David Bendiger, a penniless, aspiring young writer, arrives in Warsaw in 1922, and he explores his romantic passions, his religious past, and his literary future. Reprint. PW. NYT. 20,000 first printing.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A SINGER WORTH RESCUING:
I.B. Singer's "The Certificate" is one of the books his estate unearthed from the pages of the Jewish Daily Forward after his death, a Yiddish text Singer himself chose not to translate into English in his lifetime. That alone makes us wonder if it should have been brought out. But unlike other posthumous issues (the thin "Meshugah" or the squalid "Shadows on the Hudson"), "The Certificate" is a real work of merit, if not top Singer, mainly because it is so autobiographical. The nineteen-year-old David... more info
The storyteller's storyteller tells his own story as a young man:
This is a highly autobiographical fiction, and one of tremendous verve, energy and life. An early work of Singer it was published after he won the Nobel Prize. It contains many of the familiar themes of his work, including that of a search on the part of the narrator to make some sense of, and understand his own life. The poor young man who is the subject of the story arrives in Warsaw from the provinces where he has been dismissed as a teacher. And in typical Singer fashion he finds his way to survival... more info
Portrait Of An Aspiring Writer As A Young Man:
David Bendiger is at a crossroad in his life. He is 18-1/2 and like his brother, Ahron, he aspires to be a writer. David also has the opportunity to obtain a certificate of passage to Palestine, a British protectorate in 1922. The only catch is that if he had a wife entry into Palestine would be that much easier. David enters into a fictitious marriage with Minna, a woman from a well-to-do Jewish family living in Warsaw. Minna plans to reunite with her adored fiance in Palestine and then dissolve her union... more info
Wonderful Novel from a tremendous Author:
A young man, who aspires to become a writer in Warsaw in 1922 gets caught up in issues of life, love, family, and politics. The times are chaotic and the future is uncertain. Social structures are changing, religon is under assault, and communism is on the rise.
This is the background for this novel by nobel prize winner Isaac B. Singer. This largly autobiograpichal story paints a picture of a culture and time lost in the ashes of history. His memories are touching and deftly written. A good read for any... more info
