Classic Hassidic Tales: Marvellous Tales of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem and of His Great-Grandson, Rabbi Nachman, Retold from Hebrew, Yiddish and German Sources

by Meyer Levin

English (translation)

Genres: Judaism, Judaica, Religion, Fiction, Jewish, Short Stories

357 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1932

Reviews

[Isobelle Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one will need to be read again and again. Like nested dolls, the layers of meaning and interpretation are many, and each one within another. Though I lack some of the cultural and historical context to illuminate every level, there is enough here for me to to ponder for years, and plenty even for those with less context.

I would add, too, that the stories of Rabbi Nachman are, without any additional speculation, highly enjoyable as image rich stories. They remind me pleasantly of the early works of Lord Dunsany, and this is high praise indeed.

[Mephistopheles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for the first half, focusing on the Baal Shem Tov stories, which are truly delightful natural folklore. Three stars for the second half, the created fairy tales of Rabbi Naachman. I found these too consciously allegorical and cerebral, missing the blood and unconscious beauty of a natural fairytale. Parts were lovely, but few were powerful in their totality.

All in all, this is a worthy addition to any folklore collection.

[Kotai Gyuri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Herald 2020

[Judith Shadford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the early section of the tales from Baal Shem Tov. They were so engaging and even plausible. In the later collection, the stories become increasingly similar--reliance on numerology, symbology and moralizing. In the early stories, when a character "becomes a coachman" you are jolting along beside the coachman and care about the outcome. The later collection are set-ups with two-dimensional characters meant to convey a moral.

[Thom Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorset.