THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

Originally written in Yiddish, the book takes place in Lodz, Poland during the Industrial Revolution in Russia, and the rise of Communism.

 

Abraham Hersh Ashkenazi, the Lodz merchant and Community Head settles his share of squabbles between the religious and the rising secular community.  He also negotiates for the release of confiscated Jewish products by bribing officials, and negotiates for the release of Jewish prisoners held ransom by Cossacks.

Abraham’s big headache comes from his wife who resents his travels and is due to give birth.  She excoriates him with the possibility of delivering a boy and his possible absence at the circumcision.  This does not deter his travel but he reminds her to name the baby, if a son, Simha Bunem, in honor of his rabbi.

The twin boys, named for the rabbi could not be more different.  Simha Meir and Jacob Bunem are born moments apart.  Abraham Ashkenazi does not forgive his wife for splitting the rabbi’s name.

Jacob, the younger, is a pleasant smiling baby from birth, while Simha, the elder, bites his mother who tries to nurse him.   

The Jews of Lodz and the Jews of Leczyca compete for work, the tailoring business simply not large enough to sustain both communities.  Eventually Jews work their way into the textile businesses learning the ways from the Poles.  The Jews build factories, hire Poles, and survive the pogroms.

Jacob, taller and bigger than Simha Meir, gets on well with everyone, is always smiling, happy, king of the playground.  The kids look up to Jacob, especially Dinele, daughter of Haim Alter, a neighbor.  Simha Meir gets along with no one, is never happy or pleasant, and is jealous of Jacob.  Where Jacob struggles in school, Simha is a prodigy, who enjoys playing tricks on his schoolmates, his teacher, and his teacher’s wife.

As the boys grow into adulthood, Jacob easily finds happiness and peace in every corner of his life but Simcha’s jealousy of his brother knows no bounds.

 

Impressive and grand, this intelligent novel offers an incredibly descriptive view of the twentieth century Industrial Revolution.  Well-drawn characters glide along in the Jewish world and anti-Semitic Eastern Europe.

Israel Joshua Singer is the brother of Issac B. Singer.  I.B. Singer’s works are also reviewed on this site.