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The Book of Jeremiah: A Novel in Stories
Julie Zuckerman's moving and engrossing debut novel-in-stories, The Book of Jeremiah , tells the story of awkward but endearing Jeremiah Gerstler--the son of Jewish immigrants, brilliant political science professor, husband, father.
Jeremiah has yearned for respect and acceptance his entire life, and no matter his success, he still strives for more. As a boy, he was feisty and irreverent and constantly compared to his sweet and well-behaved older brother, Lenny. At the university, he worries he is a token hire. Occasionally, he's combative with colleagues, especially as he ages. But there is a sweetness to Gerstler, too, and an abiding loyalty and affection for those he loves. When he can overcome his worst impulses, his moments of humility become among the best measures of his achievements.
Spanning eight decades and interwoven with the Jewish experience of the 20th century, Julie Zuckerman charts Jeremiah's life from boyhood, through service in WWII, to marriage and children, a professorship and finally retirement, with compassion, honesty, and a respect that even Gerstler himself would find touching.
Jeremiah has yearned for respect and acceptance his entire life, and no matter his success, he still strives for more. As a boy, he was feisty and irreverent and constantly compared to his sweet and well-behaved older brother, Lenny. At the university, he worries he is a token hire. Occasionally, he's combative with colleagues, especially as he ages. But there is a sweetness to Gerstler, too, and an abiding loyalty and affection for those he loves. When he can overcome his worst impulses, his moments of humility become among the best measures of his achievements.
Spanning eight decades and interwoven with the Jewish experience of the 20th century, Julie Zuckerman charts Jeremiah's life from boyhood, through service in WWII, to marriage and children, a professorship and finally retirement, with compassion, honesty, and a respect that even Gerstler himself would find touching.
202 pages, Paperback
Published May 3, 2019
22 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Julie Zuckerman
3 books39 followersMy fiction and nonfiction have appeared in a variety of publications, including The SFWP Quarterly, The MacGuffin, Salt Hill, Sixfold, The Coil, Ellipsis, MoonPark Review, Crab Orchard Review and others. The Book of Jeremiah was the runner-up for the 2018 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction and is my debut collection.
I hold a BA in political science from Barnard College, Columbia University, and a MA in international relations from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.
A native of Connecticut, I now lives in Modiin, Israel, with my husband and four children. When I'm not writing, I can be found reading, running, biking, birdwatching, baking or attempting to grow things in my garden.
I hold a BA in political science from Barnard College, Columbia University, and a MA in international relations from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.
A native of Connecticut, I now lives in Modiin, Israel, with my husband and four children. When I'm not writing, I can be found reading, running, biking, birdwatching, baking or attempting to grow things in my garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 26, 2019
When I finished this book, I didn’t immediately sit up and think what an extraordinary character Jeremiah Gerstler is. But it’s a book that made me think about the sweet, the sad, the comical, the good, the bad, the beautiful things that occur in all of our lives, no matter how ordinary life can feel sometimes. It made me think about how much people are more alike than not. Jeremiah doesn’t always say the right thing. Do any of us? He doesn’t always see a situation for what it really is, at least not immediately. Do any of us ?
These are stories as the title reflects, but the novel in the title is what it felt like to me. It is a series of stories, not in chronological order, that comprise this book depicting specific events in Jeremiah’s life. We get a glimpse of him as a young boy causing trouble in school and at home, to his eighties, as an aged, emeritus professor having to face that he hasn’t always been the best teacher, back to the time in his life when he meets his wife, to the time when he grieves over the loss of his brother in the war, moving forward to his overly emotional reaction to his daughter’s wedding fearing the family would lose her, to the touching last story as a widower missing his wife and her baked goods and learning to bake. This not only depicts various stages and events in Jeremiah’s life but it also reflects what is happening around him, a view of the times in our country- WWII, the 60’s, Vietnam, Watergate. You may not love Jeremiah because he’s not perfect, but I came to be very fond of him because no matter what, he always means well and sometimes that’s enough.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Press 53 through NetGalley.
