Spinoza

The writer wrote this novel when he was just 17 and still a student. It opens with a young boy standing at the grave of a jew who has committed suicide The book is the second in a series called 'The Ghetto' which looks at the history of Judaism. Auerbach was himself, a Jew and his faith influenced his thinking and philosophy. Spinoza is the name of a Dutch philosopher whose work was a major part of these influences.