The blessing and the curse the Jewish people and their books in the twentieth century Kirsch, Adam 1976- creator author. text bibliography Criticism, interpretation, etc. nyu 2020 First edition. monographic eng print xiv, 279 pages ; 25 cm "An erudite and accessible survey of Jewish life and culture in the twentieth century, as reflected in seminal texts. Following The People and the Books, which "covers more than 2,500 years of highly variegated Jewish cultural expression" (Robert Alter, New York Times), formidable and perceptive literary critic Adam Kirsch now turns to the salient works of modern Jewish thought. From the vast emigration of Jews out of Eastern Europe to the Holocaust to the creation of Israel, the twentieth century transformed Jewish life. This was true, also, of writing: the novels, plays, poems, and memoirs of Jewish writers provided intimate access to new worlds of experience. Here Kirsch navigates four themes that shaped the twentieth century in Jewish literature and culture: Europe, America, Israel, and the endeavor to reconfigure Judaism as a modern faith. Reading writers ranging from Franz Kafka to Philip Roth, Anne Frank to Tony Kushner, Hannah Arendt to Judith Plaskow, Kirsch's scope is wide and his observations diverse. Insightful and engaging, The Blessing and the Curse brings the Jewish experience vividly to life"-- Adam Kirsch. Includes bibliographical references (pages [259]-262) and index. Jewish literature 20th century History and criticism Judaism 20th century Jewish literature Judaism 1900-1999 fast PN842 .K468 2020 809.88924 809/.9335299240904 9780393652406 0393652408 9780393652413 2020013974 pda,print DLC 200323 20250318215210.3 in00004356586 eng