The Fixer by Bernard Malamud, pages 1 - 150

[George]

Please comment here on The Fixer by Barnard Malamud, pages 1 - 150.

[Mary]

Am nearly halfway through the book. Don't know if I will finish it; it's such a difficult read because of the injustice and the torture. The book is well-written, and so very depressing.

[George]

Yes, the injustice and torture are hard to read. I can understand your reluctance to keep reading. I found myself reading in ten page lots until the last 60 pages. What kept me going was Yakov's sense of hope, his mental strength and determination. I found learning more about his relationship with his wife interesting. The behaviour of a couple of the prison guards towards the later part of the book also helped keep my interest going.
There are some great lines in this book:
Yakov states, "life could be better that it is". "You can't sit still and see yourself destroyed". "What suffering has taught me is the uselessness of suffering". "I fix what's broken - except in the heart". "Charity you can give even when you haven't got".

[Irene]

Great quotes. Thanks for those.