Reviews

The Fixer by Bernard Malamud

idicalini's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I give this a very reluctant 3 stars. I think the book itself is quite well-written, but for me it's impossible to separate it from the topic and the bleak depression it inspires, especially after I learned it was based on an actual case in 1913 Kiev. 

I enjoyed the book at first. I was interested in reading about life in the shtetl, but it quickly moved away from that to Kiev, and then quite quickly to prison, which to me felt like it covered the vast majority of the book. The betrayals that Yakov Bok experiences, the degradations, slowly going crazy in solitary confinement with every false glimmer of hope only serving to make things worse, it was horrible to read through. The fact that Beilis (who the book is based on) was ultimately acquitted, and that there are many protests (both in the book and in real life) does offer some light in the darkness. The author certainly portrays all this well, but I am ready for some wholesome cozy fantasy now... 

Read for the book club (reluctantly, because I thought that after Billy we would move away from such utterly depressing books...)

jslive's review against another edition

5.0

A great read. Over-the-top in places, but forcefully makes the point that life is political.

lesserjoke's review against another edition

4.0

This 1966 Pulitzer-winning novel tells the story of a nonpracticing Jew in late Tsarist Russia who is arrested and falsely accused of murdering a Christian boy for ritualistic purposes. It's a fictionalized version of the case of Menahem Mendel Beilis, and author Bernard Malamud nails the antisemitic fervor that propelled such cases through the courts on the flimsiest of evidence. In the novel, the prisoner's situation becomes a kafkaesque nightmare of administrative doublespeak as his treatment steadily worsens over his continuing refusal to confess to a crime he didn't commit, offering shades of both The Crucible and the biblical Book of Job as his protests of innocence are all but ignored in light of the lurid yet ever-shifting testimony against him. This is a book that still feels shockingly relevant half a century after publication and a full century past its setting, as antisemitism and abuses of the justice system continue to thrive. May we all be able to face such corruption with the resolve of Yakov Bok!

ennhandly's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

jasmine_paints's review against another edition

Depressing in the very best way. My first Malamud and many more in my future!

chaibby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

suvata's review against another edition

5.0

Continuing my TBR project:
This is one the oldest selection on my TBR list - Originally added February 26, 2016.

The Fixer was written in 1966 and won Bernard Malamud both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Set in Kiev in 1911, it is the story of a Jewish handyman named Yakov Bok. During that time, anti-Semitism was widespread in Russia. Bok was falsely accused of brutally murdering an adolescent Russian boy. He was arrested, imprisoned and spent years trying to convince the authorities of his innocence. A great work of historical significance.

papelgren's review against another edition

4.0

Malamud paints a grim and riveting picture of anti-Semitism in early 20th century Russia. The book trudges in filth but does it beautifully. Bok stubbornly refuses to let the authorities use him to their evil ends, and his stubbornness to find dignity in the worst possible circumstances is what makes the book palatable. This tragedy is not structured like most. It starts low and digs to hell, never once letting up.

krobart's review against another edition

4.0

Written in the folktale style of Sholem Aleichem, The Fixer tells the story of a poor Jewish man who is framed by the authorities for the murder of a young boy. It is based on a true story of 1911 Kiev.

See my complete review here:

http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/the-fixer/

tittypete's review against another edition

5.0

Loved it. Dark and sad but with a glimmer of triumph toward the end. Takes place in a time and location I don't know much about though it's supposedly Fiddler on the Roof's setting was similar. A dude from the Pale of Settlement goes to Kyiv in search of work, hiding the fact that he's a Jew. He gets arrested for killing a Russian kid in a ritual murder blood-libel style and rots in prison while the Russians (Ukranians?) try to get him to confess. He holds fast and it's brutal. Shows the depths people will sink to to hold on to their scapegoats and hatred. Pretty fucked up. And another example of that part of the world being the mother of all shittiness.