The FixerThe Fixer
Score Classic
What it's about
In Kiev in 1911, Yakov Bok, a poor Jewish handyman, hides his identity to take a job in a district where Jews are forbidden to live. When a Christian boy is found murdered, Yakov is arrested and accused of killing him in a Jewish ritual, a lie told to inflame hatred. He spends years in prison, abused and pressured to confess, waiting for a trial that may never come.
Why it's worth reading
It won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Based on a real case, it's a powerful story about injustice, antisemitism and one ordinary man's endurance.
You'll love it if you liked
Darkness at Noon
The Gulag Archipelago
The Escape ArtistGood to know
Much of it takes place in a prison cell, and the cruelty is relentless. There is little relief, but the ending is defiant.
By the numbers
- Readers43 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics88 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Moving
More by Bernard Malamud
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Quick answers
Is The Fixer worth reading?
Yes. It won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It ranks #680 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Fixer about?
In Kiev in 1911, Yakov Bok, a poor Jewish handyman, hides his identity to take a job in a district where Jews are forbidden to live. When a Christian boy is found murdered, Yakov is arrested and accused of killing him in a Jewish ritual, a lie told to inflame hatred. He spends years in prison, abused and pressured to confess, waiting for a trial that may never come.
How long does it take to read The Fixer?
About 9 hours (356 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Fixer won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1967); National Book Award (Fiction) winner (1967).
What should I read after The Fixer?
If you liked it, try Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler, The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn or The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland.