Erland Josephson is perhaps best known as an actor celebrated for his work in Ingmar Bergman films. But he is also a noted novelist: A Story about Mr. Silberstein is the fourth novel of the eight he has published so far. His first book to appear in English, it shows him to be a master of narrative form and style: inventive, witty, economical. Through the central figure of Emanuel Silberstein, the novel draws the reader into an exploration of identity and the futile attempt to define a self
independent
of others. With a sharp eye on the Swedish milieu, Josephson probes the roots of anti-Semitism and thus of prejudice and self-deception in general. He creates his characters with the help of a keen ear for dialogue and interior voices, and deploys them with the skill of one who has long experience in the theater. A Story about Mr. Silberstein is a moving saga about an unusual and unforgettable character. The translation by Roger Greenwald recreates the subtleties of Josephson’s style with a light hand.