At the end of one of these perceptive and affecting stories, a character says, "Man does not live according to reason." That might be the theme of the collection. These people – Jewish immigrants from Poland, the deeply religious and irreligious, the schemers and dreamers – have their lives disrupted by situations and people that are wholly irrational. The characterizations are spiky and piquant, and most of the stories end with either that satisfying "snap" or falling notes of pathos. Isaac Bashevis Singer throws into the bargain a wealth of information for a Gentile like me about Jewish sects and practices. A great book to end 2021 on.
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