Mark Helprin Criticism
Mark Helprin, an American author born in 1947, is celebrated for his vivid narratives that often intertwine the themes of identity and struggle, particularly within the context of the Jewish experience. His diverse background, including studies in Middle Eastern culture and service in the Israeli army, deeply informs his literary exploration of Jewish life and broader human conditions. Helprin’s literary catalog, which includes both short stories and novels, is characterized by its blend of fantastical elements, romanticism, and modernist motifs, often using a mythologized approach to explore utopian ideals.
Helprin's collection Ellis Island and Other Stories (1981) is a significant work that showcases his thematic depth and stylistic diversity. Critics like Rhoda Koenig highlight the resilience and rich metaphors within these stories, noting their exploration of remembered love. Reynolds Price praises the collection's ambitious scope and technical confidence, drawing comparisons to literary figures such as Poe and Kafka. Despite some critiques, including those from Robert Towers and Pearl K. Bell, who suggest that Helprin's transcendence of realism can lead to contrived emotions, his work is widely recognized for its imaginative elegance.
Helprin’s subsequent novel, Winter's Tale (1983), further demonstrates his style, merging fable, myth, romance, and history in a mythologized Manhattan. The narrative follows Peter Lake through adventures fraught with mythical and sinister forces, a quality that has elicited diverse critical responses. While Robert Towers criticizes the overwhelming visionary prose, Anatole Broyard finds it verbose. Conversely, Geoffrey Stokes appreciates its vivid mythical vision, and Seymour Krim notes its idealized portrayal of New York.
Another notable work, Refiner's Fire, is marked by its ambitious narrative that blends romantic and modernist elements. While John Ryle critiques its structure and treatment of Jewish themes, others like Peter Ackroyd commend its lyrical storytelling and imaginative narrative, which eschews modernist conventions. Helprin’s work often revives orthodox storytelling, leading to his recognition as a significant figure in contemporary American literature, provoking a range of responses from critics like Roger Sale.
Contents
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Helprin, Mark (Vol. 10)
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Julia O'Faolain
(summary)
In the following essay, Julia O'Faolain critiques Mark Helprin's A Dove of the East and Other Stories for its lack of originality and depth, arguing that Helprin's writing is characterized by wish-fulfillment and homogeneous character portrayals, resulting in narratives that feel more like pastiche than true literary exploration.
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John Mellors
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In the following essay, John Mellors criticizes Mark Helprin's Refiner's Fire for its excessive romanticism and overblown rhetoric, although he acknowledges moments of striking imagery and praises the disciplined storytelling in parts of the novel, particularly those concerning the Yom Kippur war.
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Beyond Saturation Point
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In the following essay, John Ryle critiques Mark Helprin's Refiner's Fire for its ambitious yet flawed blend of genres and symbolism, highlighting its old-fashioned narrative style, lack of character development, and ineffective integration of romantic and modernist elements.
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Roger Sale
(summary)
In the following essay, Roger Sale critiques Mark Helprin's novel Refiner's Fire for its arbitrary structure, lack of genuine interest in its Jewish themes, and its underlying romanticism, suggesting that it is more a reflection of elitist and simplistic ideologies than a coherent literary work.
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Ranging
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In the following essay, Peter Ackroyd argues that Mark Helprin's novel "Refiner's Fire" successfully revives orthodox storytelling with its lyrical quality, imaginative narrative, and rejection of modernist and realist conventions, showcasing Helprin's self-assured narrative talent and capacity to intertwine plot and perspective.
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John Calvin Batchelor
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In the following essay, the critic examines Mark Helprin's first novel, Refiner's Fire, highlighting its adventurous plot, allegorical depth regarding the state of Israel, and the heroic nature of its protagonist, Marshall Pearl, as a powerful representation of more traditional Judaism rather than modern Jewish stereotypes.
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Julia O'Faolain
(summary)
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Helprin, Mark (Vol. 32)
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Assaulting Realism
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In the following essay, Robert Towers critiques Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale, asserting that despite its imaginative and fantastical elements, the novel struggles to provide a compelling narrative and ultimately overwhelms the reader with its orchestrated attempts at visionary prose.
