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12th out of 16 books
—
6 voters
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There Are Jews in My House
by
Lara Vapnyar
There Are Jews in My House is one of the most striking debuts of recent years. Tracing the lives and aspirations of Russians living in Moscow and Brooklyn, these poignant, sad and funny stories create a luminous new literary world.
In the title story, set during the Second World War, Galina, a gentile, offers refuge to a Jewish friend and her daughter, only to find herse...more
In the title story, set during the Second World War, Galina, a gentile, offers refuge to a Jewish friend and her daughter, only to find herse...more
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
December 18th 2007
by Anchor
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I wish I could assign stars for each story rather than for the whole collection. The eponymous short story is a masterpiece, studying the ugly side of the saintly. Galina hides her Jewish best friend, Raya, when the Germans invade. Raya does not have Galina's beauty or know how, but she is wealthy and knows how to enjoy life in ways Galina cannot begin to comprehend. As the escalating tension erodes at Raya's mental well-being, their friendship suffers and Galina finds herself feeling ugly e...more
This collection of short stories, mostly taking place in Russia/USSR, with one taking place in Brooklyn, spanned a great deal of life experiences. Though all stories dealt primarily with Russian families (or immigrant families in Brooklyn) Vapnyar kept her protagonists different ages, different genders, and it showed through the calibur of each story.
Two stories dealt specifically with Jews- the title story, which was narrated by a middle aged gentile woman who was hiding Jewish fri...more
Two stories dealt specifically with Jews- the title story, which was narrated by a middle aged gentile woman who was hiding Jewish fri...more
This is a writer to keep watching. The book is a collection of short stories, with some being stronger than others. A few simply "end," without offering or pointing to a resolution. A contemporary writing technique, but it often comes out as weak writing. I ordered this book based on a short story I read by her in The New Yorker, which is better than all the stories here (and there are good ones here, but the New Yorker one -- published around Oct or Nov. 2007 was excellent). In this b...more
Vapnyar beautifully tells stories about Russia: the throat-clutching fear of hiding Jews in WW2; a nursery school child's perspective on being labeled a Jew (without knowing what being a Jew meant); post-break up of the USSR; displacing people of an age to have lived through WW2, Communist Russia, the breakup of the Soviet Union, moving them to the United States where they do not speak the language or understand customs.
I finally picked this up after my aunt's enthusiastic recommendation, and I just loved this, particularly the title story. Vapnyar's prose has an almost Austenian coolness without being at all austere. Her Russia is so different than the trendy magical realist one of so much recent fiction: at once uncannily modern and touchingly old world, the lost Russia Vapnyar creates here is always believable and compelling.
three short stories set in either Moscow or Brooklyn; very descriptive writing, so much so, I felt I was there in Moscow during the german occupation. Her stories reveal both the dark, and hopeful sides of one's conscience.
It's a shame that this collection is so short (6 stories, 149 pages) because it's also very, very good. From the woman in the title story who grows to resent the Jewish woman and child she helps to hide from the German forces occupying her town, to the immigrant child negotiating his grandparents' ordeals in Brooklyn, and from the young math teacher assigned to teach sex ed to teenagers despite her own innocence, to the other three stories, each piece in this collection is well-crafted and fine...more
Short stories about Russians, mostly Jews, living in NY, except the last story takes place in Russia. I am not a big short story reader, but I really enjoyed this book. The writing is good and the plots are tightly written.
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Short stories that take the reader from World War II and onward. Excellent writing.
I read this book a few months after visiting the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. Touring that house/museum was fascinating, but it wasn't until I saw the wall where Anne's father would mark her and her sister's height that the emotion of the place got to me. That is the moment that the horror and sadness of their story became real for me. This book of short stories brought me back to the rawness of being in that room, staring at a wall that could be in any other home around the world. The idea...more
Vapnyar is a good writer and has a great topic: the Russians. Some of these stories are fantastic, and some are somewhat less than fantastic, but always she shows a great love for her subject. I look forward to more of her stories. A very promising writer.
These stories felt so real. The characaters were well developed and interesting.
NO
This book was kinda hard for me to read for some reason. Maybe it was the subject. Even though it is a thin book, I couldn't finish it.
Having finished Ann Patchett's Run just before this, you'd think it was impossible to create real characters with conflicted motives and desires, but Lara Vapynar makes it seem so effortless, as does her ability to write a clean sentence. She portrays elderly people with such charm and pathos as well. Bravo. If anything, the collection left me wanting more from her.
An excellent collection, easily one of my favorite books of the year. Vapnyar's story telling is excellent, her characters are easy to connect with, and her subject matter is well chosen. The title story is by far the best, but there are no weak stories in this book. I highly recommend this collection.
I loved "Mistress" and "Love Lessons - Monday, 9 AM". The other four stories were not as captivating, but this short story collection is a worthy read.
Book of short stories. Interesting look into Russian culture. Only one story is about Jews, so far as I can remember.
I really enjoyed these short stories--some more than others. The author made you feel a connection to the characters.
Ms. Vapnyar seems like an incredibly fearless writer. I admire it!
Maybe I am biased because I am an immigrant myself, but I love her stories.
Melisa
added it
dont usually like short stories, loved this
six beautifully written short stories
my favorite new author!
Valerie F
marked it as to-read
Jessica
marked it as to-read
Vbbarron Barron
marked it as to-read
Onestraycat
marked it as to-read
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Lara Vapnyar emigrated from Russia to New York in 1994 and began publishing short stories in English in 2002. She lives on Staten Island and is pursuing a Ph.D. in comparative literature at CUNY Graduate Center.
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