American Jewish Fiction Turns Inward

Abstract:

This essay examines recent fiction which draws on Jewish resources and/or deals with Jewish themes. Special attention is devoted to stories and novels that focus on Jewish religious or spiritual issues. The essay begins with a brief documentation of the broad scope of renewed interest in Jewish topics on the American Jewish literary scene; then it proceeds to an analysis of spiritual American Jewish fiction through a close look at several significant works. Finally, the essay explores possible reasons for the receptivity of reading audiences to particularistic Jewish fiction and suggests potential directions of such literature in the near future.

In American Jewish Yearbook 1991, pp. 35-69.