The Finkler Question (Part 2)

[Janine]

Please discuss Part 2 of the Finkler Question here.

[Irene]

What were your thoughts on the book?

What do you think Jacobson is trying to say? to satirize?

What does it mean to be Jewish, according to this book? What is being said about belonging?

Jacobson seems to say that Jews are the most anti-semitic. Near the end of the book, he locates this anti-semitism in Jewish perception of their own exceptionalism as a people. What do you make of this?

Did you find this book and its comments about being Jewish humorous or offensive? Could you always tell when Jacobson was being serious and when he was being funny?

[Irene]

I thik I was in the right frame of mind for this book. I thought the dialogue was smart and witty, and yet I thought Jacobson was making some points worth pondering. I see that this book has only 2.6 stars as an average rating, so I am in the minority in my opinion.