Isaac Bashevis Singer "Passions."
The mysteries of religion and faith and of human sexuality are universal. Isaac Bashevis Singer explores these passions in his own unique voice in this 1975 collection of stories.
The twenty stories in "Passions" originally were published in magazines. They are set primarily both in pre-WW II Poland and in the United States, largely in New York City, but some stories are set elsewhere. In a brief Author's Note, Singer offers insight into the themes and passions of the collection. He wrote: "I deal with unique characters in unique circumstances, a group of people who are still a riddle to the world and often to themselves―the Jews of Eastern Europe, specifically the Yiddish-speaking Jews who perished in Poland and those who emigrated to the USA." The more he thought about this group, the more he was "baffled by the richness of their individuality" and, including himself in the group, "by my own whims and passions". Singer concluded with a strongly religious statement: "While I hope and pray for the redemption and the resurrection, I dare to say that, for me, these people are all living right now. In literature, as in our dreams, death does not exist."
Many of the stories in "Passions" have a strongly autobiographical cast and often involve a Singer-like character interaction with others and sharing their stories. Some of the stories in this collection are extended while others, less effectively, are in the nature of brief vignettes. The force of religion seems to me to become stronger in Singer's later works. He was deeply influenced by the God and religious beliefs of his youth although he was not a practicing or believing Jew. The title story of this collection, tells three inter-related tales of Polish Jews each of whom goes to extraordinary lengths in the pursuit of religious faith. The story ends with the teller of the tale realizing: "Everything can become a passion, even serving God." Another story with a strongly religious tone, "The Tutor in the Village" explores the tension between faith and modernity and concludes with the suggestion: "The gates of repentance are always open."
Publisher: ‎A Fawcett Crest Book
Mass Market Paperback. 1977.
New book. Slightly yellowing edges of pages. Very minor shelf wear from rubbing.