The Far Side of the River: Selected Short Stories

Bruce K. Filson was a freelance writer and critic residing in Chesterville, Ontario.

Yaacov Zipper was born in Poland, immigrated to Canada in 1925, and died here in 1983. He wrote short stories and novels in Hebrew and Yiddish. That he was an internationally known Yiddish author is not surprising, because the tight, impressive construction and the spiritual power of these stories are unmistakably special and rare.

It’s difficult to compare Zipper to most other Canadian writers. He is more appropriately compared to Isaac Bashevis Singer. These nine stories, deftly translated into English, speak eloquently of the twentieth century Jewish Zeitgeist. They deal with the real subjective truths and deceptions within their characters. Those with purely secular interests will have difficulty relating to their conflicts and tensions, for religious consciousness permeates the stories. The prose is supple and subtle as it shifts from description to dialogue to inner reflections.

An Afterword, a Glossary of Yiddish and Hebrew Terms, a Biographical Note, and a Bibliography accompany the text in order to introduce us to this fascinating author.