Mr. Rosenblum's List: or Friendly Guidance For The Aspiring Englishman

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mr. Rosenblum's List: or Friendly Guidance For The Aspiring Englishman

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 1,989 ratings · 460 reviews

«Absolut charmant und sehr witzig.» Paul Torday, Autor von «Lachsfischen im Jemen» In dem Moment, als Jack Rosenblum 1937 in Harwich von Bord geht, fasst er einen Entschluss: Als deutscher Jude, der mit seiner Frau aus Berlin fliehen konnte, möchte er so schnell wie möglich ein echter Engländer werden. Und so erstellt er eine Liste: einen leicht verständlichen Führer durch...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published July 8th 2010 by Sceptre (first published January 1st 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This (Or That)

48th out of 49 books — 11 voters

Most Brilliant Historical Novels in the past 30 yrs

247th out of 349 books — 211 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 05, 2010 Banafsheh Serov rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jack and Sadie Rosenblum escape Hitler's Germany and land on the shores of England knowing know one, with very little money and heartsick at having left their loved ones behind. Desperate to regain a sense of belonging Jack immerses himself in becoming a proper English Gentleman, much to his wife's irritation. He follows the guidelines on manners, customs and habits of his new home as set out in the 'helpful list' for immigrants. Overtime he adds to the list his own observations, until he reache...more

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Lavinia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, in-en

Many years ago I read (or was told, cannot remember exactly) that if you emigrate to USA you can be an American sooner or later, while if you emigrate to England you can never be an Englishman.
Now, trying to save himself and his family, Mr. Rosenblum flees Berlin right before WWII and goes straight to London, to start a new life. But he doesn't just want to live there, he wants to be a proper gentleman. (He obviously hadn't read the thing I had). Therefore, he has a list of things to do in orde...more

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 05, 2010 Amanda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-regret-reading

Nice premise but very turgid prose made this a boring book with which I found hard to maintain interest. I cant even explain to myself why I persevered with it when every time I thought of it or picked it up I was filled with irritation. As soon as I completed it I put it in the garbage. I never do that but I couldn't in good conscience donate it to a library sale or goodwill store. I read a rumour that this will soon be a movie, funnily enough this story may be better suited for a movie format...more

16 likes · like · see review

Dec 13, 2009 Miriam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a book that I think many will be talking about this year. It's a lovely, touching and extremely engaging novel about a German attempting to assimilate into British culture after the War and his quest to build a golf course. Really great writing, a compelling plot that breaks your heart but also elates it at every turn.

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fiction, 4_stars, author_british, read_in_2011, reviewed, setting_uk

Jack Rosenblum and his young family were some of the fortunate Jews who escaped Berlin before WWII started. When they disembarked in Great Britain, they were given a pamphlet entitled While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for every Refugee. Mr. Rosenblum becomes obsessed with the idea of living his life according to these rules and becoming a perfect English gentleman. As time goes by, he realizes that the list is incomplete. He begins to add to it and to cross item...more Jack Rosenblum and his young family were some of the fortunate Jews who escaped Berlin before WWII started. When they disembarked in Great Britain, they were given a pamphlet entitled While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for every Refugee. Mr. Rosenblum becomes obsessed with the idea of living his life according to these rules and becoming a perfect English gentleman. As time goes by, he realizes that the list is incomplete. He begins to add to it and to cross items off the list. The original list states that only English should be spoken. Mr. Rosenblum thinks that every English gentleman owns a suit that was tailored for him on Savile Row. He crosses both items off his list.

Things proceed swimmingly for a few years, then Jack hits a snag. Every English gentleman must belong to a golf club. Mr. Rosenblum tries and tries and tries again to join one. No golf clubs are admitting Jews. Jack, being an eternal optimist, decides to buy a place in the country and build his own. It shouldn't be too hard.

I'll admit that I was a little nervous about this book as I got a good start on it. I was really liking optimistic Jack and there seemed to be so much room for heartbreak in his story. I don't generally like heart-breaking books. There are heart-breaking moments, but the overall tone is one of hope. Much more my style.

I just couldn't help but like and root for Mr. Rosenblum. I wished that he could be comfortable in his own skin and with his own identity, but I understood where he was coming from. He felt that he could only be safe if he became a proper English gentleman. He came from such a hard time and place. His attitude is understandable. He was such a hard worker and his boundless enthusiasm for his projects was endearing. He might be a hard man to live with, but he was very good company in the pages of a book.

