2016
First Published
4.20
Average Rating
432
Number of Pages
An essential exploration of a rich literary tradition from the Bible to modern times, by a “rare literary authority” ( New York Times Book Review ) and “one of our keenest critics” ( Washington Post ). 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. 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.
Avg Rating
4.20
Number of Ratings
188
5 STARS
43%
4 STARS
39%
3 STARS
15%
2 STARS
2%
1 STARS
1%
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Author
Adam Kirsch
Author · 15 books
Adam Kirsch is the author of two collections of poems and several books of poetry criticism. A senior editor at the New Republic and a columnist for Tablet, he also writes for The New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. He lives in New York City with his wife and son.