These are stories as the title reflects, but the novel in the title is what it felt like to me. It is a series of stories, not in chronological order, that comprise this book depicting specific events in Jeremiah’s life. We get a glimpse of him as a young boy causing trouble in school and at home, to his eighties, as an aged, emeritus professor having to face that he hasn’t always been the best teacher, back to the time in his life when he meets his wife, to the time when he grieves over the loss of his brother in the war, moving forward to his overly emotional reaction to his daughter’s wedding fearing the family would lose her, to the touching last story as a widower missing his wife and her baked goods and learning to bake. This not only depicts various stages and events in Jeremiah’s life but it also reflects what is happening around him, a view of the times in our country- WWII, the 60’s, Vietnam, Watergate. You may not love Jeremiah because he’s not perfect, but I came to be very fond of him because no matter what, he always means well and sometimes that’s enough.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Press 53 through NetGalley.
July 26, 2020
So much to love! 13 stories about Jeremiah Gerstler and his family, back and forth in time - from the early 1930s to 2009. From Bridgeport CT to France to Queens, NY to Washington DC to the Berkshires to Israel...a journey both physical and emotional. Flawed characters and the influences of upbringing, volatile times of war and change in recent history, along with tragedy and sorrow mixed with hope, love and optimism. I enjoyed Jeremiah and his relationships, the Jewish holidays, trip to Israel and the Yiddish references, and the window into the private sorrows experiences during a life well lived.
August 28, 2020
This is a terrific book and one of the best I've read this year. The stories, which are not chronological--a feature that I think adds some mystery to the book--focus on Jeremiah Gerstler, a prankster as a child and later a distinguished professor of political economy. We also meet his wife Molly and their two children, Hannah and Stuart, and get a sense of the love they have for each other. Jeremiah reminds me of Olive Kitteridge in Elizabeth Strout's books. He's not always likeable, he's sometimes cantankerous, but he feels deeply and truly cares. The writing throughout is outstanding. Highly recommended.
July 6, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed The Book Of Jeremiah. Each story added to the picture of a complex man and his family at different ages and stages. I especially appreciated the contrast between the mischievous young boy with so much potential to go in many ways and then to watch how life, and relationships, unfold in unexpected ways. The author is masterful with characterization and allowing the reader inside the minds and emotions of her characters. Full of surprise, beauty and humanity. I'm a huge fan.
June 7, 2019
This review originally appeared in readingjewisfiction.com
One of the pleasures of fiction is the way many ways it allows for play with a familiar story’s structure, enabling us to regard and consider it from fresh, sometimes startling points of view. The Book of Jeremiah, a debut novel in stories by Julie Zuckerman, works this complex feat beautifully, offering an intriguing opportunity to contemplate a life not in a conventional, linear fashion, but as brief, meticulously crafted glimpses into key scenes that come together to form a multi-valenced composite.
Zuckerman’s protagonist is a first generation American Jew by the name of Jeremiah Gerstler, and the 13 stories here span the breadth of his basically unremarkable, rather comfortable, (some might use the term “privileged”), life. Jeremiah’s parents are warm and nurturing. His professional path as a political scientist, though not without its difficulties, is mostly smooth and satisfying. His wife, Molly, level-headed, lively, and sociable, and tolerant of his foibles, seems a perfect partner for him. His children, Hannah and Stuart, traverse typical paths of rebellion and reconciliation. And yet, with Zuckerman’s sharp, close resolutions, we are invited to observe how even in the most quotidian existence there are moments of intense drama and folly, pain and redemption.
Which is the most true, most authentic Jeremiah Gerstler? Is he the rascally nine year old playing a prank at a Passover Seder in 1936? Is he the ambitious young man turned down for a position in the secret service in 1952? Is he the baffled father, trying to resolve a family argument that spoils a birthday party in 1992? Or is he, ultimately, the elderly professor, contemplating his life’s achievements and disappointments in 2006? The answer is, of course, that he is all of them. And this truth, so obvious yet so strange to fathom , is what Zuckerman has artfully succeeded here in showing us.
