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Sweet Like Sugar
With eloquence and wit, Wayne Hoffman explores the unlikely camaraderie between a young Jewish man and an Orthodox rabbi, in this rich, insightful novel about love, honesty, faith, and belonging.
In Yiddish, there is a word for it: bashertthe person you are fated to meet. Twentysomething Benji Steiner views the concept with skepticism. But the elderly rabbi who stumbles into Benji's office one day has no such doubts. Jacob Zuckerman's late wife, Sophie, was his bashert. And now that she's gone, Rabbi Zuckerman grapples with overwhelming grief and loneliness.
Touched by the rabbi's plight, Benji becomes his helperdriving him home after work, sitting in his living room listening to stories. Their friendship baffles everyone, especially Benji's sharp-tongued, modestly observant mother. But Benji is rediscovering something he didn't know he'd lost. Yet the test of friendship, and of both men's faith, lies in the difficult truths they come to share. With each revelation, Benji learns what it means not just to be Jewish, but to be fully humanimperfect, striving, and searching for the pieces of ourselves that come only through another's acceptance.
"A story that is beautifully told, profound and funny. " Jonathan Rosen, author of Joy Comes In The Morning
"A stirring story about the face of love on many different levels." Carolyn Hessel
"An unforeseen tale of friendship and faith. " Dave King, author of The Ha-Ha
Wayne Hoffman is a writer and editor whose cultural reporting has appeared in the Washington Post, Village Voice, The Forward, The Advocate, and elsewhere. Wayne is currently deputy editor of Nextbook Press. He lives in New York City and the Catskills.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 12, 2018
Eh. Wasn’t what I thought it would be. Skimmed most of it. Little too preachy and dear-diary-ish.
October 25, 2015
2012 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
July 15, 2022
Admittedly, it took me several chapters to pick up momentum and get to what, in my opinion, is the “good part” — chapter 8 through the end of the book. However, as a queerish conservative-ish Jew, I felt like I could have been reading about experiences from my own life, my own relationships and my own Passover Seders. I found it very relatable and meaningful how the protagonist Benji, and clearly the author as well, grapples with all the “in betweenness” and all the intersections of his identity. This excerpt really spoke to me: “Other Jews had told me that I didn’t matter because I wasn’t observant enough, or Zionist enough, or committed enough to “continuity”—which was really just a code word for heterosexuality. Meanwhile, non-Jews saw me as too Zionist, or too invested in religion, or simply too culturally foreign to ever really blend in. Both sides would have been happier if I’d simply stopped calling myself a Jew. But I wasn’t going to let them win. I was going to take back my Jewishness. On my own terms.”
I really got so much satisfaction out of watching the relationship bloom between Benji and the Rabbi and the intergenerational bond they formed that helped them both become better, more complete versions of themselves.
I really got so much satisfaction out of watching the relationship bloom between Benji and the Rabbi and the intergenerational bond they formed that helped them both become better, more complete versions of themselves.
April 12, 2018
My friend Charlie thought I would like Sweet Like Sugar by Wayne Hoffman. It was lite quick reading and I was suspicious that without exceptional writing I would get distracted. The story about a gay Jewish man Benji and his friendship with an Orthodox rabbi seemed familiar territory. As I whipped through the novel I began feeling emotionally connected to the religious struggle and spirituality that Benji was tackling. OMG, then came an outburst of tears as the climax and resolution hit me. Hats off to this sweet reading experience.
October 21, 2015
This book almost did a lot of things but failed on any. The central characters of an elderly, mean Rabbi and a younger gay man are never clearly realized as are none of the characters in this book. Stereotypes, mushy thinking, incoherent explanation and vague theological gobbled gook.
Hopefully this may be the first novel of a writer who has potential... but not yet.
This was recommended by some mention I read on Goodreads as a very good choice. I'm continually surprised at the range of reader reaction to a story.
