Siegfried Follies
With an historical sweep grounded in twentieth-century Germany, Israel, and the United States, Richard Alther moves from horror to felicity with a wise and witty hand. SIEGFRIED FOLLIES is by turns keenly observed, screamingly funny, and quietly reflective. --William John Kennedy, Comparative Literature, Cornell UniversityHow could the Germans create a Holocaust? What is in the Jewish spirit that has provoked persecution through the centuries? Unflinchingly, in exploring the psyches of two men and the culture in which each is embedded, this rich novel probes the world as a whole. Richard Alther delves into German and Jewish history, the Talmud, the Old Testament, Wagnerian opera, and writings ranging from Mein Kampf to stories from the Ball Shem Tov, resulting in a riveting story of two orphans, polar opposites, who forge an intimate bond. --Maria Espinosa, American Book Award Winner for the novel, LONGING