In its non-chronological structure, the novel hands us a series of discrete pieces of a puzzle, each a moment in Jeremiah’s life that both stands on its own, and resonates with his character that we slowly come to know. By zeroing in on scenes from Jeremiah’s 80 odd years, we are invited into two simultaneous perspectives; that of the small story before us, and the wider, fuller view that places the story into the long arc of Jeremiah’s life. It is a perspective that offers up tantalizing questions: What personality traits stay with us over a lifetime, and what reveals itself as a passing stage? How do the things that happen to us in childhood come to mold our characters? How are life’s lessons learned? What shapes and drives a career? How does one learn, in small steps, to live with oneself?
And the novel offers yet another perspective: that of history. Though it is the story of Jeremiah’s life that is being showcased here, lurking in the backdrop is always the unrelenting presence of his times. Zuckerman deftly weaves the times into her stories, using telling details as well as attitudes, mores, and values to bring us into the atmosphere of the period in question.
Here, for example, is Jeremiah in 1972, chaperoning his daughter’s class on a field trip to Washington D.C.
“Mr. Bruno, the young history teacher sitting a row ahead, wore his long hair tied back. Standard for teachers in the liberal, arty atmosphere of the Berkshires were a bit too relaxed for Jeremiah’s taste, and he found Bruno’s ponytail off-putting”.
And here he is in Paris, serving in the Signal core in 1945. “The café on Rue Madeleine was full of elegant French dames wearing printed crepe fabrics and feathered hats; other than a few midshipmen Jeremiah spotted sitting in the back, he and Mary were the only Americans. Despite the sticky heat of July and the short supply of sugar and real coffee, the mood was festive. Paris had been liberated nearly a year before, and with the end of the war, there was talk of France abandoning the ration system. Jeremiah felt no part of their joie de vivre.”
And here is his 19 year-old son, Stuart, contemplating his sister’s wedding in 1983 “The thought of tethering himself to one person for the rest of his life held no appeal for him. He felt nauseous contemplating it. College and life in the city had finally given Stuart his independence, and he was not interested in ending his partying any time soon. He could handle his parents for a weekend, a week at most, but after that, anything was liable to set things off. Thank goodness he’d brought a stash of weed home with him.”
In this way, events such as the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, Watergate, and the Middle East come into play, not as a history lesson, but as a vivid presence in the characters’ lives.
For all of its structural virtuosity, the novel is not without flaws. While some of the stories, like “Transcendental”, “Awakening”, and “A Tough Day for L.B.J” , achieve sharp psychological accuracy, there were several instances where I wanted more – more depth, more probing of the issues raised, both on the level of the character’s psychology, and with regard to the relationship between the individual and society. This is a text that offers opportunities to consider larger questions about being Jewish in America in the 20th century. As a political scientist, Jeremiah is well positioned to engage with them, yet many of the stories tend to focus on small, recognizable moments, rather than explore larger truths.
On the whole, however, The Book of Jeremiah is a satisfying read, and after glimpsing these few brief but telling moments in Jeremiah’s life, readers are likely to come away with a new perspective on their own.
One of the pleasures of fiction is the way many ways it allows for play with a familiar story’s structure, enabling us to regard and consider it from fresh, sometimes startling points of view. The Book of Jeremiah, a debut novel in stories by Julie Zuckerman, works this complex feat beautifully, offering an intriguing opportunity to contemplate a life not in a conventional, linear fashion, but as brief, meticulously crafted glimpses into key scenes that come together to form a multi-valenced composite.
Zuckerman’s protagonist is a first generation American Jew by the name of Jeremiah Gerstler, and the 13 stories here span the breadth of his basically unremarkable, rather comfortable, (some might use the term “privileged”), life. Jeremiah’s parents are warm and nurturing. His professional path as a political scientist, though not without its difficulties, is mostly smooth and satisfying. His wife, Molly, level-headed, lively, and sociable, and tolerant of his foibles, seems a perfect partner for him. His children, Hannah and Stuart, traverse typical paths of rebellion and reconciliation. And yet, with Zuckerman’s sharp, close resolutions, we are invited to observe how even in the most quotidian existence there are moments of intense drama and folly, pain and redemption.
