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The Fixer
The Fixer
Author: Bernard Malamud
Yakov Bok is an ordinary man accused of "ritual murder" and persecuted by agents of a remote and all-powerful state. But when he is at last pushed too far, he triumphs over almost incredible brutality and becomes a moral giant. THE FIXER brought both a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award to Bernard Malamud. He has been acclaimed by the L...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780671460754
ISBN-10: 0671460757
Publication Date: 7/1976
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 10

3.6 stars, based on 10 ratings
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Fixer on + 220 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a novel of life in Czarist Russia. It is a work of human grandeur and nobility-of human will- threatened with destruction but determined to survive. A classic, A++++.
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reviewed The Fixer on + 113 more book reviews
Fascinating look at what it meant to be Jewish in the Tsarist Russian world. Such freedoms we now take for granted. Excellent writing. Reminded me a lot of Dosteovsky.
reviewed The Fixer on + 813 more book reviews
Yakov Bok is a Jew in Czarist Russia in the early years of the 20th century. It is during the time of the pogroms. Never having any luck, when his wife deserts him for a goy is moves to the big city. There his luck, even when it seems to be changing, goes from poor to as bad as it gets. He is accused of the ritual murder of a young boy. The author weaves masterfully the circumstances leading to his arrest. Most of the novel concerns his incarceration and the injustice of a justice system in a time fraught with prejudice, ambition, and corruption. The details of his imprisonment are so degrading and graphic that it would seem that the author has based it on personal experience. Be prepared for a surprise ending. Or is there a surprise, or even an ending? You be the judge.

The book contains well-written prose, except for some sentences that end with prepositions. But, is this the author, or some college-educated editor who insists on ignoring the old rule that a preposition is not a good word to end a sentence with. Evidently this no longer matters in modern grammar usage as college textbooks and writing manuals have long since eliminated any reference to this rule.
reviewed The Fixer on + 285 more book reviews
Superb...a literary event in any season.
reviewed The Fixer on
Despite a series of unbelievable misfortunes in a country where there are no real human rights, the main character triumphs over his situation with amazing humor. Malamud is a great writer, and this is totally different from the other book I've read of his. Makes you want to find more of his books.


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