David Neal Miller - Fear of Fiction: Narrative Strategies in the Works of Isaac Bashevis Singer

David Neal Millers Fear of Fiction is the first book-length study that begins with the understanding that Singer is truly a Yiddish writer in language and culture. With the exception of a handful of articles, American critical examination of Isaac Bashevis Singers work has been devoted to Singers work in Englishto those pieces he himself has selected for translation. This American Nobel laureate is part of a long tradition of Yiddish literature, and he still writes in that language. Working exclusively with Singers Yiddish textsmany of the pieces discussed here are not available in EnglishMiller examines Singers narrative strategies, his blurring of the distinctions between fiction and reportage. Fear of Fiction captures an intriguing paradox of Singers writing: Singer fictionalizes the factual and historicizes the imaginative. Miller demonstrates that Singer is no inspired innocent, but that this blending of genres is the work of a craftsman who uses genre to mediate between the world and the imagination. The book is enriched by Millers careful and sensitive translations of many illustrative Yiddish passages. Fear of Fiction is both erudite and entertaining. Miller not only examines Singers skillful undermining of our expectations of different genres, but also draws the reader into Singers work as a whole. This book will fascinate both the scholar and the sophisticated reader of Singer.