Which is the most true, most authentic Jeremiah Gerstler? Is he the rascally nine year old playing a prank at a Passover Seder in 1936? Is he the ambitious young man turned down for a position in the secret service in 1952? Is he the baffled father, trying to resolve a family argument that spoils a birthday party in 1992? Or is he, ultimately, the elderly professor, contemplating his life’s achievements and disappointments in 2006? The answer is, of course, that he is all of them. And this truth, so obvious yet so strange to fathom , is what Zuckerman has artfully succeeded here in showing us.
In its non-chronological structure, the novel hands us a series of discrete pieces of a puzzle, each a moment in Jeremiah’s life that both stands on its own, and resonates with his character that we slowly come to know. By zeroing in on scenes from Jeremiah’s 80 odd years, we are invited into two simultaneous perspectives; that of the small story before us, and the wider, fuller view that places the story into the long arc of Jeremiah’s life. It is a perspective that offers up tantalizing questions: What personality traits stay with us over a lifetime, and what reveals itself as a passing stage? How do the things that happen to us in childhood come to mold our characters? How are life’s lessons learned? What shapes and drives a career? How does one learn, in small steps, to live with oneself?
And the novel offers yet another perspective: that of history. Though it is the story of Jeremiah’s life that is being showcased here, lurking in the backdrop is always the unrelenting presence of his times. Zuckerman deftly weaves the times into her stories, using telling details as well as attitudes, mores, and values to bring us into the atmosphere of the period in question.
Here, for example, is Jeremiah in 1972, chaperoning his daughter’s class on a field trip to Washington D.C.
“Mr. Bruno, the young history teacher sitting a row ahead, wore his long hair tied back. Standard for teachers in the liberal, arty atmosphere of the Berkshires were a bit too relaxed for Jeremiah’s taste, and he found Bruno’s ponytail off-putting”.
And here he is in Paris, serving in the Signal core in 1945. “The café on Rue Madeleine was full of elegant French dames wearing printed crepe fabrics and feathered hats; other than a few midshipmen Jeremiah spotted sitting in the back, he and Mary were the only Americans. Despite the sticky heat of July and the short supply of sugar and real coffee, the mood was festive. Paris had been liberated nearly a year before, and with the end of the war, there was talk of France abandoning the ration system. Jeremiah felt no part of their joie de vivre.”
And here is his 19 year-old son, Stuart, contemplating his sister’s wedding in 1983 “The thought of tethering himself to one person for the rest of his life held no appeal for him. He felt nauseous contemplating it. College and life in the city had finally given Stuart his independence, and he was not interested in ending his partying any time soon. He could handle his parents for a weekend, a week at most, but after that, anything was liable to set things off. Thank goodness he’d brought a stash of weed home with him.”
In this way, events such as the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, Watergate, and the Middle East come into play, not as a history lesson, but as a vivid presence in the characters’ lives.
For all of its structural virtuosity, the novel is not without flaws. While some of the stories, like “Transcendental”, “Awakening”, and “A Tough Day for L.B.J” , achieve sharp psychological accuracy, there were several instances where I wanted more – more depth, more probing of the issues raised, both on the level of the character’s psychology, and with regard to the relationship between the individual and society. This is a text that offers opportunities to consider larger questions about being Jewish in America in the 20th century. As a political scientist, Jeremiah is well positioned to engage with them, yet many of the stories tend to focus on small, recognizable moments, rather than explore larger truths.
On the whole, however, The Book of Jeremiah is a satisfying read, and after glimpsing these few brief but telling moments in Jeremiah’s life, readers are likely to come away with a new perspective on their own.
Read
August 28, 2020Whether you have been moved by a trip to the Holy Land, you have suffered a great loss, or your family uses Yiddish expressions, you will feel connected to Jeremiah and be delighted with all the special touches Zuckerman puts into her work.
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2020/08/12/portr...
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2020/08/12/portr...
May 30, 2019
The Book of Jeremiah is a beautifully written collection of short stories that come together to paint a picture of a life. Many of us have stories that we collect about ourselves through the years and recount to those around us, as a way of defining ourselves. Our stories aren’t always about triumph or achievement – sometimes quite the opposite – they’re a very different kind of resume. They’re the resume of our life experience, of who we were and who we have come to be through life’s ups and downs. They can be stories about small blunders that made a large impact, about seemingly fleeting moments that stayed in our hearts and anchored us, about conversations that made a lasting impression, about misunderstandings that left scars for years, about small secrets that either unraveled or sustained us. The book of Jeremiah is full of those kinds of stories.
