THE CAPTIVE SOUL OF THE MESSIAH: New Tales About Reb Nachman

by Howard Schwartz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1983

Thanks to Martin Buber and others, the Hasidic parables of the 18th century's Reb Nachman of Bratslav have been preserved as a powerful treasury of the Midrashic tradition: short, haunting, mystical tales that often read almost like miniature Kafka stories. Here, then, poet/folklorist Schwartz (Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales) offers his own tales in that tradition, new allegories involving mystical forces--featuring Reb Nachman, his secretary/disciple Reb Shimon, and his scribe Reb Nussan. But, though Schwartz's new parables demonstrate his deep, knowledgeable immersion into Hasidic spirituality, they lack the force and magic of the originals: many of the tales, unlike their models, go on far too long--stretching out the stinging epigraphy of the Hasidic masters, padding out small anecdotes in a way that seems disconcertingly modern. Somewhat inauthentic, too, is the self-conscious preoccupation here with literary matters, with the Hasidic written tradition: there's a preponderance of tales about the Book of Mysteries, the order of the Torah, a sea of ink, the baring of Reb Nachman's most secret works--all of which tend to reflect Schwartz's role as modern scholar/writer more than Reb Nachman's own priorities. Admirers of the Buber Tales, then, will find little to match them here, though students of the tradition may be curious to see what Schwartz has tried to do with it.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Schocken

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1983

Categories: FICTION