LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE ORIGINAL MUSIC OF THE HEBREW ALPHABET and WEEKEND IN MUSTARA

The Jewish mystical tradition comes to the fore in these two novellas, which chronicle scholarly quests into the dusty vaults of history and memory. In "Ladies and Gentlemen," musicologist Isaac Gantz journeys to Budapest and encounters mysterious Ferdinand Friedmann, who claims to hold the key to a musical interpretation of the Hebrew alphabet. Gantz is fascinated by Friedmann's proposed melody, but when Friedmann refuses to allow his discovery to be publicized, the musicologist approaches an expert in the field and discovers that Friedmann may be a fraud. This engaging cat-and-mouse chase is followed by a murkier quest in the second novella, "Weekends in Mustara." The narrator—called Leviant—travels to the fictional Eastern European resort town of Mustara for a weekend to research medieval Hebrew poet and writer Yehudi Halevi. The author makes headway when he locates the town's Jewish museum, but the facility closes before he can complete his task. Leviant's decision to broaden his search pays off when he finds a valuable pitcher, but shortly after he purchases the artifact the pitcher is reported missing, and Leviant finds himself thrust into a bizarre altered reality that culminates in the trial of a pharmacist accused of stealing the artifact. Leviant's solid craftsmanship and his Borgesian storytelling make this volume an intriguing read, especially for those interested in Jewish customs and history. (Dec.)