The Complete Tales of Ketzia Gold

By Kate Bernheimer

Book Overview

The Complete Tales of Ketzia Gold is a lavishly poetic novel that draws upon the motifs of traditional German, Russian and Yiddish folklore and fairy stories to recount the visionary obsessions of a passionate young woman. The narrative moves freely through time and space, uniting Ketzia Gold's early childhood with her sexual awakenings, creating a dreamscape of haunting vividness. Marked by a logical illogic and disarmingly sane madness, this haunting and innovative fable creates an emotional landscape that's as impossible to escape as it is for young Ketzia to inhabit. Kate Bernheimer interweaves hypnotic imagery and everyday life, moving back and forth through time, piecing together the fragments of memory and imagination with an obsessive lyricism that recalls the poetic fictions of Carol Maso. Bernheimer's story is a rich tapestry, patterned with childhood longings and the luxuriant complexity of womanhood.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573660965
• ISBN13: 9781573660969
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: F2c
• Length: 194 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Ketzia Gold

Had to get this one for a class, really wierd, wouldn't say I'd buy it for my personal collection.

Golden!

Masterfully woven, Kate Bernheimer's new book leaves you at the edge, yearning for more! I cannot do her writing justice with this review, but I will try.From start to finish, the feel of this story is more of three stories interwoven like an intricate braid, woven, perhaps, by the deft hands of the triple aspect: young Ketzia, who lives with her parents and sisters, as the Maiden; working Ketzia, who is the responsible Mother; and tired Ketzia, who doesn't know how time is passing her by, as an old-before-her-time Crone. Taking turns, they weave with the golden thread the stories that run through our blood since olden times like a river through many lands. Here, Bernheimer utilizes tales from German, Russian, and Yiddish folklore. This thread does not overpower the story of our narrator, but ties her life together, bringing all three points to a beginning, not an end. Bernheimer's words have been a comfort to me, keeping me from thinking too much about life's woes. It felt like Ketzia was sitting next to me, telling me her stories, a commuter friend. I look forward to future novels!Kerrie ColantonioPenny-A-Page Publishing