David Herman

David Herman was the chairman of this year’s Risa Domb/Porjes Prize for the best English translations of Hebrew Literature

Saturday

David Herman

What is the greatest Jewish book ever written?

From our UK edition

What are the best Jewish books? Who are the best Jewish writers? And what are the best books about Judaism? At the beginning of March, Jewish Book Week will celebrate its 75th anniversary so there is no better time to ask these big questions. Among the best Jewish-American books are Henry Roth’s classic novel about immigration, Call It Sleep and Saul Bellow’s Herzog The best Jewish books are a wonderful mix of novels, short stories and plays. Some are American, many are by Soviet or east European writers, and a few are British. Among the best Jewish-American books are Henry Roth’s classic novel about immigration, Call It Sleep, Saul Bellow’s novel Herzog, Arthur Miller’s last great play, Broken Glass, and Philip Roth’s short story, Eli the Fanatic.

Tuesday

David Herman

Box of tricks: The Imposters, by Tom Rachman, reviewed

From our UK edition

The Imposters is Tom Rachman’s fifth book in just over a decade. It is also his best – full of twists and surprises. Each chapter follows a different individual and captures their life in just a few pages. Many of the characters then weave in and out of other chapters. As the book unfolds there are more and more back-references, adding to what we think we know about the characters, but also contributing to a sense of uncertainty that runs through the book. It begins simply enough. We meet an elderly couple, Dora Frenhofer, a novelist, and her partner Barry. Dora will become the central character. Her memory is going, and, worse still, her career as an author is coming to an end. ‘She talks of writing another novel. There will be none.