"Anyone who loves Aleichem's Jewish shtetl idiom—the humor, exaggeration, and humanity of Tevye—will want to dip into this novel and read it aloud."—Booklist
"This delightful romp through the rich Jewish life of Warsaw of the early 20th century also follows the intrigues of a wandering husband. Aleichem, whose characters are household names to generations of readers of Yiddish and world literature, is a consummate storyteller. Highly recommended."—Library Journal
Description
Menachem-Mendl is one of Sholem Aleichem’s most delightful literary creations, a dreamy optimist who travels to New York and across Eastern Europe in search of an elusive fortune at the approach of World War I. His wife, Sheyne-Sheyndl, and children are left behind in the shtetl of Kasrilevka.
Written in 1913 and previously unpublished in the United States, The Further Adventures of Menachem-Mendl consists of Menachem-Mendl’s letters home and his wife’s often tart replies. Working for Yiddish newspapers, Menachem-Mendl writes his opinions of world events and Jewish problems. Through the eyes of this shrewd smalltown Jew we see events leading to a cataclysmic war, which include his uncannily familiar treatment of conflicts in the Balkans. Menachem-Mendl describes the Zionist Congress in Vienna with Aleichem’s inimitable humor, exaggeration, and realism. In her replies to her husband, Sheyne-Sheyndl reminds him that his family grapples with crushing poverty and persecution. Aliza Shevrin’s fluid translation captures the idiomatic richness
of the original Yiddish and brings Aleichem’s vanished culture to vibrant life.
About the Author
Sholem Aleichem created the original Tevye the Dairyman of Broadway and Hollywood fame.
Aliza Shvrin has translated and published five novels and three collections of children's short stories by Sholem Aleichem as well as short stories and a novel by I. B. Singer.
6 x 9, 186 pages
March 2001