His wife Sadie was almost the exact opposite. She is clinging to her old life and her memories. I felt so bad for her. She lost family in the Holocaust and she tried so hard to remember them and honor them. Mr. Rosenblum's embrace of the English life felt to her like a betrayal of the old life. Sadie had a hard time but she started to grow on me as well.

I read the last several chapters with a huge smile on my face. This was just a feel-good book about community, remembrance, and accepting yourself. I highly recommend it.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2010 Tilly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At times whilst reading this book I couldn't decide whether I loved it or hated it! I definatley enjoyed the people in it and found the subtleties of Jacks character, such as his self-critisicm whenever he did something he deemed un-English, to be very entertaining and endearing.
Curtis too was excellently portrayed by the author in a way which forced the reader to love him and although sadie was a little too downtrodden sometimes, we are able to sympathize thanks to the background solomons has s...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2010 Sarah marked it as abandoned · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, british, historical, wwii

I might come back to this one, because I'm hoping my lack of excitement for it stems from my overabundance of excitement for re-reading the Hunger Games series in anticipation of next week's Mockingjay release. Besides, look at that beautiful cover! Gorgeous -- logically it means it's a great book, right? Right? Hm.

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. It has a fanciful, almost magical quality to it while
lightening the powerful political situation underlying this story. Jack, Sadie and
their daughter Elizabeth were granted exit visas to move to England from
Germany while the rest of their family remained in Germany.

Jack becomes a very successful businessman in England, but wants to
assimilate completely into English culture. He tries to follow all the rules to
become a proper Englishman. Sadie is more attached to her...more

like · see review

Jun 08, 2013 Meagan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, book-club-va, england, family-dynamics, favorites, germany, grief, heart-warmers, historical-fiction, immigration, made-me-laugh, tear-jerkers, world-war-two, wish-list

This book caught me off guard. I don't think everyone will love it the way I did, but there are qualities within these pages to please most everyone.
It starts off with a quirky tone which lasts throughout the whole book but underneath there are deep undertones of grief, love and survival. I laughed and cried and found found myself criticizing characters only to analyze them a little more and feel as if I understood them to their very core.
It is a post WWII story about human nature hidden withi...more

like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 Bookguide rated it 4 of 5 stars

A charming story about a Jewish refugee family's life, starting in the Jewish areas of London during the war, but mostly about their transition and acceptance into a rural community in Dorset. The main character, Jack Rosenblum, is an incorrigible optimist and determined to become an English gentleman. His wife on the other hand, is unable to put the past behind her, and clings to her Jewishness and her memories, keeping up appearances as expected, but underneath the surface rejecting the Englis...more

like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Rosario (http://rosario.blogspot.com/) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being an immigrant, I'm always on the lookout for stories that might reflect my experience in some way. Most of the ones set in the present-day, though, seem to be about the difficulties and the culture clashes and present immigration as a sort of necessary evil. This has not been my experience at all, and so while I do find these accounts valuable and interesting, I don't particularly identify with them. Me, I actually like England. I could go back and have a perfectly good life back in Uruguay...more

1 like · like · see review

May 01, 2012 Steve lovell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Described on the cover as ‘Utterly charming and very funny’, this reader certainly found Solomon’s novel to be the former but not the latter. Perhaps a better word here would have been ‘poignant’. The charm offensive, though, commences on page one and continues throughout. Initially the ‘charmingness’ of the language took a little getting used to, and the opening chapters were somewhat of a plod. Jack Rose (in-bloom)’s quirkiness grated, but with perseverance all this charm and foible became the...more Described on the cover as ‘Utterly charming and very funny’, this reader certainly found Solomon’s novel to be the former but not the latter. Perhaps a better word here would have been ‘poignant’. The charm offensive, though, commences on page one and continues throughout. Initially the ‘charmingness’ of the language took a little getting used to, and the opening chapters were somewhat of a plod. Jack Rose (in-bloom)’s quirkiness grated, but with perseverance all this charm and foible became the norm and therefore accepted, and the story thusly ‘bloomed’.
Set in the immediate post-war years, this is a tale of a German Jew trying to come to grips with his new country by attempting to be more ‘English than the English’. That, of course, given his background and accent, as well as the prejudices of the period, could never happen, being an affront to British class stratification. This is, as well, a story of a self made man who seeming goes too far in the pursuit of a dream – a dream that is built on the flight of fancy that, to this non-believer at any rate, is the notion of golf. It is also homage to the verdant English countryside where, in the battle of city versus rural living, London badly loses out. Out in the boonies Jack, together with long-suffering wife Sadie – hankering for a return to the past – meet an array of rustic stereotypes. Here we encounter the last of the real Dorset-men, perhaps the novel’s best creation. This was also the time of the last phase of the Agrarian Revolution, as huge machines start to take on the job of farming, depriving the landscape of its hedgerows and, worse, its humanity. ‘Mr Rosenblum’s List’ is also a novel of two Elizabeths – one about to be crowned a beautiful young monarch, the other about to be a devoted daughter. And finally this is a saga about woolly pigs and the havoc they can cause to a community still clinging to the last vestiges of paganism. Overlording all this is the spectre that is Bobby Jones, golfing superstar.
All in all Solomon’s charm offensive is well worth a read. It is probably not quite the four stars indicated, but certainly more worthy than a measly three would indicate!
(less)

