The Magician of Lublin novel

• The Magician of Lublin*, a novel by Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer, was originally written in Yiddish and first published in English in 1960 by Noonday in the United States, followed by its UK publication in 1961 by Secker & Warburg. A Yiddish reprint appeared in 1971, and it was reissued by Pocket Penguins in 2016.

Set in Russian-ruled Poland during the mid-1880s, the story follows Yasha Mazur, a Jewish magician from Lublin who travels to perform across Poland. Despite his marriage to Esther, Yasha engages in affairs with Magda (his assistant), Zeftel (a young Jewish woman), and Emilia (a Catholic widow). During visits to Warsaw, he proposes marriage to Emilia but their plans are derailed by financial constraints.

Yasha’s schemes lead him to attempt robbing a wealthy neighbor, Zaruski, which results in injury and fleeing. He later confesses the robbery to Emilia, leading to their breakup. Concurrently, Magda commits suicide after an argument with Yasha, while Zeftel becomes romantically involved with Herman.

Three years later, Yasha returns to Lublin, renounces his previous life, and imprisons himself in a small structure as a form of penitence, gaining fame as a holy man. He receives a letter from Emilia, who reveals her remarriage but expresses lingering affection and advises him against self-punishment.

The novel was adapted into a 1979 film starring Alan Arkin.