"Shylock is My Name" by Howard Jacobson follows two men, both Jews and both with daughters who have turned away from their Jewish upbringing. Shylock is the widower who is raising a teenage daughter who has stolen a family treasure to buy a monkey. Stulovitch's wife had a stroke and has left the primary upbringing of their teen daughter to her father. Both men are at a loss as to what to do with these girls. Beatrice Stulovitch has ran away with a football (soccer) player who is in the habit of making the Nazi hand gesture while on the field. She has been swept away with the art world, celebrities, and the glamour of reality television.
The book is written in a 1920's Fitzgerald style of writing. I was surprised when they talked of Tony Blair and realized that we were in modern day. It is very European and very wordy. The storyline is good, intriguing and full of drama. However, the style is so different from the American usual, that it may take a little getting used to before the reader can truly get involved. I received this book in exchange for an honest review from www.firsttoread.com.
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