The Spinoza of Market Street

by Isaac Bashevis Singer

Genres: Historical Fiction; Jewish Fiction; Short Stories

Synopsis

“The Spinoza of Market Street” is yet another masterful short story from literary great Isaac Bashevis Singer. The story is set in Warsaw in the days leading up to World War I. There Dr. Nahum Fischelson lives alone in an attic room overlooking Market Street. From on high he observes the crowd below, showing equal disdain for merchants and thieves alike. Rather than mingle with the people, he devotes his time and energy to explicating the philosophical works of Benedict de Spinoza. But before long he will have to break free of his isolation … and perhaps see what else life has to offer.