TBoJ didn’t unfold Jeremiah’s story in a linear, chronological fashion, nor did we get to hear about all the traditional milestones of life in order to understand him or those around him. But the seemingly small specks collected through the author’s short stories truly come together to look like wide strokes on the canvass of his life: a poignant, moving picture is formed - a wonderful picture that leads to some chuckles, some a few teardrops, and a lot of self-reflection.
TBoJ didn’t unfold Jeremiah’s story in a linear, chronological fashion, nor did we get to hear about all the traditional milestones of life in order to understand him or those around him. But the seemingly small specks collected through the author’s short stories truly come together to look like wide strokes on the canvass of his life: a poignant, moving picture is formed - a wonderful picture that leads to some chuckles, some a few teardrops, and a lot of self-reflection.
May 7, 2019
With scope, depth, and feeling, this novel in stories examines pivotal experiences in the long life of a single character: Jeremiah Gerstler, the son of Jewish immigrants, a loving husband and father, and an accomplished professor of political science. Zuckerman explores how these experiences shape Gerstler, change his perceptions of himself and others, and reverberate across time. The result is a moving, multifaceted portrait of a life, in all its dimensions.
For my review of the book, see https://smallpresspicks.com/the-book-....
For my review of the book, see https://smallpresspicks.com/the-book-....
May 15, 2019
Recently, I attended the 2019 Leadercast. One of the speakers was a woman named Juliet Funt who talked about the need for leaders to have a "whitespace", a short period of time between receiving information and acting upon it, thus providing time for someone to process information before acting hastily on it and overreacting or reacting negatively. Several of the characters in The Book of Jeremiah need this whitespace because they act irrationally when calmer heads prevail. Lessons to be learned from educated, otherwise rational people who allow emotions to control their responses. But, this is not a book simply about "overreactors" or assholish people. It is the story of a principled man, Jeremiah whose life is shaped by"overreactors", and whose life is shared by them as well. The book is a "novel told in short stories", in vignettes that flip back and forward through the course of his life. It's a great book. Strong narrative, without being verbose. KUDOS.
June 3, 2020
The Book of Jeremiah, a Novel in Stories, follows eight decades of the life of Jeremiah Gerstler.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Zuckerman lays out each milestone of Jeremiah's life as though it were a short story, jumping from past to present and back again. The book feels like each chapter is a short story. I found the format engaging. It really held my interest.
Jeremiah Gerstler's life really speaks to Jewish life experience in the 20th century. He is the child of immigrants. We see him as a precocious youth, coming of age, finding love, having a family, and experiencing success in his career. Similar to the biblical narrative by the same name, Gerstler's story carries its share of hardships and challenges. But unlike it, there are also beautiful moments of happiness and joy. It's very true to real life experience.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Zuckerman lays out each milestone of Jeremiah's life as though it were a short story, jumping from past to present and back again. The book feels like each chapter is a short story. I found the format engaging. It really held my interest.
Jeremiah Gerstler's life really speaks to Jewish life experience in the 20th century. He is the child of immigrants. We see him as a precocious youth, coming of age, finding love, having a family, and experiencing success in his career. Similar to the biblical narrative by the same name, Gerstler's story carries its share of hardships and challenges. But unlike it, there are also beautiful moments of happiness and joy. It's very true to real life experience.
June 15, 2019
I love this novel in stories! From the first chapter, I knew I was in expert hands: The author not only paints a nuanced portrait of a family, she also gives a detailed insight into a time, a culture, a place. This duality of tender intimacy against a global backdrop of war and political conflict continues throughout, lending this novel its great depth and scope. The historical issues of justice presented in this book have much to say about our contemporary society.
The characters are how I like them best, flawed and real, wrestling with complex existential questions: Why do we sometimes lose control of ourselves and say things we don’t mean or don’t want others to know? How do we deal with our ambiguities, with honoring our parents and their traditions and not wanting to become like them?
