(“Shai.” Noble Prize Winner for Literature.1888-1970)
Early Manuscripts by S.Y. Agnon:
1. Gerushin [the story, known from its published versions as Hanidah, "The Rejected"]. Manuscript of the story, evidently written after the publication of 'Aliyat Neshama [“The Elevation of the Soul”] in Hashiloah 21 (1909), which was the “earlier nucleus” of the story Hanidah, and certainly after the author’s arrival in Germany (1913), and clearly before the entire story was printed in Hatequfa IV, Warsaw (1919).
43 sheets written on one side only (some of the fragmentary in the original); pp. [_], 1-58, [59], [60] (a few of the pages are missing).
2. [Giv'at Hahol, “The Hill of Sand”]; an early version of the story, written after the version published under the title Tishrei in Hapo'el Hazair, 5 (1911), 1-5, but before its first publication under the title Giv'at Hahol, published by Jüdische Verlag, Berlin 1920.
In the manuscript under discussion the name of the main character in the story, a romantic poet, is still Na'aman and has not yet been changed yet to Hemdat (who first appeared in the 1920 edition of Giv'at Hahol and became from then on Agnon’s literary alter ego). The story appears between pages 24 and 38, written on one side of the page, 14.5 x 19 cm, 18 lines to a page. All of the pages are singed in the left corner, which indicates that the manuscript was saved from the fire in Agnon's home in Bad Homburg on June 6, 1924.
3. [Maalot u-Moradot “Ups and Downs”], an earlier version than the one published in Gevulot (ed. G. Shofman and Z. Diesendruck), Vienna 1 (1919), pp. 97-196.
From the many erasures and changes it is clear that this was the first draft of the story. This first version, which appears after a space and which Agnon crossed out, was written in a simple style:
This is the version that he maintained, printing it in the Gevulot version of the story and in its second publication, in his stories Besod Yesharim, published by Jüdischer Verlag, Berlin 1921, and in the editions of all his stories, published by Schocken, Berlin 1931, Vol. 3 (Meaz u-Me'atah), pp. 244-269, and Jerusalem and Tel Aviv 1951, Vol. 2 (Elu va-Elu), pp. 145-165.
4. [Hanistarot ve-ha-Niglot, “The Hidden and the Revealed”], A manuscript that precedes the first version, of the stories describing the atmosphere around Reb Israel Shlomo, the forceful and omnipotent communal leader, that was published in Hatequfa, Vol. 10 (Tevet-Adar 1920/21), pp. 61-72. Between the present manuscript and the first publication, Agnon changed the story drastically to the point that it is barely recognizable: He changed the name of the main character, details in the plot and most of the language. Only in a few cases is the language identical in both versions.
The manuscript is a part of the beginning of the story (3 pages, 11.5 x 28.5 cm.), chapters 1-3, which correspond to chapters 1-2 in the 9 chapters in the version published in Hatequfa.
5. Ovadiah Ba'al Mum [“Obadiah the Deformed”]. Two printing sheets folded into 20 pages, each 18 x 18 cm, written on one side only, 17 lines on each page. An early version of the story, indicating the author’s struggle over the wording, with erasures and corrections made at a number of stages. Both the text and the correction precede the first publication of the story in Miqlat (edited by Y.D. Berkowitz), New York, 5 (1921), pp. 386-409.
This was a preliminary draft that was polished before the first publication of the story. It is clearly apparent how Agnon in the first draft used vernacular expressions, some of which he erased and replaced with literary language from the sources, as well as other polishing of the text when recopying and proofreading the story before its first publication
Germany: 1913-19
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Early Manuscripts by S.Y. Agnon, One of Israel’s Most Prominent Writers.
Manuscripts of five stories by S.Y. Agnon in versions that preceded the first printed editions of these stories. Written in the clear and precise handwriting of the young Agnon, with erasures and corrections that reveal the writer’s struggle over how to phrase the text. These manuscripts contain versions that are not to be found in any of the printed editions. They include early versions in which the author made changes, some of them in the first drafts of the stories, erasures and changing the phrasing of speeches or deleting expressions he may have regarded as trite. Comparison of these texts with the first printed editions indicates that they preceded the publications and were generally the source for them. Agnon did, however, make additional changes when copying the stories or in the proofs before they were printed. These manuscripts reveal much about how Agnon polished his writing and the way he struggled with to find the right words.
Accompanying this Lot is a detailed scholarly monograph concerning these manuscripts, prepared by Prof. Shlomo Zucker of the Jewish National & University Library, Jerusalem