like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Jules rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: british-fiction, cultural-emigration, english-nostalgia, fiction

Firstly, to save confusion, in the UK this book is known as/sold as 'Mr Rosenblum's List or Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman'.

I could say that ‘all’s well that ends well’ as, in the end, I had a soft spot for this book. I could definitely see its plot and purpose but, at times, the book seemed twee and tedious (as quite a few other Goodreaders have said this also maybe we can classify this book as a bit of a grower).
Charting the journey of the Rosenblum couple, as they arrive in Har...more

like · see review

Jan 30, 2012 Nesa Sivagnanam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story follows Jakob Rosenblum, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, who arrives in London determined to fit in. Presented with a leaflet entitled "While You Are in England: Helpful Information", he resolves to follow its guidance unswervingly: he gives up speaking German, even to his wife, Sadie, except "at moments of extreme stress"; he refrains from criticising the peculiarities of his adopted country and from expressing any political opinions. But when he is arrested as a "class B enemy al...more The story follows Jakob Rosenblum, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, who arrives in London determined to fit in. Presented with a leaflet entitled "While You Are in England: Helpful Information", he resolves to follow its guidance unswervingly: he gives up speaking German, even to his wife, Sadie, except "at moments of extreme stress"; he refrains from criticising the peculiarities of his adopted country and from expressing any political opinions. But when he is arrested as a "class B enemy alien (possible security risk)", he decides that he must still be doing something wrong.

As soon as he is released, he makes his own list of English characteristics to emulate. The list contains observations such as: "The British housewife makes a purchase of haddock on Friday mornings" and rules such as: "Don't gesture with your hands when talking." With its help, Jack, as Jacob has by now restyled himself, begins to feel that he has lost the imprint of his foreignness.

But when he reaches the final item on his list – "An Englishman must be a member of a golf club" – he finds that despite his careful mimicry of native mannerisms and mores, no club will accept him. The casual anti-semitism that prevents Jack from ever feeling at home in Britain is convincingly drawn. As one golf club president says in response to his offer of complimentary carpeting: "They think they can buy their way in anywhere, don't they?"

Sadie, meanwhile, is less keen to relinquish her Jewish identity, and resents her husband's eagerness to do so. She begins keeping a list of her own – "Remember to keep the sabbath, remember to keep the dietary laws" – and cooks exclusively from her mother's recipe book. But these observances only heighten her sense of estrangement and she begins to feel increasingly isolated.

Jack finally decides to build his own golf course in the Dorset countryside and the second half of the novel is dominated by his attempts to do this. It is a curious project and its ultimate value, the narrative suggests, is more in its conception than its execution.(less)

like · see review

Jun 17, 2011 Paula Margulies rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book -- utterly charming and well-written. There were a few POV shifts here and there, but in this novel, they were forgivable. At times the story reminded me of a fairy tale; at one point, the main character, Jack Rosenblum, and his wife, Sadie, fall asleep in a field of bluebells and wake up to a rainfall, like children in a Brothers Grimm story. I loved that Jack really yearned for something -- to be English, to be a member of a golf club, and finally, when he can't find the acce...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 29, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

Natasha Solomons' first novel, drawn from the experiences of her grandparents, recounts in an elegiac tone replete with bird song, the making of a British Hyman Kaplan who arrives in London in 1937 with his wife and baby daughter. After optimistic Jack Rosenblum overcomes all his disadvantages, lack of education, lack of money, short stature, Jewishness, and German background, to become one of three major manufacturers of carpets in the UK, his mind naturally turns to golf. Rejected by 100 Engli...more

like · see review

Feb 27, 2011 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-audio-books, 2011-general-fiction

Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, by Natasha Solomons, narrated by James Adams, produced by Highbridge Company, downloaded from audible.com.