I especially appreciated the multiple points of view. I got to know Jeremiah not only through his own thoughts and actions, but also through the eyes of his wife, his mother, his daughter, and his son.
“The Book of Jeremiah” is perfect for readers of generational novels and for lovers of books such as “Olive Kitteridge” and “Plainsong.”
The characters are how I like them best, flawed and real, wrestling with complex existential questions: Why do we sometimes lose control of ourselves and say things we don’t mean or don’t want others to know? How do we deal with our ambiguities, with honoring our parents and their traditions and not wanting to become like them?
I especially appreciated the multiple points of view. I got to know Jeremiah not only through his own thoughts and actions, but also through the eyes of his wife, his mother, his daughter, and his son.
“The Book of Jeremiah” is perfect for readers of generational novels and for lovers of books such as “Olive Kitteridge” and “Plainsong.”
July 7, 2019
I very much enjoyed Zuckerman's debut novel. The format of linked short stories allowed the author to jump around chronologically, which added depth to the story. There were moments when I would read something about Jeremiah's life, and realize I already knew how that aspect would turn out from an earlier piece -- it was like seeing a whole picture, but in tantalizing parts. Jeremiah was not, for me, a character to exactly "like," but he felt very real. The author has a very good grasp of history and politics, and also of the academic life, which comes through. The author is also very familiar with Israel and Judaism. Although she very accurately portrays the cultural Judaism that all the characters across the generations experience, from the grandparents, through Jeremiah, his own children and grandchildren, I would have loved to have seen a bit more substantive treatment of tradition and religious. Instead, Jeremiah's daughter marries a non-Jew, and wonders whether she can have her children bar/bat mitzvahed. Again, totally accurate portrayal of the American Jewish situation, but I longed for the author to imagine it otherwise for her characters. Overall, a very enjoyable read.
September 15, 2019
A satisfying debut short story collection; each story can be read as a stand-alone, but together they form a narrative arc with the depth of a novel.
Jeremiah Gerstler is a grumpy old man, except he’s not. He’s a mischievous little boy, a loving husband, a proud father, an under-appreciated professor. Jeremiah rails at life’s perceived injustices, and struggles to control his anger sometimes, although in his heart he means well. His multi-faced character is revealed through myriad points of view (his wife, son, daughter, mother), and ‘chapters’ that leap forward and backward in time. The cultural and historical backdrop (growing up Jewish in 20th century America) provided an additional richness to the tale. As the mother of a baseball mad boy, my favourite story was ‘Three Strikes’ but there was much to like in all of them.
I enjoyed this collection as a reader, and admired both the form and content as a writer.
Jeremiah Gerstler is a grumpy old man, except he’s not. He’s a mischievous little boy, a loving husband, a proud father, an under-appreciated professor. Jeremiah rails at life’s perceived injustices, and struggles to control his anger sometimes, although in his heart he means well. His multi-faced character is revealed through myriad points of view (his wife, son, daughter, mother), and ‘chapters’ that leap forward and backward in time. The cultural and historical backdrop (growing up Jewish in 20th century America) provided an additional richness to the tale. As the mother of a baseball mad boy, my favourite story was ‘Three Strikes’ but there was much to like in all of them.
I enjoyed this collection as a reader, and admired both the form and content as a writer.
July 10, 2019
Characters You Have to Love
Each of the stories in The Book of Jeremiah could stand on its own and make for a satisfying read, and when you read them together you get a poignant depiction of a character you might not always like, but you grow to love. At times hilarious and at times surprisingly painful, the book presents the full life of one man through his own eyes and the eyes of those around him, through what happens to him and what happens to those he loves. I especially loved how the stories jumped in chronology, reflecting that life does not always happen in a linear way. I'm ready for the next volumes, The Book of Molly, The Book of Hannah, etc.
Each of the stories in The Book of Jeremiah could stand on its own and make for a satisfying read, and when you read them together you get a poignant depiction of a character you might not always like, but you grow to love. At times hilarious and at times surprisingly painful, the book presents the full life of one man through his own eyes and the eyes of those around him, through what happens to him and what happens to those he loves. I especially loved how the stories jumped in chronology, reflecting that life does not always happen in a linear way. I'm ready for the next volumes, The Book of Molly, The Book of Hannah, etc.
