspects of Malamud's work. She begins with her personal friendship with the man extending from 1971 until his death. She then offers analyses of the author and his work by his son Paul and by five other colleagues who knew the author on a personal and social level. She goes on to present essays by five scholars who knew Malamud on a professional level. She then offers six analyses of the themes in Malamud's fiction. One of these by Evelyn Avery compares Malamud's work to that of Cynthia Ozick. The book concluded with a select bibliography, a contributor's list and an index.
When you are through with those Magic Worlds you ought to know Bernard Malamud on a very intimate level. Certainly Professor Avery has enriched American literature by familiarizing her readers with a writer who transcends the limited role of "Jewish authorship."
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