At the start of World War II, Jack and Sadie Rosenblum flee Berlin for London with their baby daughter, Elizabeth. Upon arrival, Jack receives a pamphlet
from the German Jewish Aid Committee on how to act like a proper Englishman. He follows it to the letter - Saville Row suits, the BBC, trips to Covent
Garden, a Jaguar - and it works like a charm. The Rosenblu...more

like · see review

Nov 13, 2010 Debbi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It has taken so much longer than it needed, to finish this book. It was a very painful ordeal, during which I gave up several times. I finally forced myself to finish so I would know that something good happened to this poor man. He was mistreated and abused by the people in the newly adopted country where he and his family sought refuge from the persecution of German Jews. He was misunderstood and mistreated by his wife. His daughter was an overindulged, spoiled brat, who did come through event...more

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2010 Kate Quinn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a wonderful treat this book is: sparkling wit, crystalline prose, characters full of courage and sympathy. The middle-aged Jack Rosenblum is a German Jew who escaped Nazi Germany by moving his family to England - and for twenty years, Jack has devoted himself to becoming the perfect English gentleman. He has the tweed suits from Harrods, the prosperous company job, the pipe and the Jaguar, but one thing eludes him: membership to a golf club. When every good golf club rejects Jack (no Jews a...more

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 23, 2010 Myckyee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jack and Sadie Rosenbloom emigrated to London, England just before the Second World War. When they arrived in their new country, Jack was given a checklist on how a proper English citizen behaves - a cheat sheet on how to blend in to his new home. Following it literally and without knowing all the nuances that any British citizen takes for granted sometimes leaves him puzzled and bewildered, but never daunted. Mr. Rosenbloom Dreams in English is Jack and Sadie's story of how they adapted to thei...more Jack and Sadie Rosenbloom emigrated to London, England just before the Second World War. When they arrived in their new country, Jack was given a checklist on how a proper English citizen behaves - a cheat sheet on how to blend in to his new home. Following it literally and without knowing all the nuances that any British citizen takes for granted sometimes leaves him puzzled and bewildered, but never daunted. Mr. Rosenbloom Dreams in English is Jack and Sadie's story of how they adapted to their new lives and sometimes how they didn't.

I really enjoyed Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English (called Mr. Rosenblum's List in the UK). I think Natasha Solomon did a fabulous job in relating what it's like to integrate into a new and very alien life. While I'm not Jewish, I found Jack and Sadie's experiences as Jewish immigrants easy to relate to and I recognized Jack's struggle to fit into a new country and its well-established culture very well. The author's light touch in representing the Rosenblum's struggle to blend in made the story a lot less heavy-handed than it might otherwise have been.

Food is used throughout the story to demonstrate how family and family history is cherished and memories held dear. One particular dessert, a baumtorte, is prepared by Sadie during her most challenging days and helps her cope with her feelings of sadness at the lives lost during the war. The author uses the layered cake as a rich metaphor for layers of memories.

The characters in this book are muti-faceted. Jack and Sadie are neither all good nor all bad - a bit of each quality are in both and it is what I believe gives the book depth and richness. The author knows her characters; Jack is normally an optimistic man and I couldn't help but root for him even when he did something that aggravated me. Writing from the perspective of a male character couldn't have been easy but Natasha Solomons succeeded.

I recommend this wonderful novel to anyone who enjoys reading stories about family bonds and true friendship. (less)

like · see review

Aug 10, 2010 Felice rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Everyone has their favorite place to read about. The place you secretly wish to live or at least vacation several times a year. As much as I am drawn to stories set in Asia thanks to early exposure to master storyteller James Clavell, novels set in England are still my pets. Thank you Charles Dickens, Jane Austin, George Eliott, Wilkie Collins, Anthony Trollope, Barbara Pym and Elizabeth Taylor. England is one of those key words like: historical, colonial and Hilary Mantel that will make me inte...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2010 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

Jack Rosenblum comes to England with his wife and young daughter, refugees from Hitler's Germany. All Jack wants is to become English. He starts a successful business, but money isn't enough to make him an Englishman. Golf! That's one thing he hasn't tried. When discrimination keeps him out of most of the top flight golf clubs, he decides to build his own, in a remote Dorset village where he has bought a rundown house. His wife, meanwhile, wants only to mourn the past, in particular her mother a...more

like · see review

Jun 29, 2010 Gaby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, literary-fiction

In 1937, with Germany's antisemitism is on the rise, the Rosenblum decide to relocate to England. Unable to bring their extended family, Jack, Sadie and their young daughter arrive in Harwich and disembark from a boat full of refugees. A member of the German Jewish Aid Committee hands Jack a pamphlet entitled "While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for every Refugee."

