Bloomsbury, 2010. Paperback. First edition, 2010. RVG condition paperback; cover slightly marked, some shelf wear, appears unread. Published: Bloomsbury, 2010

Synopsis

Howard Jacobson is a British journalist and author. He is best known for writing comic novels that often revolve around the dilemmas of British Jewish characters. He is the 2010 winner of the Man Booker prize for The Finkler Question. This novel takes on the challenges of love, male friendship and loss as it explores the relationship between a radio producer and philosopher, while questioning what it means to be Jewish today. It’s described as a bright, witty novel with some of the most sharply intelligent writing to date. The book follows the character of Julian Treslove, once of the BBC and now earning a living as a celebrity lookalike. Treslove is not Jewish but, in simple terms, the narrative details his love affair with an intense inquiry into what Jewishness means – politically, socially, economically, romantically, intellectually, emotionally, culturally, musically and so on. He wants to be part of something vast and ageless, something abounding and intense. In short, he is trying to become Jewish.

Reviews

On Nov 20 2013, CloggieDownunder said:

The Finkler Question is the fourteenth book by Howard Jacobson, and winner of the 2010 Man Booker Prize. There are three main characters: Julian Treslove, who wants to be a Jew; Sam Finkler, a Jew who is ashamed of Jews; and Libor Sevcik, a Czech Jew who is grieving the loss of his wife. This unlikely trio have known one another for many years, and in the first part, each looks back on events in their lives. The second part concerns the events after Julian is mugged, he believes, for being a Jew, and introduces a new love interest for him, a Jewess names Hephzibah, someone he feels is his destiny. This novel is very slow-moving, there is very little in the way of plot and while some of the dialogue is clever, amusing or even thought-provoking, many of the characters are difficult to relate to. Perhaps to fully appreciate this book, one would need to be a Jewish intellectual, preferably a British one. Lots of Jewish angst, talk of foreskins, anti-Semitic violence and Holocaust denial. This Man Booker Prizewinner fails to impress.

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Details

Bookseller: Roy Turner Books (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 9418
Title: The Finkler Question
Author: JACOBSON, Howard
Format/Binding: Paperback
Book Condition: Used
Quantity Available: 1
ISBN 10: 1408809931
ISBN 13: 9781408809938
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Place of Publication: London
Date Published: 2010

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About Roy Turner Books

With more than thirty years' experience of collecting literary first editions, I specialise in the areas of both contemporary and earlier fiction, poetry, drama and children's books with particular emphases on signed modern firsts, authors' first and early published books, American and Irish literature and literary prize-winning writers.

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