Comments on: For the Relief of Unbearable Urges http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/ Your head will collapse if there's nothing in it Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:16:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Baby Got Books » Lethem and Englander http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/comment-page-1/#comment-23910 Baby Got Books » Lethem and Englander Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:51:57 +0000 http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/#comment-23910 [...] Nathan Englander also read from his newly released and first novel, The Ministry of Special Cases which took him 10 years to write.  He is definitely an interesting character - a real, “nebbishy” guy who was raised an Orthodox Jew and recently moved back to NY from Jerusalem.  He was clearly not comfortable doing the reading and speaking to an audience.  His voice throughout the reading was monotone and contrary to Lethem he did not give any insight into the characters.  That being said though, I found the writing much more engrossing than Lethem’s.  I read his first book of short stories, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, which was reviewed by me here.  I look forward to reading his new book which is set during Argentina’s “dirty war” with a protagonist named Kaddish (which is the Jewish prayer of mourning).  So far the limited reviews have been positive and a main character named Kaddish is reason alone to pick up the book. [...] [...] Nathan Englander also read from his newly released and first novel, The Ministry of Special Cases which took him 10 years to write.  He is definitely an interesting character – a real, “nebbishy” guy who was raised an Orthodox Jew and recently moved back to NY from Jerusalem.  He was clearly not comfortable doing the reading and speaking to an audience.  His voice throughout the reading was monotone and contrary to Lethem he did not give any insight into the characters.  That being said though, I found the writing much more engrossing than Lethem’s.  I read his first book of short stories, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, which was reviewed by me here.  I look forward to reading his new book which is set during Argentina’s “dirty war” with a protagonist named Kaddish (which is the Jewish prayer of mourning).  So far the limited reviews have been positive and a main character named Kaddish is reason alone to pick up the book. [...]

]]> By: DJ Cayenne http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/comment-page-1/#comment-281 DJ Cayenne Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:11:03 +0000 http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/#comment-281 You see he said he was a “gentle” guy - see what he did there - he took the “i” in gentile out and said he was a gentle guy —- Anyway, we’re not ganging up on you, I took what you said in the Book of Salt discussion somewhat seriously and got to thinking about reading in one’s comfort zone - it can be limiting is what I decided - so I was only trying tp push you in the direction that you pushed me and recommend reading outside of the box, or something … You see he said he was a “gentle” guy – see what he did there – he took the “i” in gentile out and said he was a gentle guy —-

Anyway, we’re not ganging up on you, I took what you said in the Book of Salt discussion somewhat seriously and got to thinking about reading in one’s comfort zone – it can be limiting is what I decided – so I was only trying tp push you in the direction that you pushed me and recommend reading outside of the box, or something …

]]> By: Shaft http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/comment-page-1/#comment-280 Shaft Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:10:48 +0000 http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/#comment-280 I was just funnin’ ya. I love the word play on the words and whatnot. I was just funnin’ ya. I love the word play on the words and whatnot.

]]> By: Nitro Nicole http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/comment-page-1/#comment-279 Nitro Nicole Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:10:08 +0000 http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/#comment-279 Whoa….touchy, touchy. I am definitely not taking the male gentile reader to task (in fact I debated about using non-Jew or Gentile and couldn’t figure out which was the less offensive term). My point was that I just don’t think the book would be appealing because I think that I only liked it because I had some kind of background to relate to. This was nothing like a Singer or Foer book - it was heavy on the Hasidism. Cut me some slack here…..I’m always swimming upstream. Whoa….touchy, touchy. I am definitely not taking the male gentile reader to task (in fact I debated about using non-Jew or Gentile and couldn’t figure out which was the less offensive term). My point was that I just don’t think the book would be appealing because I think that I only liked it because I had some kind of background to relate to. This was nothing like a Singer or Foer book – it was heavy on the Hasidism.
Cut me some slack here…..I’m always swimming upstream.

]]> By: Shaft http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/comment-page-1/#comment-278 Shaft Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:09:44 +0000 http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/#comment-278 Listen, Nitro, I’m an extremely gentle guy, so I don’t know if I could stomach some of the stuff you said happens in . . . what’s that? Hunh? “Gentile”? Well, I don’t know if inserting that “i” makes that much difference, does it? Listen, Nitro, I’m an extremely gentle guy, so I don’t know if I could stomach some of the stuff you said happens in . . . what’s that? Hunh? “Gentile”? Well, I don’t know if inserting that “i” makes that much difference, does it?

]]> By: DJ Cayenne http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/comment-page-1/#comment-277 DJ Cayenne Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:09:26 +0000 http://www.babygotbooks.com/2005/05/17/for-the-relief-of-unbearable-urges/#comment-277 Nitro, just because every story has a guy named Rebbe in it is no reason to assume that the goyim won’t be down. Isaac Bashevis Singer did alright. Jonathan Safran Foer’s first book was similar in tone, I think, and was awesome. I’d read it, is what I’m saying. The larger issue, as I see it, is that one book after you took the male gentile readership to task for reading within our comfort zone, you seem to be doing the same thing. So the challenge back to you is for you to read a book or two outside your standard fare. Good luck. Nitro, just because every story has a guy named Rebbe in it is no reason to assume that the goyim won’t be down. Isaac Bashevis Singer did alright. Jonathan Safran Foer’s first book was similar in tone, I think, and was awesome. I’d read it, is what I’m saying.

The larger issue, as I see it, is that one book after you took the male gentile readership to task for reading within our comfort zone, you seem to be doing the same thing. So the challenge back to you is for you to read a book or two outside your standard fare. Good luck.

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