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The Slave

by Isaac Bashevis Singer, Cecil Hemley (Translator)

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 842 ratings · 74 reviews

Four years after the Chmielnicki massacres of the seventeenth century, Jacob, a slave and cowherd in a Polish village high in the mountains, falls in love with Wanda, his master's daughter. Even after he is ransomed, he finds he can't live without her, and the two escape together to a distant Jewish community. Racked by his consciousness of sin in taking a Gentile wife and

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Paperback, 320 pages

Published October 1st 1988 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (first published 1962)

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Jan 10, 2009 Erik Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars

A recent discussion on this site with some goodreaders about religion in literature jogged my memory on this book, although Isaac Singer and his works are rarely too far from my bean. I adore almost eveything he's written. This book not only beautifully wonders about the notion of Free Will in a world where God definitely exists, but it's also, with the exception of MY ANTONIA, the most beautiful love story I've ever read.

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Mar 13, 2013 Clif rated it 4 of 5 stars

As it happened, the book I read just before this one was "A World Lit Only By Fire" by William Manchester, which vividly described the squalid conditions around the year 1500 in Europe.

The Slave put me right into that world, even though it takes place a bit later in the late 1600's. Widespread poverty, ignorance, belief in ghosts, demons, things that dwell in the woods at night, they are all here along with the ever-present possibility of a rampage through the countryside and your village by arm...more As it happened, the book I read just before this one was "A World Lit Only By Fire" by William Manchester, which vividly described the squalid conditions around the year 1500 in Europe.

The Slave put me right into that world, even though it takes place a bit later in the late 1600's. Widespread poverty, ignorance, belief in ghosts, demons, things that dwell in the woods at night, they are all here along with the ever-present possibility of a rampage through the countryside and your village by armies of foreign nations or warlords or just the peasantry out to kill Jews under the direction of some local notable.

Amid this mayhem is Jacob, a tall blonde Jew whose family, save one sister, was killed in a pogrom but who survives as a slave in rural Poland. Jacob is devout. His thoughts are always about God, Torah, the seasons of the Jewish year. Left mostly to himself but for a gentile woman who wants him to be her husband (a far better catch than any of the local rabble), Jacob is tormented by his faith at the same time that it sustains him. Is it right to do this? Is it wrong to do that? What is the Judaic law on this or that action, no matter how trivial?

We follow Jacob as he gives in to temptation. Though he never escapes the psychological flagellation that is his wont, the reader is taken deeply into a world hard to understand to a secular reader, but fascinating for that. Jacob and his adventures bring Manchester's world to life in a way that a mere history cannot.

I wonder how anyone could survive such an uncertain and dangerous environment. There was religion to cling to; a belief in a God who would deal out justice must have been one of the few sources of solace for people who were abused routinely by anyone who could exert power over them. The author makes it quite clear that terrible treatment and thievery are widespread regardless of the religion or lack thereof in a community. Jacob comes to doubt his faith in the face of Jews being unjust to other Jews even as his gentile lover asks to become Jewish because of what she sees it has made of him.

Well written and engrossing, this is almost the story of Job; life as an ordeal with little respite, continual setbacks, a trial to even the greatest hope. It is a powerful story that shows the terrible state in which the great majority of European citizens lived not so long ago.

Of course, the tragedy of our times is that so many still live in dire straits subject to the local ruffians who prey upon them. Yes, religion can be a life preserver, but only to keep one's head above the sewage in which it floats. Some life!

Make sure you have a reserve of good cheer to tide you over before you take on this book.

P.S. my copy of the book has "Boulder Public Library - WITHDRAWN" stamped on it. Physically the book is fine, Singer is a popular author...so why was it withdrawn? Who can fathom the mind of a librarian?(less)

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Feb 20, 2011 Ana Ruiz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I realize that this is a love story. What I found charming about this particular love story is that I couldn't understand why it was called one. That is, until the end. The end is beautiful. I've read so many endings; endings that end with a sigh, with a cry, or with a laugh. But this one was perfect. I must admit I was sleepy when I read that last sentence, but I don't think I could've reacted to the finish of this book anyways. It was perfect.

Like I said, for me, this was mostly a ...moreI re...more I realize that this is a love story. What I found charming about this particular love story is that I couldn't understand why it was called one. That is, until the end. The end is beautiful. I've read so many endings; endings that end with a sigh, with a cry, or with a laugh. But this one was perfect. I must admit I was sleepy when I read that last sentence, but I don't think I could've reacted to the finish of this book anyways. It was perfect.

