Read? | Imamother

amother

Sat, May 10 2014, 6:26 pm

Since I grew frummer than I used to be I stopped reading secular literature. I know what there is, which of it used to be good, etc. but I stopped looking into the present literary market. With time I noticed my language began deteriorating, I also notice mistakes in the Jewish fiction print as well as scholarly literature. I suffer, can you tell? I wouldn't they care for the beauty of the language if it is the laguage they use? What should I do? I'm reluctant to start reading secular literature again since I don't know in advance what I am to find inside. How do you choose your books? (Those who never stopped reading, please refrain from condescending remarks, thank you).

Maya

Sat, May 10 2014, 10:05 pm

Perhaps you can read biographies or memoirs, particularly those of authors. That's my favorite genre, and there's rarely any real garbage in them.

If that interests you, I can recommend some of my more recent favorite ones.

amother

Sun, May 11 2014, 1:45 am

Maya wrote:

Unfortunately not. I like fiction or good non-fiction, if written well. To me it matters how it's written, that's why Jewish literature, biographies included, is a mash for me.

tigerwife

Sun, May 11 2014, 8:30 am

Avoid Jewish books that were translated from Hebrew- I think this is where most of the bad mistakes stem from.

Try works from these authors: Sender Zeyv, Meir Uri Gottesman, Etka Gittel Schwartz

zigi

Sun, May 11 2014, 9:38 am

also henye meyer. the easiest is a clean break. its hard to read secular and then read a thriller example grisham and then the latest jewish thriller. so I try to stay away from reading both at the same time. if you want to read secular books. amazon reveiws are pretty helpful people complain about language and sensuality if there is any and some people write a whole synopsis of the book.

Odelyah

Sun, May 11 2014, 10:24 am

I used to read very good secular literature and stopped a while ago (except for occasionally pre-screening something for one of my kids, or picking something up at my mother-in-law's house).

I just read In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist by Ruchama King Feuerman on Shabbos. She is an outstanding writer by secular standards. I highly recommend both her books-- this new one, and her first: Seven Blessings. They are published by secular publishers and if you are very sensitive there is a little bit of language and some other things that you wouldn't find in Feldheim, but I think they are beautiful books, from both a Jewish and literary perspective.

Iymnok

Sun, May 11 2014, 10:28 am

tigerwife wrote:

Avoid Jewish books that were translated from Hebrew- I think this is where most of the bad mistakes stem from.

Try works from these authors: Sender Zeyv, Meir Uri Gottesman, Etka Gittel Schwartz

Second for Gottesman and Sender Zeyv

Odelyah

Sun, May 11 2014, 10:33 am

tigerwife wrote:

Avoid Jewish books that were translated from Hebrew- I think this is where most of the bad mistakes stem from.

Try works from these authors: Sender Zeyv, Meir Uri Gottesman, Etka Gittel Schwartz

A stark exception to this is Chaim Walder's adult fiction short stories. Some of the writing in Listen to the Soul and Subject to Change is really incredible. (Maybe the other authors' translated stuff just wasn't very good to begin with?)

amother

Sun, May 11 2014, 5:37 pm

tigerwife wrote:

Avoid Jewish books that were translated from Hebrew- I think this is where most of the bad mistakes stem from.

Try works from these authors: Sender Zeyv, Meir Uri Gottesman, Etka Gittel Schwartz

What do they write? I don't like detective stories and pseudo history novels. Even Eva Vogiel makes me grind my teeth although hers is a very clear and beautiful language. You read it and taste milk in it. But the facts of time are rather contradictional in themselves and I can't abstract from it.

amother

Sun, May 11 2014, 5:39 pm

Odelyah wrote:

Thanks! I'll have a look.

Odelyah

Sun, May 11 2014, 7:34 pm

You're welcome! Along the same lines, another Torah-observant author named Risa Miller wrote an award-winning novel published by a mainstream secular publisher called Welcome to Heavenly Heights. It's also very good (especially if you like magical realism). If I recall correctly it's pretty sad though (I read it a few years ago).

PinkFridge

Sun, May 11 2014, 10:06 pm

tigerwife wrote:

Avoid Jewish books that were translated from Hebrew- I think this is where most of the bad mistakes stem from.

Try works from these authors: Sender Zeyv, Meir Uri Gottesman, Etka Gittel Schwartz

Another exception: The Betrayal and The Outcast by M. Kenan. I just finished the second and thought it was great!

ETA: just went to The Outcast thread. Yes, this book had its flaws, but I still thought it was really fine read. I'll defend that. But I assume that defending that has now made me lose any credibility I might have had left on this score Tongue Out