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Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods (P.S.) |  | Author: Michael Wex
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Category: Book
List Price: $13.99
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Seller: bay-city-books
Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 52937
Media: Paperback
Pages: 303
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.3 x 1
ISBN: 0061132179
Dewey Decimal Number: 439.109
EAN: 9780061132179
ASIN: 0061132179
Publication Date: August 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A delightful excursion through the Yiddish language, the culture it defines and serves, and the fine art of complaint Throughout history, Jews around the world have had plenty of reasons to lament. And for a thousand years, they've had the perfect language for it. Rich in color, expressiveness, and complexity, Yiddish has proven incredibly useful and durable. Its wonderful phrases and idioms impeccably reflect the mind-set that has enabled the Jews of Europe to survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution . . . and enables them to kvetch about it! Michael Wex—professor, scholar, translator, novelist, and performer—takes a serious yet unceasingly fun and funny look at this remarkable kvetch-full tongue that has both shaped and has been shaped by those who speak it. Featuring chapters on curse words, food, sex, and even death, he allows his lively wit and scholarship to roam freely from Sholem Aleichem to Chaucer to Elvis. Perhaps only a khokhem be-layle (a fool, literally a "sage at night," when there's no one around to see) would care to pass up this endearing and enriching treasure trove of linguistics, sociology, history, and folklore—an intriguing appreciation of a unique and enduring language and an equally fascinating culture.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 52
 Be coy.... Goy July 13, 2010
Sparrow
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I thought this book, Born to Kvetch, was totally something different. Funny it was not. I grew up in N.Y.C. so I've been around almost any type of Jew that exists. I've dated Ashkenazi Jewish Girls and it was always the same response from the parents, " He's a nice boy, but is he Jewish"? Oy vay.
The author Michael Wex, explains that the phrase "Goyisher Kop" means "Idiot, Simpleton" has it's origins from the word "Poyersher" meaning "Peasant" deriving from the German vernacular. He goes on to explain "Not every Goy was a poyer, but, every poyer was a Goy; and to the Yiddish speaker they were all Jed Clampett." Truly a racist statement, as if this author speaks for every Jew in the world. Bobkes! Naturally, everyone likes to take pot shots at eachs expense. However, Wex see no problem with a Yiddish Nation taking a weird sense of pride in being xenophobic Jews. To further my proof of his division, he states proudly
" Sheygets and Shikse were MEANT as barriers, fences between Jewish youth and the easy sexuality of "The heathen who do not know God" Wow, this guy is a real putz.
This next shot at Christians is my favorite "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, for not having made me a goy"
He goes on to say, "This, Ahem; Blessing, recited every morning, is generally interpreted as an expression of THANKS for all the mitsves that we are obliged to perform" Thank goodness, this putz doesn't speak for God, or other Jews I know.
I guess if you're a hard core Yiddish speaking xenophobic Jew, this book was meant for your enjoyment. In my opinion, this book should be sold in a Glatt Kosher supermarket; because It's rancid. I'd rather read a book from Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. His books aren't inflammatory, they enlighten. The Jews I'm friends with get 5 Jewish stars. This guy can kiss my tukhes!!!!
 Born to Kvetch February 8, 2010
N. J. Clifford (Denver, CO)
Not nearly so good as Hyman Kaplan or the Joys of Yiddish. It is a good book for someone who wants a detailed study of Yiddish.
 Real great read! November 20, 2009
Taras Omelchenko (Ukraine, Kiev)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I purchased the book about a month ago and I must say that besides being a real good read this is one of those books that a serious reader will keep coming back to over a long period of time.
I speak some Yiddish but I never could think of ever possessing a book of this wonderful format. I mean I read Yiddish alright but I never really knew that there's a very special spirit behind it!
I do recommend the book to anyone who's genuinely interested in real Ashkenazi Jewish culture. I'm also looking forward to receiving the Author's "Just Say Nu" book! Being Ukrainian I do use the "nu" almost every day myself :)
By the way "Born To Kvetch" will make many readers with Slavic background smile quite a few times since Yiddish does make wonderful use of Slavic vocabulary, much of it common for Ukrainian and Polish.
With great thanks and best wishes to Michael Wex from Kiev,
Taras
Oy vey... November 13, 2009
e. verrillo (williamsburg, ma)
I can't kvetch about this book because it was great. (In spite of all the dated pop culture references.) Michael Wex does an excellent job of describing Yiddish and conveying the underpinnings of the culture that gave it birth. He does so with profound insight, with an impressive breadth of scholarship, and with an occasional one-liner that will have you laughing out loud. (My favorite was "The kvetch is a living nightmare; the curse, a dream deferred.")
Wex does not spare his readers the sociolinguistic and etymological details, which means non-linguists may find parts of this book hard going. My advice is to ramble on through those sections that discuss the more esoteric aspects of Yiddish, until you get to something you can really sink your teeth into. (Patience!Those delights will come!) Even if you are not up to tackling vowel shifts in the different dialects, there will be curses! food! sex! beatings! and death-defying irony!
Although my primary interest in reading this book was linguistic, what I learned was much more than the ins and outs of Yiddish. I learned a bit about my own history. On every page I heard the voice of my grandmother, and...I think...I finally understand what she was saying. (Apparently, "a khalerya af dir" does not mean "come to dinner".) Even if you don't speak Yiddish, that most expressive of languages, you will come away from this book enlightened.
Enjoy.
 a review by a goy November 9, 2009
Jason A. Gagnon (Cobleskill, NY USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
do you know why Jews leave stones of grave markers? It's because it was once believed that reading gravestones would dull your memory, so you needed to counteract that magic- but stone magic can only be counteracted by stone magic- and only when the stones are touching. Interesting, no?
If you're looking for more interesting ways to disparage Christianity than the normal idiotic blatherings of atheists, check out this book- yiddish is full of idiomatic expressions relating to Jesus that do not put That Man in a good light.
a fantastic book, and well written- if you are an aficionado of Jewish culture, or have spent any time at all in NY, you'll love this book, whether or not you yourself are a Jew.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 52
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