The Image & Other Stories

by Isaac Bashevis Singer

“The storyteller and poet of our time, as in any other time, must be an entertainer of the spirit in the full sense of the word,” Mr. Singer stated in his Nobel Prize address. In this new collection, The Image and Other Stories, he practices what he preaches. The twenty-two entertaining stories range in time from the old days in Warsaw—as in “A Nest Egg for Paradise,” which shows how a pious soul escapes a sinful trap—to recent years in America, as in “Confused,” the comic portrait of an author pursued by admirers eager to share his bed as well as his fame.

“One Day of Happiness,” the story of a young girl who writes a love letter to a Polish general, ends in unforeseen horror. “The Conference” is a satirical portrait of leftist politics and sex as practiced by Flora, the darling of opposing splinter groups. Aunt Yentl is the narrator of classics like “The Mistake,” an account of what happens to a girl who marries a fool; “Strong as Death Is Love,” an amazing tale of fidelity in marriage even after death; and “The Secret,” an incredible story of a girl who unwittingly marries her father. The events of “Loshikl” are narrated in jail by an experienced and philosophical felon, and “The Litigants” reveals how two stubborn Polish squires unexpectedly settle their lawsuit. “A Telephone Call on Yom Kippur” appears to be a story of the supernatural but isn’t, and a slap in the face serves as the theme of “The Bond.” The title story, “The Image,” shows how the memory of a unique love falls like a shadow between a newly married couple.

As Joyce Carol Oates has said, “Singer is distinctive and original…One comes away from his books with their grotesque people and events, their whiff of the grave and of the diabolic, with a sense of optimism.” This new book by a storytelling genius is an impressive addition to his masterly series of short stories.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

310 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish American author of Jewish descent, 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", won the U.S. National Book Award in Children's Literature in 1970, while his collection "A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories" won the U.S. National Book Award in Fiction in 1974.

Reviews

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of short stories published by Singer between 1965-1985, mostly in the New Yorker and a few in Playboy. My personal favorites were "On The Way To The Poorhouse" and "The Conference". They are quite varied being set in the old days in Poland and in modern New York City and Chicago.

[Gerhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isaac B. Singer ist für mich eine Garantie für eine interessante, andersartige Geschichte, hier mehrere Erzählungen.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories were certainly very nice, while some were boring, or probably I have been unable to understand or grasp their essence at this time. However, on an average, it was a quite satisfying read!

[Raquel Kay-Doubleyou · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked was that he kept to the essence of the subjects he wrote, not sacrificing the beliefs which coloured each story and brought them to life. Some of the stories were quite bland, but they brought something of their own to the table. I loved the Angel of Death references that was present in all the stories.

[Gillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't choose to read this book... The book chose me. For this was a bookcrossing.com-book, which I accidentally stumbled upon.
I just happened to see it lying around on a table next to the entrance of a public building, amidst some flyers and leaflets and decided to take it home.
This is definately not my typical read. I'm more into fantasy and historical stories.
However, I decided to give this book a go.
And it was a pleasant surprise! The book turned out to be a smooth read which I certainly didn't expect when I saw the author is a Nobel Prize Winner.
Not being familiar with Jewish culture, a lot of references to the typical Jewish habits and rituals weren't exactly clear to me, however this didn't really stand in the way of enjoying the stories.

I ended up enjoying the read and learning a bit about Jewish culture. I'm also curious about Singer's other stories. Especially those in which the supernatural gets a more prominent role....
Who knows, maybe I'll read them some day...

[Belle Relats (Three Queens) · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro se compone de una selección de cuentos que tienen como protagonistas a personas de la misma etnia que el autor, por lo general. Algunos de ellos me parecieron más interesantes en cuanto a la forma de narrar y focalizar, otros por su trama.
Sin embargo, a partir de la segunda mitad del libro se me volvieron un poco más tediosos los relatos.
Recomiendo esta lectura para curiosos fanáticos de las distintas culturas del mundo ya que el libro aporta bastante información sobre la cultura a la cual pertenece el autor.
Mis cuentos favoritos fueron: "El vínculo", "La entrevista" y "El divorcio", los cuales son consecutivos uno del otro.

[Klara Sielicka-Baryłka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Po ponad 20 latach przeczytałam ponownie: wydanie z 1993, z rozlanym drukiem w tytułowym opowiadaniu, tłum. Anna Zbierska.

[Marek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly feel like some of Singer's work should be categorized as magical realism. However, most, if not all, of the stories in this particular collection have feet definitively set in the here and now. I find that Singer's more contemporary stories (without the benefit of the fantastic) are a little on the forgettable side, but that doesn't mean they're bad. This was a fair collection of stories - nothing that really stands out, but it wasn't a horrible read, either. I'd recommend another set of stories if someone was interested in Singer's work.