The Fixer: A Novel

· Sold by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
4.5
2 reviews
Ebook
352
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

The Fixer is the winner of the 1967 National Book Award for Fiction and the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

The Fixer (1966) is Bernard Malamud's best-known and most acclaimed novel -- one that makes manifest his roots in Russian fiction, especially that of Isaac Babel.

Set in Kiev in 1911 during a period of heightened anti-Semitism, the novel tells the story of Yakov Bok, a Jewish handyman blamed for the brutal murder of a young Russian boy. Bok leaves his village to try his luck in Kiev, and after denying his Jewish identity, finds himself working for a member of the anti-Semitic Black Hundreds Society. When the boy is found nearly drained of blood in a cave, the Black Hundreds accuse the Jews of ritual murder. Arrested and imprisoned, Bok refuses to confess to a crime that he did not commit.

Ratings and reviews

4.5
2 reviews
rose
April 8, 2021
A good book, but a rather hard read. Beyond the difficult themes and gritty view of reality, malmud's writing style makes it difficult to really get into the flow of reading the book. An easy recommendation for someone interested in philosophy or psychology. However, I would strongly recommend against any teacher assigning this as required reading, as it would very easily ruin an otherwise interesting book, but many readers are likely to struggle with the language choices.
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Ludwig R. Reindl
November 12, 2022
Out of the pan, and into the fire of history.
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About the author

Bernard Malamud (1914-1986) published eight novels, including The Fixer, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. The Magic Barrel, a collection of short stories, also won the National Book Award. Born in Brooklyn, Malamud was a beloved teacher for many years at Bennington College in Vermont.

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