Mark Twain's Jews - Hardcover

Vogel, Dan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0881259160 ISBN 13: 9780881259162

Publisher: Ktav Pub & Distributors Inc, 2006

About this title

From Booklist

Vogel writes in his introduction that Mark Twain mentioned Jews many times in notebook entries and autobiographical recollections, in newspaper articles and personal letters, and in sketches and essays. He points out that Twain's readers did not react to the intermittent references to Jews before the publication of Concerning the Jews, his major statement about anti-Semitism, in 1899. That essay has become the subject of controversy. Some readers and scholars believe that Twain was guilty of anti-Semitism, but Vogel believes that Twain deserves a more thorough investigation and judgment concerning his perception of Jews. Vogel concludes that in Twain's early remarks there is no motivation to do any harm to any Jews, Jewish community, or the race at large; "on the contrary, there is evidence that he abhorred such an attitude." He defines Twain's attitude as "innocent anti-Semitic discourse and innocently misplaced humor." Vogel believes that Twain's admiration for the Jewish people is clear; their history is to Twain amazing and unique. Vogel's documentation and analysis of the subject are absorbing. George Cohen
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About this edition

• Publisher: Ktav Pub & Distributors Inc
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0881259160
• ISBN 13: 9780881259162
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 146