American talmud : the cultural work of Jewish American fiction / Ezra Cappell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cappell, Ezra, 1971-

Series:

SUNY series in modern Jewish literature and culture.

SUNY series in modern Jewish literature and culture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American fiction--Jewish authors--History and criticism.

American fiction.

Jewish fiction--United States--History and criticism.

Jewish fiction.

American fiction--20th century--History and criticism.

Jews--United States--Intellectual life.

Jews.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (245 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In American Talmud, Ezra Cappell redefines the genre of Jewish American fiction and places it squarely within the larger context of American literature. Cappell departs from the conventional approach of defining Jewish American authors solely in terms of their ethnic origins and sociological constructs, and instead contextualizes their fiction within the theological heritage of Jewish culture. By deliberately emphasizing historical and ethnographic links to religions, religious texts, and traditions, Cappell demonstrates that twentieth-century and contemporary Jewish American fiction writers have been codifying a new Talmud, an American Talmud, and argues that the literary production of Jews in America might be seen as one more stage of rabbinic commentary on the scriptural inheritance of the Jewish people.

Contents:

Henry Roth's first novel : call it Jewish?

Reflecting the world : Bernard Malamud's post-Holocaust Judaism

Bellow's short fiction : something Jewish to remember him by

Rebecca Goldstein : the ethics of second generation witnessing

Four questions for Allegra Goodman

Henry Roth's second novel : mercy for a rude youth

The future of Jewish fiction in America.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-221) and index.

ISBN:

9780791479957

0791479951

9781429471602

1429471603

OCLC:

140217164