Hopefully this may be the first novel of a writer who has potential... but not yet.
This was recommended by some mention I read on Goodreads as a very good choice. I'm continually surprised at the range of reader reaction to a story.
November 24, 2015
Just like its name, this book is sweet. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters.
I certainly learned more about Judaism than I expected. It became a bit too heavy on the subject at the end. I understand Benji was coming to term with his Jewishness, but the last couple of chapters felt too much like a Hebew class (thank you, Google!) for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and there are many lessons to be learned about friendship, acceptance, and coming to terms with who we are.
I'm glad I read the book. Good recommendation!
I certainly learned more about Judaism than I expected. It became a bit too heavy on the subject at the end. I understand Benji was coming to term with his Jewishness, but the last couple of chapters felt too much like a Hebew class (thank you, Google!) for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and there are many lessons to be learned about friendship, acceptance, and coming to terms with who we are.
I'm glad I read the book. Good recommendation!
May 23, 2016
A young, gay, Jewish man befriends an older, Orthodox rabbi, and both eventually challenge and learn from the other. A book about our various identities, how they may come into conflict with each other, and how we deal with that whether we eventually resolve them or not. Hoffman is from my home town and he describes the area just right, including the hills and the various neighborhoods and Jewish communities. Recommended.
February 10, 2015
Loved it! Very cute! At first it wasn't so kosher and then I really enjoyed it! The author got all the stereotypes right!!
September 19, 2023
The delightful story of a young gay man's return to his Jewish roots while searching for a relationship
This is a charming novel that describes the convergence of a young man's openly gay identity with his previously pushed aside Jewish beliefs. Benji Steiner is a 26-year-old secular Jew. Benji was raised in a Conservative Jewish family. As a young man, he attended Hebrew school and had a Bar Mitzvah. After he went away to college, Benji began to explore his gay identity and his Jewish roots were marginalized. Now, he's running his own struggling graphics arts business and is active in the Washington DC gay bar scene, although his dating life isn't going very well.
Through a "meet cute" happenstance, Benji befriends Rabbi Zuckerman, an elderly Orthodox rabbi. The two grow close, learn to depend on each other, bicker, and challenge each other about their various differences-- all the while leading Benji to explore a life that simultaneously allows for a modern gay lifestyle and the traditional Jewish teachings of his youth.
Rabbi Zuckerman owns a Jewish bookstore in suburban Maryland. He comes from a working class emigrant family and is recently widowed. Without his beloved wife, he seems a little lost. After an accident in his car, Rabbi Zuckerman must walk to and from the bookstore, and to and from temple. After their chance meeting, Benji begins driving the rabbi home after work, and slowly their relationship develops- spurring Benji's interest in his lapsed Jewish faith.
Each chapter contains a flashback that relates to Benji's early Jewish development or acknowledgement of himself as gay. These memories include a family Passover dinner with grandparents, a disastrous childhood Purim costume festival, a school visit to the Holocaust Museum, a family trip to Israel, a confusing incident at Jewish camp, a night getting high and skinny-dipping, and a Conservative rabbi's message about homosexuals, among other stories. These touching flashbacks add a strong sense of universality to Benji's character and plight- since most of us have experienced somehow similar things while growing up.
While Benji hesitates to tell the rabbi that he is gay, it turns out that Rabbi Zuckerman also has a history that he is trying to hide from Benji. Eventually, the rabbi explains to Benji about the Yiddish concept of "bashert," which suggests that fate will lead us to our one perfect match. Rabbi Zuckerman even expresses this with the genderless phrase "We are all destined to have someone come into our lives." Nevertheless, when Benji eventually tells the rabbi that he is gay, the rabbi's response is cruel and unequivocal. Is this unexpectedly harsh reaction partially due to Rabbi Zuckerman's secret?