Like I said, for me, this was mostly a ...moreI realize that this is a love story. What I found charming about this particular love story is that I couldn't understand why it was called one. That is, until the end. The end is beautiful. I've read so many endings; endings that end with a sigh, with a cry, or with a laugh. But this one was perfect. I must admit I was sleepy when I read that last sentence, but I don't think I could've reacted to the finish of this book anyways. It was perfect.

Like I said, for me, this was mostly a story on humanity. On how complex and hideous humanity can be, but how sometimes God and good shine through and how misunderstood that can be. Jacob never thought of himself as good; he lived with the assurance that he would go to hell because he had married Wanda, or Sarah, and thus he was resigned. Having determined that he would go to hell, he could have been as evil and corrupt as he wanted. But he was so good, so perfectly good that it becomes unbelievable, laughably novel-like. (This is, by the way, the only fault I can find in the book.) And the beauty of the main character's disposition gives the whole tale so much bitter-sweetness. The love story is opaqued.

Also, Isaac Bashevis Singer is a genius. This is the first novel of his I have read; I had read short stories before, such as "In my Father's Court." I don't know if it's the brilliance of the translation, but I think that there were some passages that one truly had to re-read, because the language used was heart-wrenching, the landscapes painted fairy-like. How rare and beautiful that is.

All in all, this was a book that, although smeared with tragedy, was beautiful. I think I may have to reread it. (less)

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Aug 19, 2010 Oobydoo65 rated it 5 of 5 stars

An absolute must read for those seeking God. Singer is an amazing story teller who manages to weave history, folk-lore and the Word of God into his novels.
This story is a very interesting one--set in 17th century Poland, the main character Jacob, an educated pious Jew from a jewish town in Poland, is sold as a slave to a farmer in a remote mountainous village in Poland, after his twon is destroyed and most of its inhabitants murdered by the Cossacks.
This is Jacob's story of his struggle with h...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Bjorn rated it 4 of 5 stars

High up in the mountains sits Jacob, a Polish Jew, the last of his family following the latest in a series of massacres. No, it's not the 1940s, it's mid-17th century, though obviously the still-recent memories of WWII were at the back of Singer's mind when he wrote the novel. Anyway, Jacob is a slave, which is of course officially immoral and illegal, but he's a Jew in a country where that's enough reason to kill you so who is he to argue? Alone in the mountains, herding a Christian farmer's co...more High up in the mountains sits Jacob, a Polish Jew, the last of his family following the latest in a series of massacres. No, it's not the 1940s, it's mid-17th century, though obviously the still-recent memories of WWII were at the back of Singer's mind when he wrote the novel. Anyway, Jacob is a slave, which is of course officially immoral and illegal, but he's a Jew in a country where that's enough reason to kill you so who is he to argue? Alone in the mountains, herding a Christian farmer's cows, he has time to think, to try and piece Judaism back together in his own head from what he remembers of it, hundreds of commandments and prayers and dates and words...

And there he might have stayed, a man alone with his God, if not for Wanda - the farmer's daughter who brings him milk and bread. They're both widowed, they're both young and attracted to each other, and after all it's not good for man to be alone. But as mentioned, this is 17th-century Poland, torn by war and religious differences, and the idea of a Jewish man and a Christian woman marrying is impossible; if the Christians find out, they'll have them both executed, and if the Jews find out they'll cast them out for fear of harbouring criminals - pogroms have started over far less...

Singer paints the 17th century in simple but detailed images, never making the fact that it's a 20th century novel too obvious in the thoughts and acts of its characters. The Slave is a historical novel about love, about sex, about trying to survive in a world where revealing who you are, slipping up for just a second, can get you killed. But obviously, it's also a novel about faith (not necessarily for or against it, about it) and its repercussions in life. If not for his belief, Jacob might (or might not) have lost himself there in the mountains; but there's also a lot of people - Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish - in it who are happy to declare themselves true believers and praise God and their own piety, but often use it to judge and condemn those immoral, evil bastards on the other side. It's a novel written shortly after WWII and taking place shortly after the 30 Years' War, after all, and everyone's on edge and afraid of each other. As Jacob notes: it's funny how many people find it easy to follow the commandments towards God (keeping kosher, converting heathens) but show little consideration for those that ask them to show compassion, consideration and mercy to others. Jacob is freed from formal slavery early on, but that's still the title of the novel.

Somehow The Slave, despite its (actual and metaphorical) setting, manages to be a bittersweet novel, with an ending that grants eternal life - maybe in heaven, but definitely in the memories of others. Which may, perhaps, be the most important thing. Along the way, though, it asks some pretty big questions, and as utterly horriffic it is at times and as heartwarming as it is at others, it's hopefully those that stay with the reader. (less)

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Jul 29, 2009 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once again Isaac Bashevis Singer' storytelling has arrested and spellbound me. I found this an intensely beautiful book.

