 | The People of Godlbozhits Subjects: Jews -- Poland -- Fiction; Shtetls -- Poland -- Fiction; Poland -- History -- 1918–1945 -- Fiction; Jewish fiction; Historical fiction; First published in 1936, The People of Godlbozhits depicts the ordinary yet deeply complex life of a Jewish community, following the fortunes of one family and its many descendants. Set in a shtetl in Poland between the world wars, Rashkin's satiric novel offers a vivid cross-section not only of the residents' triumphs and struggles but also of their dense and complicated web of humanity. With biting humor and acerbic wit, Rashkin portrays the stratified society--the petty bourgeoisie, artisans, and proletariat--observing the crookedness at every level. The novel's brisk and oftentimes lively Yiddish prose and its colorful and irascible cast of characters give readers a Yiddish Yoknapatawpha in all its tragic absurdity. Leyb Rashkin (pen name of Shol Fridman; 1903/4-1939) was born in Kazimierz Dolny, where he was the manager of a cooperative bank and of several hardware stores. The People of Godlbozhits was awarded a literary prize by the Polish Jewish PEN club. |