"Please study this with great care."

"And this? He will truly tell me everything that I must be kno...more In 1937, with Germany's antisemitism is on the rise, the Rosenblum decide to relocate to England. Unable to bring their extended family, Jack, Sadie and their young daughter arrive in Harwich and disembark from a boat full of refugees. A member of the German Jewish Aid Committee hands Jack a pamphlet entitled "While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for every Refugee."

"Please study this with great care."

"And this? He will truly tell me everything that I must be knowing?"

The man smiled tightly, impatient to be moving down the lines. "Yes. It tells you everything you need to know about the English."

Jack takes this advice to heart and pores over the list of prescribed behavior. He switches to speaking only English, buys British, and aspires for and acquires what he believes to be the trappings of a true English gentleman. The one thing that remains is membership to the right golf club.

Jack tries -- he applies to all the clubs in his vicinity, reaches out to members, offers to buy his way in. In the end, when it becomes clear that the regular golf clubs won't admit him. And since Jack refuses to join a Jewish golf club, Jack Rosenblum makes a life changing decision. He decides to build his own golf club -- to make the best golf club in South West England. He sells their house and uproots his wife to Dorset.

Jack Rosenblum doesn't realize how some of his old habits remain. He retains the European habit of tips lavishly (surely, they appreciate it -- for their good service) and is carefully polite. He doesn't see the contempt that his attempts inspire in the regular English around him. But in Dorset, as he approaches this seemingly impossible task of creating a golf course, his determination, hard work, kindness and good bring him the acceptance that he deserves.

Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English: A Novel is whimsical, beautifully written, funny and poignant at turns. Natasha Solomon captures the heartache of the diaspora and the yearning for a true home with accuracy, sensitivity and humor. Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English: A Novel is a book that will resonate with readers of all ages -- it's a book to share with good friends and to revisit over time.

ISBN-10: 0316077585 - Hardcover $23.99
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books (June 21, 2010), 368 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher. (less)

like · see review

Jun 05, 2013 Jayne Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book follows the fortunes of Jack and Sadie, Jewish refugees from Germany trying to gain acceptance into English society in the years following the second world war. The way Jack is treated by some “proper” English people begs the question why he would ever want to be one of them, and yet his tenacity is one of the things that make him such an engaging character.

The author writes with such skill – describing the rural setting in such a way that the greenery seems to poke up through the page...more

like · see review

Oct 14, 2011 Ronda Jean rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This delightful, charming and tender story takes readers back to time in Britain when ‘Englishness’ still reigned supreme. When Jack and Sadie Rosenblum arrive on the shores of England to escape the Nazis, they are given a pamphlet by the immigration office detailing how to become English: Never Speak German on the upper decks of London busses. An Englishman always buys marmalade from Fortnum and Mason...Jack takes each item to heart and when he is unable to gain membership in countless golf clu...more

like · see review

Oct 21, 2011 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love England, but man, this guy is obsessed! Jack Rosenblum flees Germany with his family at the start of WWII and wants nothing more than to become English. But he loses sight of everything else. Interesting premise, no? Problem is, I just didn't like Jack. Or the book. I couldn't get into it. The plot didn't flow smoothly and felt tedious. Now I'm off to bed, where I'm going to have pleasant dreams in English, but not about being English, like Jack. Good riddance, and Cheerio!

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 11, 2011 Khaya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Khaya by: Hadassa

Shelves: jewish, culturalidentity

Talk about uneven pacing. Check this out:

1st 40 pages: Jack Rosenblum, a pre-WWII Jewish refugee from Germany, arrives with his wife and infant in England determined to be an Englishman. He strikes it rich almost instantly and makes it in every possible way except for being admitted to a golf club. He finally decides to build his own. Twenty years pass.

Next 210 pages: Jack moves to the countryside and builds the golf course, weathering an endless set of setbacks, only to experience a final blow...more Talk about uneven pacing. Check this out:

1st 40 pages: Jack Rosenblum, a pre-WWII Jewish refugee from Germany, arrives with his wife and infant in England determined to be an Englishman. He strikes it rich almost instantly and makes it in every possible way except for being admitted to a golf club. He finally decides to build his own. Twenty years pass.

