The Book of the Unknown.

Keats, Jonathan The Book of the Unknown.
Random House/Knopf/Anchor/Three Rivers 2009 222p 13.00 978-0-8129-7897-1 adult

Keats explores the shadowy world of ancient European shtetls, incorporating aspects of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, and the Talmudic idea of the thirty-six righteous souls, the Lamedh-Vov who must exist for the world to continue, into his writings. Envision if you will, the paintings of Marc Chagall translated into this collection of twelve tales, imagined on the stories of magical Jewish folklore. Keats explores the shadowy world of ancient European shtetls, incorporating aspects of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, and the Talmudic idea of the thirty-six righteous souls, the Lamedh-Vov who must exist for the world to continue, into his writings. He begins his collection with a foreword by a fictional professor that sets the scene for his characters. In each of the stories, the protagonist is not always a heroic sort but an ordinary person trying to live in a world in which goodness and kindness will prevail. Magic and mysticism are intertwined throughout. This engaging collection of adult fairy tales offers a fascinating look at modern adaptations of Jewish folklore and is sure to be popular. S.Ogintz