August 15, 2019
Is this a "novel in stories" or a collection of linked stories? No matter--it's wonderful either way. These stories, arranged NOT chronologically and told from different points of view (including Jeremiah's mother, brother, wife, children) follow the long life of a brilliant, difficult man who never quite fits in and who always feels uncomfortable in his own skin. There is much humor here, cutting the pathos of Jeremiah's difficult life. Every story/chapter is a gem.
January 14, 2020
I know from previous reviews that I was supposed to love this book. I didn't. The 1st problem was that I really don't like the style of; I would rather have one long story to be the novel. 2nd only, stories were not in order: it was as if there were a bunch of photos taken during Jeremiah's life, they were shuffled and then thrown up into the air, and then a short story was started but not necessarily completed, based on each photo. I did not like the style at all! In the end, there are suggested questions for a book club discussion, and the style of book did not provide any possible answers to the questions! 1 didn't get to know any of the characters particularly well, and none of the interactions were totally completed. Very disappointing.
March 21, 2020
Charming, tender, funny
This is a story in stories, about Jeremiah: crusty, blustering old New England professor, young prankster son of poor Jewish immigrants, loving, clueless husband, angry Washington political analyst, as the book weaves back and forth in time, creating the tapestry that is his life. The characters are drawn with a sharp pen but without harsh judgment, the images shine, and there’s heart and love shimmering in every chapter.
This is a story in stories, about Jeremiah: crusty, blustering old New England professor, young prankster son of poor Jewish immigrants, loving, clueless husband, angry Washington political analyst, as the book weaves back and forth in time, creating the tapestry that is his life. The characters are drawn with a sharp pen but without harsh judgment, the images shine, and there’s heart and love shimmering in every chapter.
March 16, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - although I still have not made up my mind what I think of the main character. He is a very complex personality, and 100% believable (I know a few people like him, and I also haven't made up my mind what I think of them). But the story and the characters are all fascinating.
August 15, 2020
I didn't think I was going to love this book when I started it but I did. I really liked how it traveled back and forth in space and time, introducing new characters along the way and even dropping some of them in the way life happens. I wanted to know more about Jeremiah's kids and wife, but in the end, you can't know everything about a character and their whole family as well.
Jeremiah isn't the world's most loveable guy, an understatement, but he's interesting and real.
Jeremiah isn't the world's most loveable guy, an understatement, but he's interesting and real.
January 12, 2020
I think anyone can relate to the struggle that Jeremiah goes through. It was certainly a thoughtful read for me.
May 10, 2021
The book is called a novel in stories and that is a good description although having read it straight through I am not sure if each "unit" would work as a stand alone story. Certainly it was interesting to see Jeremiah at every stage of life and identify the roots or origins of certain characteristics. By the book's end I felt that I knew him and understood his life and relationships. However I think that might have been even more true if the stories had been in chronological order rather than so seemingly randomly organized. Also, While much was written about Jeremiah of course, there was less focus on his wife, daughter and colleagues and so those characters were less developed or only in so much as they related or responded to Jeremiah.
Nonetheless I found this book engaging and thought provoking and will definitely read this author's next book.
Nonetheless I found this book engaging and thought provoking and will definitely read this author's next book.
September 1, 2022
This was just delightful. Nothing wrong with this book at all. Loved it!
September 27, 2020
These people are so very familiar to me that I winced when they put their feet in it and worried about them between stories. I also laughed with them, and once or twice I wanted to ring them up and give them a good talking to.
March 8, 2022
Beautiful collection of connected stories - here's my New Books Network podcast interview with author Julie Zuckerman: https://gpgottlieb.com/the-book-of-je...
February 19, 2021
TBOJ is a masterful debut story collection that presents a vividly rendered portrait of one man: Jeremiah Gerstler, a retired political science professor and widower. From the outside, he seems like an ordinary man: a friend’s father perhaps or someone we recognize from the neighborhood. But as we learn more about him, we come to see that Jeremiah Gerstler is complex, nuanced, and full of passion.
