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A review by acton
The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-Six by Jonathon Keats
4.0
The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty Six brings to life the concept of the Lamedh-Vov, the thirty-six pure souls who must exist at all times to justify humanity, as outlined in Jewish folklore. Coincidentally, I encountered this concept very recently in another novel, called The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss, which definitely influenced my expectation that these thirty-six pure souls would be the most righteous human beings. And yet. Here we are presented with stories of twelve lives, one third of the Lamedh-Vov who were supposed to have existed at one point in time, and these souls are quite a surprise.
Keats's tales are introduced with a fictional foreward by a fictional professor and followed by a fictional editor's afterward, letting the public in on the events surrounding these very controversial stories and the possible fate of the author, who has disappeared.
And this work would be controversial, indeed, since these pure souls are composed of an idiot, a liar, a gambler, a thief, a clown, a whore, a false messiah, a cheat, an idler, a golem, a murderer, and a rebel. But wait, wait--they are here for a reason. Every one of them encounters the worst hatred and cruelty that human nature has to offer, but they respond with kindness and wisdom, improving the lives of everyone around them. Some of these characters meet more fortunate endings than others, and these endings are not predictable.
Of these twelve folkloric stories, my personal favorites are Alef the Idiot, Heyh the Clown, Tet the Idler, Yod the Inhuman, and Yod-Beit the Rebel. This book isn't out yet, but if you should come across it, I'd be most interested to know which tales caught your eye. They are all fascinating; as soon as I started one, I had to finish.
Keats's tales are introduced with a fictional foreward by a fictional professor and followed by a fictional editor's afterward, letting the public in on the events surrounding these very controversial stories and the possible fate of the author, who has disappeared.
And this work would be controversial, indeed, since these pure souls are composed of an idiot, a liar, a gambler, a thief, a clown, a whore, a false messiah, a cheat, an idler, a golem, a murderer, and a rebel. But wait, wait--they are here for a reason. Every one of them encounters the worst hatred and cruelty that human nature has to offer, but they respond with kindness and wisdom, improving the lives of everyone around them. Some of these characters meet more fortunate endings than others, and these endings are not predictable.
Of these twelve folkloric stories, my personal favorites are Alef the Idiot, Heyh the Clown, Tet the Idler, Yod the Inhuman, and Yod-Beit the Rebel. This book isn't out yet, but if you should come across it, I'd be most interested to know which tales caught your eye. They are all fascinating; as soon as I started one, I had to finish.