Next 210 pages: Jack moves to the countryside and builds the golf course, weathering an endless set of setbacks, only to experience a final blow and give up.

Last 50 pages: Jack makes a comeback and finally achieves his dream.

But I think my bigger problem with this book was the characterization. I got the sense that Natasha wanted me to be charmed by Jack and his indomitable spirit, much the way Mary Ann Shaffer kept begging you to fall in love with her LOVABLE ECCENTRIC characters in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. But to be honest, I didn't think Jack was cute or admirable in any way. I thought he was dumb. I thought his earnest following of a list in order to fit into British society, aside from being gimmicky and cutesy, made him way too naive to be believable, especially when it took him forever to outgrow it (this is the guy with the savvy to become a successful factory owner?). I thought his golf scheme and the risks he took for it was absolutely ridiculous and over the top. His last setback, I admit, was actually poignant for me and achieved the three-dimensional perspective on assimilation that should have happened 150 pages earlier. Unfortunately, it didn't redeem the book for me. And neither did any of the other, equally thin characters.

Last but not least -- RIDICULOUS Jewish mistakes. I mean, seriously. I'm somewhat used to this, as an Orthodox Jewish consumer of books about Jews written by non-Orthodox writers. But this was extreme. They're Orthodox and they don't know when Rosh Hashana is until the day of? Really? I swear by the hole in my beigel? Can I puke now?(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2010 Jgrace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English – Natasha Solomons
4 stars

In August of 1937, Jack Rosenblum, his wife and small daughter arrive in England. They are German Jewish Refugees. No other members of their family escape what is to come. Jack determines to follow every word of the advice given the pamphlet “While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for Every Refugee”. Jack’s watchword becomes “assimilation”.
From an initial purchase of some odd lengths of carpet, Jack builds a s...more

like · see review

Feb 11, 2013 Frieda Vizel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oy… what a story. I am still sniffling from the final chapters, the beautiful relief at the end...==chills==

Last impressions aside… it’s hard for me to accurately judge this book in its entirety when left with the aftertaste of a feel good end. As a whole, the story isn’t always as engaging. You spend the first half of the book waiting for something to happen and the second half hoping that things will stop happening to the poor Jew (who escaped Nazi Germany with his wife) who is struck by one...more

like · see review

Aug 24, 2012 Agatha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very cute book, just not quite what I had anticipated. Was more of like a fable or a “Don Quixote” tale than a novel. Jacob and Sadie Rosenblum (who later change their names to Jack and Sadie Rose) and their daughter Ilsa (who changes her name to Elizabeth) emigrate from Germany to England in 1937. It is Mr. Rosenblum’s dream above all to become as English as possible and, though he becomes a quite successful businessman as the owner of a carpet factory, he is crushed when he is not accepted int...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What did U think of "Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English"?	6	19	Jul 11, 2012 02:38pm

combine
Other Editions (28)

More editions...

Genres

Historical Fiction

52 users

Literature > Jewish

15 users

European Literature > British Literature

14 users

Adult Fiction

14 users

Drama

8 users

History > World War II

8 users

World War II > Holocaust

7 users

Adult

7 users

Novels

6 users

Contemporary

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Natasha Solomons

Natasha Solomons is a writer who lives with her husband in rural Dorset. Her first novel, Mr Rosenblum's List or Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman (titled in the US Mr Rosenblum Dreams in English) was published in 2010. According to her website, she is currently trying to finish a PhD on eighteenth-century poetry.

More about Natasha Solomons...

Books by Natasha Solomons

The Gallery of Vanished Husbands: A Novel

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Mr. Rosenblum Dre...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Mr. Rosenblum's List: ...

“He liked the English and their peculiarities. He liked their stoicism under pressure; on the wall in his factory he kept a copy of a war poster emblazoned with the Crown of King George and underneath the words “Keep Calm and Carry On.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Mr. Rosenblum's List: or Friendly Guidance For The Aspiring Englishman
avg rating	preview: Mr. Rosenblum's List: or Friendly Guidance For The Aspiring Englishman Goodreads rating: 3.58 (1989 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7294527-mr-rosenblum-s-list?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327905854l/7294527.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7294527-mr-rosenblum-s-list?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Mr. Rosenblum's List: or Friendly Guidance For The Aspiring Englishman by Natasha Solomons[/url]

Mr. Rosenblum's List: or Friendly Guidance For The Aspiring Englishman

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website