Hebrew Gothic: History and the Poetics of Persecution

"Makes a persuasive argument" that gothic ideas "play a vital role in how Hebrew writers have confronted history, culture, and politics." —Robert Alter, author of Hebrew and Modernity

Sinister tales written since the early twentieth century by the foremost Hebrew authors, including S.Y. Agnon, Leah Goldberg, and Amos Oz, reveal a darkness at the foundation of Hebrew culture. The ghosts of a murdered Talmud scholar and his kidnapped bride rise from their graves for a nocturnal dance of death...