A review by idicalini
The Fixer by Bernard Malamud

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...)