Singer Collected Stories: V. 1 (Library of America, 149) (Vol.1) Gimpel the Fool to The Letter Writer, by Isaac Bashevis Singer, is quite the unique, intense and extraordinary collection of short stories whose foundations are straight from the shtetl in Poland.

Singer is an incredible writer of the mystical and supernatural tale, and an extremely inventive writer, creating scenarios that often verge on the border of outrageous, that left me shaking my head at times at the absurdity of it all. Yet, within the structure of the stories there are deep and meaningful messages with positive illuminations that overpower the demons and imps that are out to set a stage of evil.

The evil that is contained, or let loose, if you will, is often haunting and eerie, leaving the reader with goose bumps running over their skin. The eerie aspect of the prose is abundant, giving the reader much to think about in the realms of morality and goodness. ( )

My introduction to European Yiddish culture. Singer's stories are a magic carpet ride to another world. The stories range from fairy tales to family stories. A number of the stories are set in modern times and appear to be semi-autobiographical. Each story is a well crafted journey that captured my emotions and imagination. Comedy and tragedy and everything in between are presented by the author with excellence. Reading these stories added enjoyment and new experience to my life. I recommend these stories as a must read for one and all. ( )