The Obsession

by Meyer Levin

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671216740
• ISBN13: 9780671216740
• Release Date: February 1973
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An Interesting Commentary on Freedom of Expression

Meyer Levin, a renowned author of books such as "The Settlers" and "The Old Bunch", provides a commentary on Jewish literature and the freedom of expression in this autobiographical work. In "The Obsession", Meyer shares his side of the story on his lawsuit against Otto Frank, the father of Jewish holocaust victim Anne Frank, over circumstances surrounding Levin's adaptation of "The Diary of a Young Girl" for the stage in the 1950s. According to Levin, after a number of producers and Frank himself praised and accepted his version of the Diary, all later boycotted the work when influential literary figures such as famed playwright Lillian Hellman privately proclaimed his play was "too Jewish."As Levin goes on to provide evidence for his claims, he gives readers an inside look at the McCarthyism era, politics within the entertainment industry from Broadway to films to the printed word, and deception in the American judicial system. His work also touches upon the conflicting attitudes toward Jewish literature and universalism, as he rallies for more freedom of expression. But above all, Levin paints a fascinating picture for the reader on the attitudes and sense of identity felt in Jews after the Holocaust, describing the various Jewish ideals and relations in Israel, America, and the Soviet Union that he encountered. Whether or not a reader ultimately agrees with Levin's accusations of persecution and literary suppression, "The Obsession" is not only a valuable social and political commentary, but with his frank descriptions of his personal perceptions, self-doubts, and ultimate "obsession", the book is a fascinating look into the human psyche.