Guide for the Perplexed

by Jonathan Levi

Book Overview

In "a fable of fantastical lushness" (New York Times Book Review), Levi weaves together the stories of two strangers and their mysterious travel agent to present an extraordinarily crafted revisionist... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679739696
• ISBN13: 9780679739692
• Release Date: June 1993
• Publisher: Vintage Books USA
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic read

It has probably been a decade since I first read this book, and it remains among my top favorites. It brings together history and Jewish mysticism and the clash of cultures and religions in Spain in a compelling narrative. A great read.

the bees in the bourgainvillea lifted their thoraxes in awe

...is my favorite line from the book. It's little over the top at times, but it is full of lush images and ideas that layer on top of one another. Lovely.

The tanscendent power of a story.

I was drawn in by Levi's ability to craft a sentence, and forever affected by what he has to say. Yes, the Levi treads the line between the uncanny and the preposterous. Some of this is delightful (the origins of baseball and the name Florida), and some is nearly intolerably silly (deep historical references in Led Zeppelin lyrics). Through most of the book, these "what if" takes on history as we know it, contained mainly in old letters (and letters within letters), are pieces of a mainly amusing, sometimes compelling puzzle. But in the moving Book of Ruth ending, Levi's lesson on the importance of stories in organizing our lives and providing identity comes through briliantly. Particularly for Jews (and particlularly 500 years after the Expulsion), this book teaches a valuable lesson. Sometimes the best route to the truth begins with "Let me tell you a story."