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One of the most remarkable novels of the Holocaust ever written, Jakob the Liar is a tale of everyday heroism and the extraordinary power of illusion. Set in an unnamed German-occupied ghetto, the story centers on an unlikely hero, Jakob Heym, who accidentally overhears news of vital importance: the Russians are advancing on a city three hundred miles away. As Jakob's tidings rekindle hope and the promise of liberation, he feels compelled to elaborate. Forming a protective bond with a young orphan girl, Jakob becomes caught in his own web of optimistic lies. Awarded Germany's prestigious Heinrich Mann Prize for fiction and in a new translation by Leila Vennewitz, Jakob the Liar is a masterpiece of Kafkaesque comedy which unfolds with the impact of a timeless folk legend.
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Jakob the Liar, Jurek Becker
- Language
- Released
- 1999
- product-detail.submit-box.info.binding
- (Paperback)
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- Title
- Jakob the Liar
- Language
- English
- Authors
- Jurek Becker
- Publisher
- Plume
- Released
- 1999
- Format
- Paperback
- ISBN10
- 0452281709
- ISBN13
- 9780452281707
- Series
- Tags
- Fiction, Historical Themes, Classics, German Literature, Military Fiction, Wars, World War II, School, Jews, Holocaust, Nazism, Hope, Lies, Third Reich (Nazi Germany), 1933-1945, Radio, Ghetto
- Rating
- 3.85 out of 5
- Description
- One of the most remarkable novels of the Holocaust ever written, Jakob the Liar is a tale of everyday heroism and the extraordinary power of illusion. Set in an unnamed German-occupied ghetto, the story centers on an unlikely hero, Jakob Heym, who accidentally overhears news of vital importance: the Russians are advancing on a city three hundred miles away. As Jakob's tidings rekindle hope and the promise of liberation, he feels compelled to elaborate. Forming a protective bond with a young orphan girl, Jakob becomes caught in his own web of optimistic lies. Awarded Germany's prestigious Heinrich Mann Prize for fiction and in a new translation by Leila Vennewitz, Jakob the Liar is a masterpiece of Kafkaesque comedy which unfolds with the impact of a timeless folk legend.