Love With Noodles: An Amorous Widower's Tale

by Harry I. Freund

Grieving over the death of his beloved wife, sixty-year-old stockbroker Dan Gelder is unexpectedly attracted to four different women, travels to Jerusalem, and struggles with his son's engagement to a non-Jewish woman.

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun summer read

[Maggie Boyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, wow! It is easy to tell this is a romance written by a man. Stockbroker Dan Gelder is not enjoying his widowhood. He is uncomfortable that for his sixtieth birthday he is attending what he knows will be a surprise party at a friends apartment. He doesn't want to walk through that door alone. He does and what he finds on the other side surprises him. For once the woman his friends have introduced him to is worth knowing - Violet is brass, rich, take charge, difficult but always exciting. He attends events with her, surprised by how enjoyable he finds her company.

But Violet hasn't just engaged his interest, she's unleashed his amorous side. Before he knows it he has more women in his life than he has ever had before. Which is a good thing since he's having to deal with the horror of his son not marrying a Jewish girl, a significant financial responsibility and some friends who seem determined to drive him crazy.

The portions that center on the Jewish heritage of the protagonist are fascinating. Dan seems to be come a real human being during those moments, confused, resolute, thoughtful. The rest reads like an old guy's fantasy of what will happen after his wife dies and the mourning period is behind him. My biggest disappointment is the lazy, over the top "gift" from the rich friend at the end and that Dan chooses a woman whose only characteristic is pretty.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it funny and perceptive. The author (a first time author at 65, no less) drew characters with real personality, and I was touched by the depth of feeling that Dan, the protagonist, continued to feel for his late wife, as well as for the loss he felt when his only son announced his plans to marry out of the faith. Though a couple of the characters' voices were a bit unrealistic, it didn't detract from the enjoyment I had watching Dan figure out how to live out the last decades of his life, and which woman to choose as his companion. There are some racy scenes, just as a warning, but I was affected enough by this author's voice that I'll look for other words of his in the future.

[Katharine Holden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting writing and characters. It's kind of an old man's fantasy, though. I found it hard to believe that a man of 65 is the high-performing stud he is made out to be in this novel. When I realized the first-time author is a man of 65, I thought to myself, "Ah, that explains everything. A little wish-fulfillment with your noodles."

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the insights into the culture of Judaism.