Throughout "Sweet Like Sugar," Benji returns to his familial home for the major Jewish holidays. The novel cannily contrasts the Jewish holidays with gay celebrations such as Halloween and The White Party, which Benji attends in Miami over a Thanksgiving weekend. These regular events serve to unite their celebrants, bond them into the group, and build a common culture.
You should be warned by the syrupy title, the book ends a little too smoothly with all loose ends tied up. Along the way, however, it keeps you involved with its likeable characters that undergo predictable changes and a few well-timed twists to motivate the plot. While primarily offering pop-laced meditations on Jewish religiosity and faith, "Sweet Like Sugar" offers universal lessons in the role of fate, a successful gay romance, and one approach in combining a gay and spiritual life.
This is a charming novel that describes the convergence of a young man's openly gay identity with his previously pushed aside Jewish beliefs. Benji Steiner is a 26-year-old secular Jew. Benji was raised in a Conservative Jewish family. As a young man, he attended Hebrew school and had a Bar Mitzvah. After he went away to college, Benji began to explore his gay identity and his Jewish roots were marginalized. Now, he's running his own struggling graphics arts business and is active in the Washington DC gay bar scene, although his dating life isn't going very well.
Through a "meet cute" happenstance, Benji befriends Rabbi Zuckerman, an elderly Orthodox rabbi. The two grow close, learn to depend on each other, bicker, and challenge each other about their various differences-- all the while leading Benji to explore a life that simultaneously allows for a modern gay lifestyle and the traditional Jewish teachings of his youth.
Rabbi Zuckerman owns a Jewish bookstore in suburban Maryland. He comes from a working class emigrant family and is recently widowed. Without his beloved wife, he seems a little lost. After an accident in his car, Rabbi Zuckerman must walk to and from the bookstore, and to and from temple. After their chance meeting, Benji begins driving the rabbi home after work, and slowly their relationship develops- spurring Benji's interest in his lapsed Jewish faith.
Each chapter contains a flashback that relates to Benji's early Jewish development or acknowledgement of himself as gay. These memories include a family Passover dinner with grandparents, a disastrous childhood Purim costume festival, a school visit to the Holocaust Museum, a family trip to Israel, a confusing incident at Jewish camp, a night getting high and skinny-dipping, and a Conservative rabbi's message about homosexuals, among other stories. These touching flashbacks add a strong sense of universality to Benji's character and plight- since most of us have experienced somehow similar things while growing up.
While Benji hesitates to tell the rabbi that he is gay, it turns out that Rabbi Zuckerman also has a history that he is trying to hide from Benji. Eventually, the rabbi explains to Benji about the Yiddish concept of "bashert," which suggests that fate will lead us to our one perfect match. Rabbi Zuckerman even expresses this with the genderless phrase "We are all destined to have someone come into our lives." Nevertheless, when Benji eventually tells the rabbi that he is gay, the rabbi's response is cruel and unequivocal. Is this unexpectedly harsh reaction partially due to Rabbi Zuckerman's secret?
Throughout "Sweet Like Sugar," Benji returns to his familial home for the major Jewish holidays. The novel cannily contrasts the Jewish holidays with gay celebrations such as Halloween and The White Party, which Benji attends in Miami over a Thanksgiving weekend. These regular events serve to unite their celebrants, bond them into the group, and build a common culture.
You should be warned by the syrupy title, the book ends a little too smoothly with all loose ends tied up. Along the way, however, it keeps you involved with its likeable characters that undergo predictable changes and a few well-timed twists to motivate the plot. While primarily offering pop-laced meditations on Jewish religiosity and faith, "Sweet Like Sugar" offers universal lessons in the role of fate, a successful gay romance, and one approach in combining a gay and spiritual life.
April 11, 2024
I didn’t think I would like this book. I had started in before and put it down but this time, I gave it a chance and even though I don’t agree with a lot of what it is about, I found the story itself to be sweet. It really speaks to the idea that we can become good friends with people who lifestyle, religion, or politics are very different from ours.
