THE MAGICIAN OF LUBLIN

Isaac Bashevis Singer's tales of the Jews of Eastern Europe in the late nineteenth century capture all the warmth, humor, spirituality, and pathos of people trying to cope with a changing world. Yet Singer's stories are even more enjoyable when they're heard, rather than read. Larry Keith does a first-rate job in THE MAGICIAN OF LUBLIN, the story of Yasha, a Polish conjurer, escape artist, juggler, and acrobat, who tries to juggle relationships with four women the way he juggles four balls on stage. Yasha also is a Jew, but only after a series of calamities befalls him does he truly work to understand his religion and his life."He was always a stranger, amongst Jews as well as Gentiles. They had their God, their saints, their leaders. He had only doubt." Keith handles the occasional Yiddish phrases and Polish names adroitly, never stumbling. He also effectively distinguishes voices without force or artifice. R.C.G. 2002 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]