Wasteland

by Jo Sinclair

Wasteland is the story of Jacob Braunowitz, a young Jewish man who, tortured by self-doubts and nightmare fears, turns his back on his heritage, his home, and even his name. Guided by a radical sister who is “half like a man and half like a woman” and a wise and compassionate psychiatrist, Jacob makes the arduous journey back to his authentic identity, his family, and his people.

Genres: Classics, Queer, LGBT, Fiction, Jewish

372 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Ruth Seid (July 1, 1913 - April 4, 1995), was an American novelist who wrote under the pen name Jo Sinclair. She earned awards and critical praise for her novels about race relations and the struggles of immigrant families in America.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Susann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently came across a 1946 letter that my great-grandmother wrote to my grandmother, in which she strongly recommended Wasteland. One AbeBooks order later, I was reading about a Midwestern Jewish man going through an identity crisis during the 1940s. Jake begins regular visits with a psychiatrist and delves into family issues in order to get at the root of his self-loathing.

As literature, the book is heavy-handed and mechanical. Each chapter follows the same routine of examining Jake's relationship with a different family member and including the psychiatrist's notes.

As a piece of historical sociology, it's fascinating to get a sense of the mores of the time, especially as they touch on religion, class, and sexuality. Jake's sister, Debby, is the strong one in the family. She's the only one keeping everyone together and she's also a lesbian. Sinclair's portrayal of Debby is at once forward and backward. Debby is smart, kind, and strong, and Jake evolves from loving her despite her "differentness" to loving her for who she is. But Sinclair also suggests that if Debby's father and brothers had been real men and taken proper care of the family, then maybe Debby wouldn't dress so boyishly and be so different. There's an overall sense of melancholy associated with Debby's homosexuality, as if we should all be wistful for what might have been.

2 stars for the literature
3.5 stars for the sociology of the times
5++++++++++++ stars for sharing a book with Granny Yetta

[Chad Malkamaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book out Portnoy's Complaint, Portnoy's Complaint. Written two decades earlier, and thankfully not dealing with Roth's sexual hangups, Jo Sinclair's roman a clef really is the story of her brother a newspaper photographer. I read this not so much as a novel, but a piece of Cleveland history written by an underappreciated author who just so happens to be a lesbian. She is very much a Fifth Business, type of character one that is not central to the story, but is the observer and recorder of the main actors in the play.

I found out about Jo Sinclair through my colleague, who is our Jewish-American archivist, after I was able to go through and digitize some of her brother's unprocessed photography collection at work for an exhibit. I was so amazed by the artistic talent of two members of this family and I can't wait to read more of this author that I wish more knew about.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard book to read.

[Virgowriter (Brad Windhauser) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring read. LOT of talking, though interesting use of psychotherapist character. Sister Debbie is gender non-conforming or queer in some way, which is interesting for the era.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting, I was wondering why in the world I was reading a book about an insecure Jewish guy talking to his psychiatrist. I have no Jewish background, haven't known many Jewish people,
and know little about the Jewish religion. As it turns out, the book is basically about Jake's insecurities, what makes him tick, how to overcome his inadequacies, and accept people for who and what they are. Not a book I would read again, but it had a good message.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasteland is constructed around psychotherapy sessions in which John Brown (aka Jake Braunowitz)digs into the reasons for his shame--of his Yiddish speaking, old-world parents; of his lesbian sister; and of his Jewishness. It made me think about how American Jewish self-understand has been shaped by Freud and by the notion of self-hatred, so popular in mid-century. Even today,the label "self-hating Jew" is used to shut down any Jew who is critical of his/her religion or culture or especially of Israel. I was also struck by how the therapist, the voice of wisdom, attributes lesbianism to the failure of men in the family to properly assume their male roles. Jake has to accept this interpretation in order to be healed of his guilt and anger toward his lesbian sister Debbie. Viewed from more than a half century later, the novel shows that analysis itself perpetuated stereotypes--of the weak, neurotic Jewish man, unable to have mature sexual relationships (here comes Philip Roth!) and the Jewish woman just waiting for a chance to usurp the place of men. To be fair, Jo Sinclair (Ruth Seid) portrays Debbie, a character based on Seid's own experience, with sympathy and admiration--yet she accepts current psychological explanations for what has made her different.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

1946. A Jewish guy with an abusive father and a lesbian sister goes through psychotherapy during WWII. They smoke constantly in therapy. He figures out how he feels about his family and moves on from the way he was stuck in life. A good portrayal of what therapy can do for a person. Good character development. Jewish issues. Oh and he's a newspaper photographer which is pretty cool. A lot of focus on how the seder has affected him year after year as the youngest son, reading the questions, but feeling that his father was desecrating what ought to be sacred just by being there. Dense, but worth the effort of reading.

[Tom Leland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just reread this...I first read it in the late 80s...a beautiful book. Would be enthralling reading for anyone who has ever felt different, like an outcast -- particularly Jews, African-Americans, gays.
Judaism is at the core of the story, but the real theme is how understanding one's self and one's story can eliminate shame. Psychoanalysis helps the main character rise out of his "wasteland", and in turn his rejuvenated self helps each member of his family. This was a bold and relatively unwritten of theme in the 40s, and the book was properly lauded for its courage.

[Lieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

i cried a lot throughout this book because i could sympathize with the pain and shame of being different.