The Golem redux : from Prague to post-Holocaust fiction / Elizabeth R. Baer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Baer, Elizabeth Roberts.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Golem in literature.

Physical Description:

x, 229 pages, 10 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Detroit : Wayne State University Press, [2012]

Summary:

Examining the golem (an inanimate mudfigure imbued with life through mystical means whose purpose is to protect and to avenge) as a construct from early Jewish folktale to modern fiction, Baer (English and genocide, Gustavus Adolphus College) interprets the myth and its meaning in the context of post-Holocaust works of fiction. Organized chronologically and by work, the text traces the story and its rich symbolism from origins in folktale through appearances in both literature and popular culture. Includes critical intertextual analysis of the golem and its manifestations in particular works from television, comics, and literature and a variety of illustrations and cartoons. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

1 The Golem Redux: Variations on the Golem Legend in Jewish Tradition 17

2 German-Language Appropriations: The Golem Runs Amok 37

Gustav Meyerink, Der Golem (1915)

Paul Wegener, Der Golem: Wie er in die Welt kam (German film, 1920)

Julien Duvivier, Le Golem: The Legend of Prague (French film, 1936)

3 Traditional Retellings of the Golem Legend 69

Isaac Bashevis Singer, The Golem (1969, 1982)

Elie Wiesel, The Golem (1983)

Frances Sherwood, The Book of Splendor (2002)

4 The Comics Connection 111

Marvel Comics: Strange Tales Featuring the Golem (1970s)

James Sturm, The Golem's Mighty Swing (2001)

Pete Hamill, Snow in August (1997)

Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (2000)

5 Golems to the Rescue 151

Cynthia Ozick, The Puttermesser Papers (1997); Thane Rosenbaum, The Golems of Gotham (2002); The X-Files: "Kaddish" (1997); Daniel Handler, Watch Your Mouth (2000).

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780814336267

0814336264

9780814336274

0814336272

OCLC:

752471287