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jansbookcorner's review against another edition
3.0
A light, quick read about a wayward Jewish son that does not want to commit to saying kaddish for his father. His solution, hire someone to do it through kaddish.com. Fast forward a few years and the wayward Jewish son has become a devout Jew and is now struggling with what he did those many years ago. His solution is to find the person who said kaddish and redeem his birthright.
A simple story told well, even though it would have been more enjoyable if I knew the Jewish terms used. Larry/Shuli draws you into his moral dilemma and the methods he uses to resolve it. I always consider a book successful when at the end, I wonder what happens next. This is one of those books. It is a satire, so not a heavy read, but it does have some good moral truths.
A simple story told well, even though it would have been more enjoyable if I knew the Jewish terms used. Larry/Shuli draws you into his moral dilemma and the methods he uses to resolve it. I always consider a book successful when at the end, I wonder what happens next. This is one of those books. It is a satire, so not a heavy read, but it does have some good moral truths.
aliena_jackson's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly, I’m just glad Larry went back to using Shuli. Larry is kind of a terrible name.
But! In all seriousness, I loved this book, and I found it to be very informative for a goyim like me. I didn’t realize how deeply rooted intellectualism and philosophy are in Judaism. I grew up in a Christian-lite environment, where the extent of religion was going to church once in awhile, not using the Lord’s name in vain, and saying your prayers before bed. It always felt lacking to me, and now I see that religion can be so much more than an occasional visit to church or volunteer work in the name of G-d. It can cause an entire life to revolve around it, composing all of the good and bad moments through its lens. It’s a touching thought.
But! In all seriousness, I loved this book, and I found it to be very informative for a goyim like me. I didn’t realize how deeply rooted intellectualism and philosophy are in Judaism. I grew up in a Christian-lite environment, where the extent of religion was going to church once in awhile, not using the Lord’s name in vain, and saying your prayers before bed. It always felt lacking to me, and now I see that religion can be so much more than an occasional visit to church or volunteer work in the name of G-d. It can cause an entire life to revolve around it, composing all of the good and bad moments through its lens. It’s a touching thought.
jndutc's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zeyer_ayngenem's review against another edition
3.0
As usual with Englander lots of imagery and detail that really resonate. Kaddish.com gave me immense anxiety while reading, which is one testament to its Jewish authenticity. It’s tempting for me to drash the novel in a way where it is actually a very elaborate critique of what I think the book is doing...but the protagonists own constant, obsessive, myopic exegesis is all the unhinged analyzing and justifying I can handle today. A weird one to be honest: I saw a myself in our antihero (in some challenging ways), but also felt unsettled and alienated by a lot of it. The ending left me unsatisfied.
katys_books's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ellathorpe's review
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jimmacsyr's review against another edition
4.0
Plumbing the thoughts of a very different person. Enjoyable story.
tschonfeld's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like this book. Maybe I will after our book club meets, but I doubt it.
isabeldazeem's review
I was disappointed by this novel. While I recognize that it’s supposed to be funny and perhaps a tad absurd, I struggled to accept that Larry/Shuli could possibly be so naive overall, which I found distracting. I also felt irritated by the characterization of the women in his life: the ultra pious and condescending sister vs. the unendingly flexible and soothing wife. Not a lot of depth or personality there. The most interesting and moving section of the novel was by far his relationship with his student. There’s much more complex and engaging contemporary Jewish fiction out there in my opinion, but an interesting read nonetheless.
charlie1000r's review against another edition
3.0
This is a delightful, short novel that deals with grief and religion. I really enjoy Jewish literature, principally the works of Michael Chabon and Etgar Keret, and this novel was the most deeply steeped in the religion itself of any that I've read. Its themes, however, are relatable to anyone, and include the obligations of belonging to families and communities. I had the pleasure of seeing Englander at the Virginia Festival of the Book last year, and he is one of the most energetic and engaging authors I've ever met. While Kaddish.com is full of humor, it is much more subdued and restrained than his last novel, and drew on his talent as a superb short story writer.