Here is the pen of Joseph Roth, known to him died even despair because of the rise of Nazism, the tragic wanderings of a Jewish family of Eastern Poland today, once the confines of Empire of the Tsar of all the Russias. The first part of this book that's life of this community in poverty, with its customs and traditions, religious rules and prohibitions of all kinds. Are described simply social relations in these communities, the weight of nature, the no less present in a certain fatalism and pervasive relationships with God.
The second part of the book is the emigration to New York, a sort of promised land, which must emerge all forms of salvation.
Against this background, many critics have rightly said that the book was a revisited form of Job from the Bible book. It is true that the fate that hounds the hero, father, Mendel Singer, is reminiscent of the biblical narrative.
I see much more. This book is a profound lesson in humanity, an amount of humility, a compendium of human simplicity, pure kindness, mutual assistance, naivety too. This book is that of the poor, the crippled, weak and poorly haves struggling in silence except for their survival, at least a more honorable life for their children.This book is also that of all the fathers and of all mothers, of all the worries and torments they do for their children, that they sometimes linquiétude omnipresent evil, unspeakable joy to see them close to you, the pride of seeing them succeed, happiness that when they provide become parents themselves, they offer the joy of being grandparents.
Besides knowledge (rather superficial) that this book allows the Jewish religion, it also gives appreciate what respect for the Other, its differences, the virtues of steady effort and the power conferred by collective assistance.
Although non-teaching and not feeling authorized to such advice, however, I believe this book could make a very useful reading for our college kids bad marks.