Four years after the Chmielnicki massacres of the seventeenth century, Jacob, a Jewish slave and cowherd in a Polish village high in the mountains, falls in love with Wanda, his gentile master's daughter. Jacob is ransomed, and freed from his years of enforced slavery only to find it succeeded by another sort of slavery that would last as long as he lived. He is stunned by the...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

A very powerful book - so well crafted I cared very deeply for Jacob and Wanda and felt anxious about each step they made towards freedom. So it was a real relief when Jacob escaped with the holy man, though devastating when Wanda revealed her tongue in childbirth and the way she died. I loved that Jacob ended up buried near Wanda (Sarah) even though they'd forgotten where they'd buried her. This book was like a meditation on free will, and it helped me understand some of the deeper tenets of Ju...more

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Jun 08, 2009 Claudia F. rated it 4 of 5 stars

In my collection of books from a garage sale, I found this one waiting to be read. Singer is so fanciful, like a Jewish Italo Calvino. I tend to love dark, magical writers.
The Slave is about the 17th century in Poland and it sure makes me glad to be alive now. Eeek. Singer's descriptions of the filth of the time make this not a good book to read while eating one's stirfry. Yuck.
But it sure was informative. It is amazing anyone survived those conditions. Seriously.
His ability to get into the m...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Vasha7 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jacob had always been an unconventional thinker, but it was not until he found himself sold as a servant to a peasant family that he began to realize just how singular, and isolated, he was.

This novel is a relation of the life and trials of a saint, a man who practiced justice in unjust societies and nonviolence among murderers, and never settled for an easy interpretation of scriptures. It is also a love story where love and religion are inseparable. Wanda first became interested in Judaism by...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Corey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hebrew

I'm not really a love story type of person but this one was simple, straight-forward, and sweet set against an interesting historical, cultural, and religious background. The theme of the book to me was the intense love between an unlikely pair during a time when love wasn't valued and was definitely not a prerequisite for marriage. The fictional couple was forced to avoid many a suspenseful obstacle in order to make their love work - quintessential romance. The simplicity of the plot surprising...more

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Apr 24, 2010 A.U.C. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to A.U.C. by: Ethel

Shelves: read-in-2010

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Aug 08, 2009 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 13, 2013 Алиса Тамна rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kako napisati negativnu kritiku na delo koje važi za dragulj savremene književnosti? Kako se radi to?

Možda je nisam pročitala u pravo vreme. Možda ja nisam dostojna dubljih smislova ovih ispošćenih, ispresecanih, nemaštovitih, stefanimajerastih rečenica.
A možda je samo prevod užasan.

Priča je dobra, ideja je iskričava, pitanja koja se otvaraju su stara i nova i večita i svačija. Zato ne mogu da je tek tako odbacim. S druge strane, stil je umrtvljen prekratkim rečenicama, banalnim opisima, isprež...more

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Jun 21, 2009 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had read this book about 40 years ago, but just re-read it for my book group. As is usual in Singer's books, it borders on the fantastic, but not to too great extent except near the end. It presents a picture of life in Poland in the 18th century portraying the lives of the peasants, nobles, and Jews often in the middle. It is full of the superstitions and beliefs of all the various groups.

Foremost, it is a love story. A love story of forbidden love as Jacob falls in love with the daughter of...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Sonja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jewish literature is always powerful, whether it deals with the Holocaust or the lives of those who lived centuries before it. What I enjoyed most was Singer's tone - harrowing & soothing at the same time. We're transported to a world beyond all horrors - where we are not allowed to be with the one we love. Not in the cliche sense such phrases are used today, but in the star-crossed, religion-crossed, class-crossed sense. And yet, we're shown that there is hope, and that love is love however...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Chavi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: jewish

"The Slave" is a love story that takes place in seventeenth century Russia, in a god forsaken mountain village and in a Jewish Shtetl. Jacob, the central character, is a scholar, a slave, and a lover. Jacob's devotion to God is remarkable. True, it is born more of fear than love, but it is unquestionably wholehearted. The story might be more about the love between Jacob and God than Jacob and Wanda, his master's daughter.
Maybe because it is forbidden, maybe because it is the only brightness in...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Abraham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

A strange little book - its hard to tell sometimes if I was enjoying it because of the narrative (which is strangely single-minded and wandering at the same time) or because of the image of a lost culture or because of the intriguing mix of quaint and extremely dark. On the whole, though, the prose just carries everything.

