Not for me - yet!
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I have read several of Howard Jacobson's books in the past and really enjoyed his humour and language.
I picked this book up several times to try to read it - a page turner it is not.
I had no real empathy for the main character, Henry Nagel, and never really warmed to him. Not that he was bad or evil just unsympathetic. Every few fages I would get fed up with his self-pity and put it down... I struggled with it.
Perhaps I'm not old enough yet to feel empathy with a 60 year-old underachiever. I rarely grinned, never mind laugh out loud as I have with his other books.
As for the plot! Coincidences pepper the plot in an attempt to increase Henry's comic confusion - does not help the reader. Moira falling for him... I think HJ is having a bit of wish fulfilment here.
Sorry HJ, maybe I'll get the joke later!
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Brilliant
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If you like books with a plot, this isn't for you. What Jacobson does is observation, rich human comedy, a rather twisted take on relationships, and a keen sense of the convoluted politics of family. He's a mordant, original writer whose darker edge may not be to everyone's taste. He creates great characters, and in some ways resembles Philip Roth. All in all this isn't his best book (Who's Sorry Now? is better, for instance), but it's very well written and shows a real thoughtfulness - quite lightly worn - about what it is to be a man. That may sound pretentious; if it does, Jacobson probably isn't for you.
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0224073524
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Gritty, funny and full of warmth. This is by far Mr Jacobson's best novel. Perfect for taking on holiday - really entertaining, grown up and perceptive.
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