It tells the story of an orthodox Jew whose faith is weakened when he moves from Tsarist Russia to New York City.
... Im [sic] Job, finally, he seems to admit that literature must follow upon, not lead, social change; and consequently he has turned his eyes inward upon his spiritual self, and backward upon tradition.
As with other great legends, the drama is weakened by modernization, but the lyrical quality of the prose and the innate wisdom of the author help us to forget that."
The review ended: "there seldom has appeared a book in which each word is burdened so heavily with music and meaning.
"[1] Harriet Porter of The Guardian reviewed the book in 2000: "Roth captures essential truths about faith, hope and despair within his reworking of a Biblical story.