On the surface I have little in common with a 19th-century Russian Jewish peasant, yet these stories resonated with me. Tevye’s faith and his knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and teachings help him endure the hardships he encounters. Tevye’s love for his daughters reminds me of my own father. It must have been daunting to take on the job of narrating the audio version of such a well-known character. Listeners can’t help but compare this performance to Topel’s portrayal of Tevye on stage and screen. Neville Jason’s delivery far exceeded my expectation. I don’t often do rereads, but this one is worth a revisit. ( )

Reason read: ROOT, Alpha

This is a collection of short stories by Yiddish author (pen name) that are the bases for the play and movie Fiddler on The Roof. A favorite of mine. It was good to read the story and sometimes the music would play through my head or a line would pop. There are more stories than what are in the movie. I like the musical better because I love the songs. ( )

SYNC: Neville Jason’s performance makes Tevye’s Yiddish wit, wisdom, and melancholy utterly believable. Tevye, whom listeners will know from the popular musical Fiddler on the Roof, recounts the tales of his family’s daily life under the iron fist of the Russian tsar. Jason makes Tevye more than a milkman, but rather a philosopher of commonsense with a keen eye for irony. With subtlety and nuance, Jason masters Tevye’s self-deprecating humor. As all the misery and wretchedness of the world pour down on his head, Jason’s Tevye seems to shrug his shoulders and move on. ( )

טוביה החולב : טוביה החולב השלם : כל סיפוריו של טוביה החולב, עסקיו ומסחריו, נסיונותיו, מאורעותיו ודברי ימי בנותיו ויתר תקפו וגבורתו, רוב חכמתו וחידושי תורתו / Ṭoviyah ha-ḥolev : Ṭoviyah ha-ḥolev ha-shalem : kol sipuraṿ shel Ṭoviyah ha-ḥolev, ʻasaḳaṿ u-misḥaraṿ, nisyonotaṿ, meʼoraʻotaṿ ṿe-divre yeme benotaṿ ṿe-yeter toḳpo u-gevurato, rov ḥokhmato ṿe-ḥidushe torato
Author: שלום עליכם. שלום עליכם ; תרגם י.ד. ברקוביץ. ברקוביץ, י. ד. ; Sholem Aleichem; Yitzḥak Dov Berkowitz

This is the second time I've read this classic. I loved the writing of Tevye, but found Railroad Stories repetitive, and not too interesting. I was less than thrilled with many of the portrayals. ( )