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Winter's Tale
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In the following essay, Anatole Broyard critiques Mark Helprin's novel "Winter's Tale" as a verbose and sprawling work that lacks the precision of Helprin's earlier "Ellis Island," arguing that its attempt at a grand narrative results in confusion rather than clarity.
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A Vision of the Just City
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In the following essay, Benjamin De Mott draws parallels between Mark Helprin's story "Tamar" and his novel "Winter's Tale," emphasizing the latter's blend of fantasy and moral energy to explore themes of justice, urban experience, and the creation of an ideal city, ultimately praising its potential to inspire and comfort readers.
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The Worst of Times
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In the following essay, Peter S. Prescott critiques Mark Helprin's "Winter's Tale" for its lack of ambition, coherent plot, and precise language, arguing that Helprin relies too heavily on charm and vague mythic themes without delivering a substantive or well-defined narrative.
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Mark Helprin's New York Fantasy with Clipped Wings
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In the following essay, Seymour Krim critiques Mark Helprin's novel Winter's Tale, arguing that while Helprin's ambition and talent are evident, the novel's idealistic portrayal of New York lacks convincing realism and ultimately fails to deliver on its utopian promise.
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Garrulous, Windy, Sprawling, Magical
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In the following essay, Geoffrey Stokes explores Mark Helprin's novel Winter's Tale, discussing its elaborate and imaginative use of language and narrative structure, and arguing that despite its potential for overwhelming verbosity, the novel ultimately succeeds in creating a vivid, mythical urban vision that transcends conventional realism.
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Assaulting Realism
(summary)
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Helprin, Mark (Vol. 22)
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The Invisible Helping Hand: 'Ellis Island & Other Stories'
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In the following essay, Rhoda Koenig argues that while some of Mark Helprin's stories in "Ellis Island & Other Stories" are more atmospheric than plot-driven, they are unified by the theme of drawing strength from remembered love and are distinguished by Helprin's rich and vivid metaphors.
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The Art of American Short Stories
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In the following essay, Reynolds Price commends Mark Helprin's "Ellis Island" for its ambitious reach and technical confidence, comparing his approach to that of Poe, Kafka, and Mann, while highlighting Helprin's focus on personal metaphysics and the vivid, though sometimes emotionally distant, portrayal of human will and exile.
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Out of the Icebox
(summary)
In the following essay, Anne Duchêne critiques Mark Helprin's collection "Ellis Island," highlighting its rich Jewish folklore influences and varied storytelling styles, but notes that Helprin has yet to fully establish his unique narrative focus and tone.
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Fiction: 'Ellis Island and Other Stories'
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In the following essay, A. V. Kish commends Mark Helprin's Ellis Island and Other Stories for its versatility in theme and style, highlighting Helprin's skill in exploring diverse human experiences and relationships, and lauds his potential to become a significant contemporary fiction writer.
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'Ellis Island and Other Stories'
(summary)
In the following essay, Anatole Broyard argues that Mark Helprin's "Ellis Island and Other Stories" showcases a uniquely original style that transcends traditional storytelling by exploring the intersection of perception and reality, drawing comparisons to Chagall and Kafka while maintaining a distinctive narrative voice that renders the unfamiliar familiar.
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Low-Rent Tragedies
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In the following essay, Robert Towers critiques Mark Helprin's Ellis Island, arguing that while Helprin's ambitious and eclectic narrative style attempts to transcend mundane realism, it often fails to engage convincingly or coherently, resulting in contrived situations and forced emotions that detract from the overall impact of his fiction.
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New Jewish Voices
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In the following essay, Pearl K. Bell critiques Mark Helprin's works, highlighting their imaginative elegance and variety, but argues that they often lack a coherent purpose or depth, particularly questioning the authenticity of their Jewish themes and noting a tendency towards exhibitionism over substance, with exceptions like the story "Tamar."
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The Invisible Helping Hand: 'Ellis Island & Other Stories'
(summary)
- Helprin, Mark (Vol. 7)