Nachman of Bratslav, descended from the founder of the Hasidic movement, carved a singular path as a Jewish spiritual leader. Towards the end of his life, he suffered the devastating loss of his young son, which prompted him to turn increasingly inward and seek consolation from the world of the creative imagination.
The result was the 13 fascinating, unique tales in this collection. A landmark in Jewish literature, they depict a surreal world where princes bleed jewels and princesses sail the seas in men's clothing, leaving destruction in their wake. As each tale unfolds, certainties are undermined and images of enigmatic beauty emerge. In a sparkling new translation, Nachman's skewed fables reveal strange and profound depths, prefiguring the modern sensibilities of Gogol and Kafka.