This novel features a few characters in the Jewish communities of New York City spanning a lifetime in the mid to late 20th and early 21st century. A staid stickler for proper English and celebrated professor of English at Columbia, his hippie ex-wife, his student lover cum wife, and their blended families, as well as caregivers hired to look after him when he develops early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, are all colourful and vividly described.
The plot is relatively easy to follow and there is enough graphic description of casual sexual encounters to satisfy the prurient fantasies of most readers. The geographic details provide an intimate picture of the city where the author lives and teaches at Brooklyn College.
The greatest strength of this story is the detailed description of the tragic consequences to everyone of the descent of a loved one as they become a different unrecognizable demented being, and the variety of ways they deal with or fail to deal with this loss, something that many or most readers can probably relate to on a personal level. One good quote among many: “Early on…the bad moments were made worse because she had his old self to compare him to…That was when she could rage at him, tell him to try harder…..Now, though, he was so far gone that to rage at him would be like raging at a stone.”
An interesting tale, worth reading. But if you decide on it, could I recommend the ebook? There are dozens of Yiddish words and phases relating to the Jewish faith that will be unfamiliar to most readers, and with two clicks in the ebook edition, it is easy to find a definition.
Thanks,
Book Browse.
The Passionate Reader 