The Finkler Question

I was nervous about reading this book, in spite of its accolades - I profess to knowing very little about Jewish culture and only slightly more (but far more embarrassingly) about the current situation in Israel and Palestine. I figured this book would have too many Jewish in-jokes and be a bit heavy going.

I'll admit it: I was totally wrong. Jacobson is very witty and entertaining. If there were in-jokes (likely), then I was oblivious, but the wonderful thing was, it didn't matter. There was enough beginner-Jewishness in the book so as not to alienate the novice reader.

Julian Treslove is a very well fleshed out character - it is easy to become involved in his quest... for Jewishness? I still couldn't really say!

I read so fast now that I am travelling so often, the stories wind up going by too quickly, or being too bitty; I am absorbed, then I am not. I forget all too easily what happens, the names of characters, the crucial final page. Initially this blog was meant to be a memory jogger - revisiting books in my mind would make them more real, help to keep them alive. It is helping to a point.