Job. Story of a simple man

Original title: Job

Translation (into Catalan): Judith Vilar

Year of publication: 1930

Valuation: Between recommendable and okay

Its first half takes place mainly in Zuchnov, a miserable village in Russia; The second part, however, takes place in New York, United States. It stars Mendel Singer, a devout Jew, his wife and their three children.

Each of the characters in the main cast is adequately characterized. Even some secondary players parade with their heads held high, despite the little focus given to them; This is the case, for example, of Sameschkin, who has very interesting dynamics with Deborah, Mendel’s wife, and shares a moving scene with the latter.

Many topics are considered in Job: the suffering of the unfortunate, marital estrangement, aging, ambivalence towards children, the melancholy of the stateless, the clash with the American idiosyncrasy, disenchantment with God… These themes are treated with humility, but without underestimating them, and They are approached from the always changing perspective of the characters, as well as depending on the tone that permeates the novel at each moment (especially bittersweet or tragic).

Roth’s narrative style is, as I mentioned above, very powerful. Deceptively simple, it uses several resources in its favor (such as repetition) and provides passages, descriptions or reflections of great significance.

Maybe, yes, Job It is a work slightly inferior to other similar ones. As a character study focused especially on Mendel it is less complete and nuanced than it could have been. As a fiction that revolves around the Jewish, it does not quite reach all the possible depth either. Be that as it may, this does not prevent us from being faced with a formidable novel that boasts magnificent prose, a solid cast and mature reflections.

Also from Joseph Roth in ULAD: Here