![]() ![]() Critics of a certain mindset seem to abhor wit, supposing that it is indicative of superficiality and insufficient moral seriousness. Jacobson's leitmotif, and the oft-cited reason for why he has hitherto been snubbed by those who hand out literary baubles, is his predilection for comedy. Jacobson's capacity to explore the minutiae of the human condition while attending to the metaphysics of human existence is without contemporary peer. The central preoccupation is with the nature of modern Jewishness, a common Jacobson theme, but over the course of the book this flays into a powerful and, at times, haunting examination of friendship, love, and loss. ![]() Like the others, it is a work of greatness. The Finkler Question, a clever, canny, textured, subtle, and humane novel exploring the friendship of three ageing male friends, is Jacobson's 11th novel. It feels as if the British novel has shifted on its axis. Howard Jacobson, a novelist who has been consistently overlooked by the British literary establishment, has landed the big one. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |