The Certificate (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics S.) - Softcover

Singer, Isaac Bashevis; Wolf, Leonard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140187855 ISBN 13: 9780140187854

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 1994

Synopsis

Penniless and homeless, David Benediner, a young writer, arrives in Warsaw with two contacts: a young woman and a Zionist functionary who informs him that he has qualified for a certificate to emigrate to Palestine. With no money to make the journey he must enter into a fictitious marriage with one of the many prosperous women eager to board passage to the holy land. Grappling with romantic, political, and philosophical turmoil, David must also confront his faith when his father, an Orthodox rabbi, arrives unexpectedly in Warsaw.With characteristic wit and candor, The Certificate examines the lives of Polish Jews in the context of events sweeping Europe in the 1920s, and reinforces Singer's reputation one of our century's greatest storytellers.

About this title

Review:

"Singer is the most magical of writers, transforming reality into art with seemingly effortless sleight of hand. His deceptively spare prose has a pristine clarity that is stunning in its impact."
--"The New York Times" "[Singer's] triumph here is much like Dostoyevsky's in his later years when he wrote A Raw Youth and tapped the mad feel of his teens.... Done with gusto and panache."
--"Kirkus Reviews" (Starred Review) "Vintage Singer, a welcome addition to his oeuvre."
--"Publishers Weekly
"

Singer is the most magical of writers, transforming reality into art with seemingly effortless sleight of hand. His deceptively spare prose has a pristine clarity that is stunning in its impact. "The New York Times"

[Singer's] triumph here is much like Dostoyevsky's in his later years when he wrote A Raw Youth and tapped the mad feel of his teens.... Done with gusto and panache. "Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)"

Vintage Singer, a welcome addition to his oeuvre. "Publishers Weekly""

"Singer is the most magical of writers, transforming reality into art with seemingly effortless sleight of hand. His deceptively spare prose has a pristine clarity that is stunning in its impact." --The New York Times

"[Singer's] triumph here is much like Dostoyevsky's in his later years when he wrote A Raw Youth and tapped the mad feel of his teens.... Done with gusto and panache." --Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"Vintage Singer, a welcome addition to his oeuvre." --Publishers Weekly

Synopsis:

Penniless, 18-year-old David Bendier arrives in the big city, Warsaw, in 1922, determined to become a writer. He is hungry for philosophy and culture, the worlds of Spinoza and the spirit. But the path from innocence to experience is a slippery one. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0140187855
• ISBN 13: 9780140187854
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240