The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson (Commence 15 Nov)

[Adhityani]

Okay, I believe most of us followed news on the 2010 Booker Prize (in my case it was in anticipation of Peter Carey's win). The Finkler Question came out as a surprise winner, dubbed as the first "comic novel" to win this prize (this claim is widely disputed, though). All in all, it seems to be an interesting read, I am eyeing the ebook and was wondering if anyone's up for reading along next month (November)? I always think reading in group, particularly when it comes to literary novels, is always a much more rewarding experience...

[[deleted user]]

I'll put it on my TBR and hopefully catch up with you in November.

[Adhityani]

Hi Gail,

I decided that I couldn't wait till November (impatient me!) and somehow finished the book in under a week (good reading time during and in between baby feeding sessions!).

I'd love for others to read the book and start a discussion on this thread, there's so many things to comment on, questions to be asked and answered and subject within the book to be explored.

I have written a review, but I'm afraid it isn't spoiler-free :)

Please find it here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[[deleted user]]

No worries, would you like to discuss it when I've finished reading it? (As soon as I finish reading The Slap.) I have purchased it in anticipation.

[Adhityani]

Sure! In the meantime, I'll move on to my next book: The Slap :)

[[deleted user]]

Great, I've been meaning to send you a message all day. I keep getting distracted. :)

[[deleted user]]

Dilemma, dilemma I purchased this book on my kindle. I have to return my kindle as it isn't working properly. I don't know when I will get it back. >:(

[Adhityani]

Oh no! Sorry to hear about your Kindle. Where are you returning it to? Don't worry about the book discussion, we'll put it off until your Kindle's back and we get more people interested!

[[deleted user]]

I have to return it to Amazon in the USA.

[[deleted user]]

To start off the discussion, who was your favourite & least favourite character & why.

[Adhityani]

Tough question... I don't know if any of the characters are likeable. The three are certainly memorable to me, because each of them annoyed me in their own ways.

But I guess the one that stuck with me the most would be Julian Treslove. His neurosis and obsession over being Jewish made him too much of a loser to annoy me, after the 40-page mark I just felt sorry for this guy. Not to mention his bad luck with women!

I emphatize with Libor, he seemed like such a gentle old man, so I guess that makes him closest to being likeable. His devotion to his deceased wife is endearing, and his grief is moving. But he's too old for me to relate to, some of his lines remind me of old Hollywood (which probably made sense because of what he used to do for a living?).

I didn't like Sam Finkler much but I didn't despise him. I think the author meant to create an impression that Finkler embodied most Jewish stereotypes, up until the story took a turn and exposed Finkler as a anti-Jewr. I like the twist at the end where he was shocked and even appalled by his son's anti-semitic opinions when in fact they are so much like his own. I think it's more than hypocrisy, though. It's more complex than that.

I am still making up my mind as I type... how about you?

[[deleted user]]

Julian Treslove: Initially he reminded me of myself. I spend too much time in my head for my own good. He is likeable in a weird sort of way. He creates the world around him on spur of the moment thoughts. He solidifies that thought then tries to shape the world to fit. This is repeated on a number of occasions. eg the desire to be a Jew was shaped in this way and falling in love with Hephzibah.

I wouldn't say that he has back luck with women. He creates an environment that women can't live in. From his mad desire to mould the world to his ideas. He doesn't choose women because he is attracted to them of cares about them. It is the idea of what they represent that attracts him to them. He is destined to be lonely. He doesn't think he deserves to be any other way.

[Adhityani]

You're right about Julian's luck with women--I shouldn't have phrased it that way.

He wants to experience an uber dramatic opera-ending-type-of tragedy, and I think this is to lend his life a meaning. Do you think this some form of depression? Obviously he's not satisfied with his life.

By the way I love the part when Julian and Tyler got together the first time and how he called her a "Jewess". It was funny in a tragic way when he found out that she was, in fact, not Jewish, totally deflating his sexual fantasies (or in this case, ruining the entire sexual experience).

[[deleted user]]

Ha yes the Jewess that was very funny. Oddly, I really never got the impression he was depressed, melancholy yes. Maybe he was depressed and I just missed it. His job in a way reflected him. It was like he was borrowing other people’s faces and personalities to give his life some meaning.

[[deleted user]]

Libor: Libor was nice, lovely values, I loved his attachment to his wife and Jewish traditions... I know what you mean, there was something lacking in his character development. It shouldn't have mattered that he was old. We should still have been able to relate to him and develop some compassion. I only felt a little sympathy for him. Unlike the other characters he deserved it.