January 21, 2021
This book was amazing. It was sweet (maybe a little schmaltzy at the end), and poignant. To truly appreciate it, unfortunately you have to be Jewish. Otherwise scenes like when Benji's mother says "I didn't say anything", you won't be able to truly picture.
January 8, 2023
I’d have to say closer to 4… it’s actually a religious book from two different perspectives. I young Jewish man unsure of his beliefs and a stern rabbi that learns a life lesson from the younger man…and actually vise versa….written really well.
October 30, 2020
A brilliant debut!
Warm, witty, wonderful. I read it in one sitting . Worthy of 5 star rating. Can't wait for the next one! Gail
Warm, witty, wonderful. I read it in one sitting . Worthy of 5 star rating. Can't wait for the next one! Gail
March 25, 2021
Well-written. Captures so much of what it's like to be Jewish by tradition & heritage, but not necessarily religious.
May 14, 2021
A wonderful book that came into my life at the perfect time.
September 26, 2021
Sweet and fast-paced.
June 27, 2022
When the Rabi walks into his office Benjamin doesn’t know what to make of it. A book about faith and finding your destiny.
March 11, 2014
Sweet Like Sugar.
The Orthodox Rabbi Jacob Zuckerman, a 80 something old man overwhelmed with grief and loneliness at death of his bashert, his fated person Sophia, stumbles into the 26 years old Benji's office. Thus starts to learn how to live again, that life still has much more to give.
And there is, an untypical Jew young man. Benji Steiner a gay graphic designer, who feels he lost his connection with Judaism. Learns that being Jew is much more than eating a kosher or attending religious ceremonies. It’s about finding yourself, your imperfection, the good within you. It's about the acceptance of who you are.
It's about a friendship which battles everyone, from Benji's best friend Michelle who thinks Benji's social life is no longer exciting and threatened because of the constant mention of the rabbi whenever they sit together and even with the guys who he meet in the bar and his mother who's afraid that the rabbi will convert her son into an Orthodox.
Through the hardships and the unspoken truth being revealed, a relationship between two individuals with different ideology blooms and turns into a beautiful friendship of love, honesty, understanding, caring and grandfather, grandson relationship, where they learn to accept each other differences, dive into Judaism and revive their faith.
Recommend: Definitely.
The Orthodox Rabbi Jacob Zuckerman, a 80 something old man overwhelmed with grief and loneliness at death of his bashert, his fated person Sophia, stumbles into the 26 years old Benji's office. Thus starts to learn how to live again, that life still has much more to give.
And there is, an untypical Jew young man. Benji Steiner a gay graphic designer, who feels he lost his connection with Judaism. Learns that being Jew is much more than eating a kosher or attending religious ceremonies. It’s about finding yourself, your imperfection, the good within you. It's about the acceptance of who you are.
It's about a friendship which battles everyone, from Benji's best friend Michelle who thinks Benji's social life is no longer exciting and threatened because of the constant mention of the rabbi whenever they sit together and even with the guys who he meet in the bar and his mother who's afraid that the rabbi will convert her son into an Orthodox.
Through the hardships and the unspoken truth being revealed, a relationship between two individuals with different ideology blooms and turns into a beautiful friendship of love, honesty, understanding, caring and grandfather, grandson relationship, where they learn to accept each other differences, dive into Judaism and revive their faith.
Recommend: Definitely.
June 6, 2012
This book is fantastic.
I was not sure how this book would be able to hold my interest. I was not even sure if it could. Too often books have been written as excellent but I could not even get through the first few chapters. Unlike this book. I finished reading this book within two days.
Such a good writing to focus on the friendship between a young gay guy with an old rabbi, who turned out to be as much homophobic as often expected. Somehow, their fondness of each other made them reassess their lives. I was a little turned off by Benji's habit of finding faults with whoever he was dating. I thought the friendship with the old rabbi was because he missed his own grandfather. This was not stated so. However, the old rabbi did somehow helped him to get more comfortable with his religion and hence easier to settle down with his Bashert.
