Bernard Malamud’s stories stay with you long after you turn the final page. He often wrote about ordinary people, many of them Jewish Americans, who faced difficult situations. His books explore ideas about ethics, and what it means to live a good life.
For readers who appreciate authors with a similar focus on character and themes like these, then you might want to discover these writers.
Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish-American writer known for his evocative stories about Jewish life and tradition. Readers who enjoy Bernard Malamud will appreciate Singer’s keen insight into human nature and morality.
His novel “The Slave” tells the story of Jacob, a devout Jewish scholar captured during a violent raid in seventeenth-century Poland. Sold as a slave to Polish peasants, Jacob struggles to maintain his faith and identity amidst hardship and prejudice.
Singer explores forbidden love and sharp cultural divisions with honesty, humor, and depth. Through Jacob’s journey of resistance and redemption, the story examines how deeply-held beliefs shape individuals in unlikely and powerful ways.
Philip Roth shares a talent for storytelling that fans of Bernard Malamud often appreciate.
His novel “American Pastoral” looks closely at the life of Seymour Levov, a successful businessman whose seemingly perfect existence is shattered when his teenage daughter commits an act of political violence.
Roth examines family expectations, social upheaval, and the pressures of the American dream. The story raises questions about identity, responsibility, and the limits of control parents have over their children’s actions.
Roth’s direct style and thoughtful characters make his stories resonate deeply with readers.
Books by Saul Bellow often revolve around characters who struggle to find meaning in urban America. If you appreciate Bernard Malamud’s stories of complex, flawed individuals navigating moral dilemmas, Saul Bellow’s “Herzog” might interest you.
In “Herzog,” Moses Herzog, an intellectual going through personal crises, writes unsent letters to friends, family, and historical figures as a way to cope with a failing marriage and professional setbacks.
Set mainly in Chicago, this novel vividly portrays a man’s emotional journey toward self-understanding. Readers who enjoy Malamud’s introspective approach to human nature will find Herzog’s honest reflections genuinely relatable.
If you enjoy Bernard Malamud’s thoughtful exploration of Jewish identity and tradition, you’ll likely appreciate Chaim Potok. Potok writes stories centered around characters who grapple with their faith, community, and personal freedom.
His book “The Chosen” describes the unexpected friendship between two Jewish boys, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders, who come from very different religious backgrounds.
Set against the unique neighborhood life of 1940s Brooklyn, the novel follows the boys through moments of tension, family pressure, and self-discovery as their friendship deepens.
Through these memorable characters, Potok explores themes of belief, tradition, and the relationship between fathers and sons.
E.L. Doctorow was an American novelist known for blending history and fiction into thoughtful glimpses of human experience. Readers who appreciate Bernard Malamud’s nuanced storytelling may especially enjoy Doctorow’s “Ragtime.”
Set in early 20th century America, “Ragtime” weaves three distinct families—an affluent white family, a Jewish immigrant father and his young daughter, and a spirited African-American musician named
Coalhouse Walker Jr.—with historical figures such as Harry Houdini and Henry Ford. Doctorow uniquely brings history and fiction together, painting a vivid, imaginative portrait of American life that explores racial tension, class struggles, and the pursuit of the American dream.
Cynthia Ozick offers a rich exploration of Jewish life, morality, and identity through fiction that resonates deeply with the themes Bernard Malamud readers appreciate.
In her novel “The Puttermesser Papers,” Ozick portrays Ruth Puttermesser, an intellectual dedicated to her role as a New York City bureaucrat. Her routine life takes an unusual turn after she creates a golem made from clay, intended to help restore order in the chaos-prone city.
But as often happens in stories involving creatures brought to life, her creation takes on desires and ambitions of its own. Ozick cleverly weaves satire, imagination, and philosophy into a lively commentary about power, responsibility, and the human condition.
For readers drawn to Malamud’s blend of humor, ethics, and Jewish folklore in novels such as “The Assistant,” Ozick’s fiction provides another satisfying avenue.
Readers who enjoy Bernard Malamud’s thoughtful exploration of ordinary lives and quiet struggles will appreciate John Cheever’s distinctive style.
Cheever, often called the “Chekhov of the suburbs,” has a gift for capturing the subtle tensions beneath the surface of everyday American life. His collection “The Stories of John Cheever” paints vivid pictures of mid-twentieth-century suburbia.
The acclaimed short story “The Swimmer” introduces us to Ned Merrill, a seemingly successful and confident suburbanite. After a casual drink, Ned decides to swim home via the backyard pools of his well-off neighbors.
His unconventional journey through familiar yards reveals unexpected truths about himself and his community. Cheever excels at presenting suburban customs and manners alongside hidden emotional struggles.
For those drawn to Malamud’s quiet insights into human nature, Cheever will likely resonate deeply.
William Faulkner is an author who explores human struggle and moral choices with deep compassion, themes readers of Bernard Malamud can appreciate.
In his novel “Light in August,” Faulkner tells the story of Joe Christmas, a man uncertain of his racial identity, haunted by his past, who drifts into the town of Jefferson, Mississippi.
There, his search for acceptance leads to conflict and tragedy, revealing truths about society’s intolerance and personal isolation. Faulkner skillfully examines themes like identity, prejudice, and redemption.
For readers drawn to characters caught in moral crossroads and struggling with society’s judgments, Faulkner’s vivid storytelling is worth exploring.
If you enjoy Bernard Malamud’s insightful stories about ordinary people facing extraordinary internal struggles, Sherwood Anderson might resonate deeply with you.
Anderson, a writer of the early 20th century, crafted realistic tales filled with quiet emotional intensity and characters you won’t forget. His book, “Winesburg, Ohio,” introduces you to a small Midwestern town populated by genuinely memorable residents.
Through interconnected short pieces, you glimpse the hidden dreams, disappointments, and secret desires of each character. Like Malamud’s work, “Winesburg, Ohio” explores human vulnerability and the silent yearnings beneath everyday life.
Readers who appreciate Bernard Malamud’s warm yet sharp exploration of human nature may also enjoy Grace Paley’s insightful storytelling. Paley’s collection “The Little Disturbances of Man” offers lively glimpses into everyday lives.
Set mostly in New York City neighborhoods, her stories revolve around ordinary characters who reveal humor and sadness in their hopes and struggles. Paley masterfully captures voices with authenticity and wit, bringing to life vivid personalities and complex relationships.
For instance, in one memorable story, a young single mother navigates love, responsibility, and societal expectations in humorous yet touching ways. Paley’s stories linger in your mind long after reading, reflecting life’s challenges with compassion and cleverness.
James Baldwin was an American writer known for exploring deep questions about race, identity, and society. In his novel “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” Baldwin paints a vivid picture of a teenager named John Grimes.
John struggles between his strict religious upbringing in Harlem and his own desire for individuality. Baldwin presents the tension between family expectations, faith, and personal freedom in a sensitive way that fans of Bernard Malamud will likely appreciate.
The realistic portrayals of complex relationships and personal growth make this book resonate strongly with readers drawn to Malamud’s thoughtful storytelling.
Readers who appreciate Bernard Malamud’s skill in exploring moral conflicts and complex characters may also enjoy Flannery O’Connor. Her short story collection “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” offers an intense look into human flaws and moments of grace hidden beneath ordinary life.
The title story follows a family on a road trip that spirals unexpectedly, confronting both characters and readers with harsh truths about good and evil.
O’Connor’s blend of dark humor, vivid characters, and sharp storytelling makes this collection memorable and thought-provoking.
Joseph Heller was an American novelist known for his sharp satirical voice and dark humor. His book “Catch-22” explores the madness of war through an absurd and poignant story of US Army Air Force bomber pilot Yossarian.
Stationed on a Mediterranean island during World War II, Yossarian becomes increasingly desperate to maintain his sanity amidst ever-changing, contradictory military rules.
The novel exposes bureaucracy, the futility of war, and human survival instinct, themes readers of Bernard Malamud’s insightful and darkly humorous narratives might enjoy.
Heller’s sharp wit and distinctive, memorable characters make “Catch-22” a fitting discovery for those who appreciate Malamud’s literary style.
Books by Alice Munro explore ordinary lives with subtle depth and emotional honesty. Munro is a master of short fiction who examines quiet moments and turning points that define people’s lives.
Her book “Dear Life” is a collection of stories about small-town characters facing life-changing events. Each story shows the strength, flaws, and hidden desires beneath the surface of everyday routines.
Readers who admire Bernard Malamud’s focus on character-driven narratives and the complexity of human nature will likely appreciate Munro’s thoughtful style and clear-eyed depiction of life’s truths.
Readers who appreciate Bernard Malamud’s insightful storytelling and complex characters may find Richard Yates equally captivating. Yates is known for exploring suburban disillusionment and the subtle tensions beneath everyday life.
In his novel “Revolutionary Road,” Yates portrays Frank and April Wheeler, a couple who seem to have everything—a nice house, steady jobs, two children—but beneath that lies dissatisfaction and quiet despair.
Their struggle to find genuine meaning amid social conformity, compromise, and lost dreams unfolds powerfully. Yates captures ordinary life with sharp honesty, creating scenes that stay with you long after you close the book.