After reading his autobiography its pretty clear that his protagonist is based on him. I'm looking forward to reading more singer and I wonder how much of his work is like tha...more

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Aug 27, 2007 Esther rated it 3 of 5 stars

I first read this as a freshman in college. It changed the way I looked at Judaism (my father, a Syrian Christian, had done MUCH to shape my view during my childhood, and let's just say the view wasn't entirely...er...flattering), and made me consider vegetarianism for the first time. Nearly 30 years later, I recently re-read the book to see if it still held some power for me. Guess so, as I married an Orthodox Jew (who's now a practicing conservative) and converted, and have been a vegetarian f...more

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May 01, 2011 Bert Aerts rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is a good read. It starts stronger than it ends. The author is a jewish person and it describes the demons and temptations Jacob experiences. But as you read it I got more convinced than ever that the rituals and beliefs of a religion is keeping mankind behind.

The story is about a Jewish person in Poland around 1550 that is enslaved. Falls in love with a gentile woman. Very well written and interesting. I finished it in a plane ride from Panama to New York.

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May 17, 2009 Janine Oliker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 11, 2011 Anka rated it 5 of 5 stars

A fascinating story about a Jewish slave in Poland during the riots of Chamilnitski.
Bashevis is descibing the Jewish way of life in Polish towns of that period.
Bashevis can create interesting and authentic characters . Reading the book allows the imagination to soar to the same time and same place and feel part of the smells, the landscapes, people, lifestyle and differences between Jews and Poles in the every day's life .After the great disaster suffered by Polish Jews in the 16th century by C...more

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Sep 26, 2012 mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-in-translation

I read this book many years ago during my time in a chassidic religious school. Because we were not permitted to read novels, or indeed anything not related to our religious studies, I read it secretly, in bathrooms and other places I would not be discovered. The illicit manner of reading, the illicitness of the material, on top of a great narrative, made the whole experience very thrilling.

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Apr 17, 2011 Sheila Callahan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Isaac Bashevis Singer lived within blocks of me on Manhattan's Upper West Side and now I'm residing in Warsaw, his hometown. It's hard to believe that it's taken me this long to read one of his books. I picked this up the other day not expecting to like it and ended up wizzing through it. It's a great read, particularly for anyone interested in Poland.

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Mar 02, 2011 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Intense and beautiful, this book is equal parts love story and critique of religion and society. It is written in such a way that it's true nature and message isn't fully apparent until the final chapters. Though based in 16th century Poland and written almost 50 years ago, it carries strong messages for life today. I am very happy to have read this.

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Jun 09, 2012 Shazzt added it

Shelves: historical-fiction

An intense and serious book that describes the conflict between a man's Jewish faith and his love for a Gentile Polish woman. I found Jacob hard to like for much of the book but found the resolution of the story satisfying. Aside from the personal story, it was an interesting insight into a time, place and people that I knew little about.

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Mar 18, 2013 Jay Ginsburg rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I don't remember details, I remember the stunning effect of this bare story. I know that I have read a good number of IBS's other books, but this one stands out.
Singer brings detail to my understanding of my father's mother, some mentions from my father of his mother's superstition and folk medicine.

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Apr 12, 2011 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. Brutal descriptions of peasant life in 1600's Poland, plus pogroms and their effect on the Jewish community. The line from here to Auschwitz is straight and clear. Slams those who choose to practice the insignificant pieces of religion but leave out the critical stuff - like love, respect and charity. Woven into the hardships is a touching and romantic interfaith love story.

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Jan 07, 2011 Doron Yam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-classics, five-star-club, hebrew-classics

In Israel, the book must be read in order to pass the high school exams.
This great book of love and loss reminded me the beauty of the written words.
It was no must for me, it was pure pleasure. After I finished it I read it again and again and again...

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May 02, 2013 Angel Serrano rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 821-141-3-literatura-hebrea-novela

En la Polonia del siglo XVII, un estudioso judío es capturado y vendido como esclavo. Allí se enamorará de una campesina que hará cualquier cosa para seguir con él. Juntos se enfrentarán a la incomprensión de judíos y gentiles.

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Jun 27, 2010 Riley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had not expected to enjoy this book as much as I did. There was something about the world Isaac Singer created -- one of in which moral strictures and barbarism are two sides of the same coin -- that I found very compelling.

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About Isaac Bashevis Singer

Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish Jewish American author noted for his short stories. He was one of the leading figures in the Yiddish literary movement, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978. His memoir, A Day Of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw, which won the U.S. National Book Award, Children's Literature in 1970.

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