THE STORIES OF I.L. PERETZ

What a wonder-filled experience we have in this Jewish Contemporary Classics production of I. L. Peretz's stories. Here we cross the threshold to the world of Jewish law, the Polish shtetl, and the eccentricities of its inhabitants. In each story we are aware that it isn't so much the "Jew as colorful and occasionally sympathetic subject" that matters, but the link the story provides between the contemporary and a bygone way of life rich in cultural heritage. Not surprisingly, Suzanne Toren and two-time Audie winner George Guidall perform each piece with subtlety and appropriate irony, never allowing themselves to slip into caricature. Vocal selections by Rabbi Norman Janis, and an afterword by Ruth R. Wisse, enhance this literary treasure. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]