These carefully-crafted linked stories reveal moments of truth about his character or moments that surely shaped his character. And taken together, they are the story of a life.
Zuckerman’s incandescent prose lets us inhabit Jeremiah’s psyche. Her deft use of telling historical details enable us to see the world as he sees it and feel what he feels. This is the mark of a truly talented writer. We feel for Jeremiah as he tries so hard for connection, yet just misses it.
It all feels seamless as we become the eleven-year-old boy playing pranks at the Passover seder in a bid to win attention, the nineteen-year-old grappling with the knowledge that he missed his chance to ever really know his recently killed brother, and the widower discovering his wife’s secret stash of boxed cake mixes. Yet through these stories of seemingly “ordinary” moments, we discover an almost blinding emotional intensity.
These are the kind of stories that make you laugh and cry – and think. Is anyone really just ordinary?
I understand now why book clubs are snapping up copies of this book. There’s a lot to discuss, it’s not too long, and boy, does it pack a punch!
These carefully-crafted linked stories reveal moments of truth about his character or moments that surely shaped his character. And taken together, they are the story of a life.
Zuckerman’s incandescent prose lets us inhabit Jeremiah’s psyche. Her deft use of telling historical details enable us to see the world as he sees it and feel what he feels. This is the mark of a truly talented writer. We feel for Jeremiah as he tries so hard for connection, yet just misses it.
It all feels seamless as we become the eleven-year-old boy playing pranks at the Passover seder in a bid to win attention, the nineteen-year-old grappling with the knowledge that he missed his chance to ever really know his recently killed brother, and the widower discovering his wife’s secret stash of boxed cake mixes. Yet through these stories of seemingly “ordinary” moments, we discover an almost blinding emotional intensity.
These are the kind of stories that make you laugh and cry – and think. Is anyone really just ordinary?
I understand now why book clubs are snapping up copies of this book. There’s a lot to discuss, it’s not too long, and boy, does it pack a punch!
February 12, 2021
In Julie Zuckerman’s beautiful and lyrical novel, The Book of Jeremiah: A Novel in Stories, she seeks to capture, the large question, what is a life. And what is the meaning of our seemingly ordinary lives? As she deftly goes back and forth in time, starting with Jeremiah’s childhood, and then switching to old age in a following chapter, she creates a pastiche of experience. Throughout the novel, the stories go from one time period back to another, which creates a sense of the three dimensional and the non-linear nature of time. Zuckerman’s novel enacts Virginia Woolf’s famous words: “Life is not a series of gig lamps symmetrically arranged; life is a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end.” Each wonderful story stands on its own, but taken together Zuckerman creates a sense of the ordinary and transcendent moments that make up a life.
January 27, 2025
This is an enjoyable novel in stories - short stories that all focus on different times in the main characters life. I liked the style, the writing flows well and I felt like I was making a deeper connection with the characters through each interlude. Jeremiah himself is a bit of a challenging character. He never really goes through a significant change in his worldview, which becomes more and more problematic as he ages. We meet him as a young, mischievous boy born to Jewish immigrant parents who goes off to fight in WWII, and returns from war to become a tenured academic. His story mirrors that of many immigrant families - his father regularly attends shul and works hard to provide for his family. Each generation moves further away geographically and spiritually, from the traditional home. There is a lot of history woven throughout - we see Jeremiah against a changing political landscape, the civil rights movement, and generational differences.
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July 4, 2019Nicely constructed debut book featuring stories about Jeremiah Gerstler and his family. We meet Jeremiah as a child in Connecticut in the 1930s and conclude with him as an elderly widower in Western Massachusetts in 2009.
October 21, 2020
I don’t know how to rate this one. I didn’t like it at all, but it was extremely effective. I spent the whole book cringing and dreading the next story only to find the final installment so exceptionally depressing in such a mundane way that I was crying. Miserable.
September 10, 2024
Very much enjoyed this collection of short stories. In a way, it felt comfortable, like I was reading about family and friends. Zuckerman created an interesting character -- grumpy and set in his ways, but still lovable.
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