num_pages: 244
description: One of the most remarkable novels of the Holocaust ever written, Jakob the Liar is a tale of everyday heroism and the extraordinary power of illusion. Set in an unnamed German-occupied ghetto, the story centers on an unlikely hero, Jakob Heym, who accidentally overhears news of vital importance: the Russians are advancing on a city three hundred miles away. As Jakob's tidings rekindle hope and the promise of liberation, he feels compelled to elaborate. Forming a protective bond with a young orphan girl, Jakob becomes caught in his own web of optimistic lies. Awarded Germany's prestigious Heinrich Mann Prize for fiction and in a new translation by Leila Vennewitz, Jakob the Liar is a masterpiece of Kafkaesque comedy which unfolds with the impact of a timeless folk legend.
language: English
title: Jakob the Liar
titlecomplete: Jakob the Liar
genres: Fiction, Holocaust, Classics, World War II, German Literature, Germany, War, Historical Fiction, Novels, School
ratings_count: 2822
places: Poland, Lodz
awards: awardedAt: 852105600000
name: Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize
category: Leila Vennewitz
publisher: Plume