Joseph Roth is a writer who, in the words of Joan Acocella in The New Yorker, is being rediscovered. Job, the Story of a Simple Man tells the tale of Mendel Singer, a Russian emigre on his way to New York. He is confronted by a series of devastating misfortunes that challenge his faith in God. Roth parallels the biblical books of Job in the style of a Yiddish story: his ordinary protagonist survives the worst before experiencing a miracle that restores his faith. Both authors served during World War I, Remarque with the German army and Roth with the Austrians. The shared thread of hope and endurance through these stories serves as a reflection of their times: here are two versions of the young World War I soldier's experience-one a vivid depiction of the reality of combat, the other a parable of faith through life's trials.
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