November 2010: The Finkler...What???

The Finkler Question, written by 'British Philip Roth' Howard Jacobson, was an obvious choice for the book group, after it won the Man Booker Prize in October.  The Book Stripped Bare was probably not alone in picking it as the book to read this Winter.

A quick synopsis without too many spoilers is probably necessary if I am to continue.  The book centres on three men: the elderly Czech Jew Libor, a successful journalist who boasts of his friendships with Hollywood stars such as Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe, mourning after the recent death of his perfect wife Malkie with whom he had a committed and wonderful relationship.  Samuel (Sam) Finkler another Jewish man, in his 50's  with a successful career as a "philosopher" (writer of self help books and Z list celeb), also recently widowed, but unsure about the strength of his marriage prior to his wife dying.  Finally, Julian Tresolve the non Jewish Jew wannabe (this is where it becomes complicated).  University friend to Sam; Tresolve is a former BBC radio show producer and is working as a celebrity look-a-like throughout the majority of the novel. Tresolve is unable to hold down a relationship because he is, quite frankly, INSANE.  Melancholic by nature, Julian is obsessed with Jewishness (he refers to Jews as Finklers...hence The Finkler Question), and thinks that his two friends have all that he aspires to because they are Jewish.  Hence a story about nothing but these three men living in the aftermath the two deaths.

So...what did we think...

Why on earth did this book win the Booker Prize?

As a relatively young, non Jewish and mostly female group, in hindsight, this was never going to be the book for us.  Although the main characters were well developed they were, for the most part, not likeable. Most of the good qualities of all of them had been completely hammered out by the end of the novel, so that when we finished the overwhelming opinion was 'thank God that's over'. We don't deny that the book was well written, if a little over embellished.  The author does use comedy to give a confused yet probably accurate description of the state of 'Jewishness' in Britain today.  Unfortunately the book is so long, that as 'Gentiles' the Jewish observations and arguments became a bit tedious and repetitive.  

Now let us discuss the treatment of women in this novel.  Boo Hiss Boo Mr Jacobson, we would not want to be your wife!  This is a novel about men, for men.  The female characters are mostly tools to highlight the masculinity and sexuality (or lack of) in the lead characters.  Tresolve for the most part only falls in love with woman who he can see 'dying before him' in some Shakespearian tragedy.  Sam's wife, Tyler was a converted Jew and hater of her husband, who cheated on her at every given opportunity, and she him.   The two Jewish women in the novel are strong in a sense that they understand 'Jewish' behaviour, infidelity, their place in the home and just get on with it.  We won't even get started on the WHOLE chapter dedicated to circumcision and penis obsession.  That was way too much for us to bear!

So to sum up.  Yes it is high brow, yes it probably appealed to all the middle aged men on the Booker panel, and YES it is a bit funny in a few places.  It gave us a lot to talk about and even those who hadn't read the novel soon chipped in with opinions on identity and male sexuality (maybe that was just the wine talking).  But the reality is that on the whole it was just too long and self obsessed for us to enjoy.


So far 4.5 out of 10 (Scores still being collated)