orn to Kvetch was a New York Times bestseller in hardcover and a week after it appeared in paperback it once again appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for non-fiction. The book has been described as: “A treasure trove… funny, erudite… a deep and brilliant work… highly recommended… a masterpiece…” – here are just some of the reviews: “An earthy romp through the lingua franca of Jews…This treasure trove of linguistics, sociology, history and folklore offers a fascinating look at how, through the centuries, a unique and enduring language has reflected an equally unique and enduring culture.” Publishers Weekly, starred review – “I can hear and smell it all again – a world of Yiddish verbal wit reclaimed! It’s as though I spent my childhood in the pages of this book. A deep and brilliant work!” Ben Katchor. – “Written in a witty, readable style, this book is a must read for anyone interested in the language.” Jewdar at heebmagazine.com – “extremely funny and compelling” Sander L. Gilman. – “From the inimitable, the erudite Michael Wex, famous for his monologues on the Yiddish language, his greatest monologue of all, Born to Kvetch. A celebrated figure of the ‘Yiddish avant-garde’, Wex casts a backward glance and wry eye on the Yiddish language. He makes each word open up like a flower and follows the roots in unexpected, often mischievous, directions.” Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, author of Destination Culture: Tourism, Museums and Heritage. – “All the wonderful elements of Yiddish language and culture are humorously presented here. Highly recommended ….” Gene Shaw, Library Journal Review. – “So, did I like this book, you ask? Let me tell you: ‘Mayne sonim zoln nisht hano’e hobn fun a aza bukh!‘ (‘My enemies should never enjoy such a book!‘)” Allan Nadler, Forward Read the full Forward review here. – “…he’s stunningly, uproariously, laugh-out-loud- and-make-everyone-on-the-train-think-you’re-a-lunatic funny. Even forays into Yiddish esoterica that, by all means, should have resulted in the book being tossed out the window are must-read passages because you simply need to know what joke or amazingly apropos cultural reference Wex is going to make next.” Joe Eskenazi, J Weekly