I did not really care for the flashbacks. They did not help the story to be stronger. In fact, I was more eager to skip the flashbacks and to get on with the ongoing story. Still, the flashbacks did not really make the whole book to be that slow.
I love the characters in the book. The rabbi cracked me up when he talked about the kids at his door for Halloween. Good bonding story, with inserted humor, though mild.
I was not sure how this book would be able to hold my interest. I was not even sure if it could. Too often books have been written as excellent but I could not even get through the first few chapters. Unlike this book. I finished reading this book within two days.
Such a good writing to focus on the friendship between a young gay guy with an old rabbi, who turned out to be as much homophobic as often expected. Somehow, their fondness of each other made them reassess their lives. I was a little turned off by Benji's habit of finding faults with whoever he was dating. I thought the friendship with the old rabbi was because he missed his own grandfather. This was not stated so. However, the old rabbi did somehow helped him to get more comfortable with his religion and hence easier to settle down with his Bashert.
I did not really care for the flashbacks. They did not help the story to be stronger. In fact, I was more eager to skip the flashbacks and to get on with the ongoing story. Still, the flashbacks did not really make the whole book to be that slow.
I love the characters in the book. The rabbi cracked me up when he talked about the kids at his door for Halloween. Good bonding story, with inserted humor, though mild.
January 29, 2015
This was such a great book. The focus isn't on romance (although there is some) but rather on personal growth and spiritual subjects. Finding out who he is, perhaps. The hero is out, has a pretty good life and a reasonably healthy relationship with his family. He has friends, dates, and is working hard to make his business support him. But he also continues to search for answers about his heritage and faith and where he fits in the world as a gay Jewish man. What "kind of Jew" is he? There seem to be many kinds, and his current quest to date cute blond guys doesn't seem to be finding him the winner he really wants. Through a roundabout journey, he discovers a kind of grandfather relationship with a rabbi. Sometimes more like a project, sometimes more mentoring...with secrets and hurts, this truly becomes a family relationship. Including some rough times. I found this such a moving read. With a variety of well-written flashbacks to various points of the hero's life, it seems to all tie together to show him as a young man who's searching, and hopeful, and honorable, in his own ways--even as he sometimes bends the truth and tries to balance who he shares what with, sometimes well and sometimes not so well. This was a moving story that made me very happy I read it.
February 9, 2015
Man meets rabbi and meets a man
This is a quick read with interesting and likeable characters, that addresses many of the issues facing Judaism today. The protagonist, Benji, a young, gay, and barely Jewish man, stumbles into a casual relationship with Rabbi Zuckerman, the owner of the Jewish bookstore in the shopping plaza where Benji has his own advertising business. What began as casual quickly becomes a deep and valuable friendship, until Benji tells Rabbi Zuckerman, who is Orthodox, that he's gay. Predictably, fireworks ensue, ending with the rabbi calling Benji an "abomination" and throwing him out of his house. They eventually reconcile, and each teaches the other. Benji falls in love with a Jewish man who is even more ba'al teshuvah than he is, and Benji becomes his teacher, with Rabbi Zuckerman as the unknowing teacher.
This is a nice story. It's a very fast read. It is somewhat trite and predictable, but the relationships ring true. There is a lot of basic Judaism in it, as well as some surprising insights into Pirke Avot. That said, had this not been a book club book, I would have stopped reading at about a third of the way through, because that's when I realized how trite and predictable the story is.
This is a quick read with interesting and likeable characters, that addresses many of the issues facing Judaism today. The protagonist, Benji, a young, gay, and barely Jewish man, stumbles into a casual relationship with Rabbi Zuckerman, the owner of the Jewish bookstore in the shopping plaza where Benji has his own advertising business. What began as casual quickly becomes a deep and valuable friendship, until Benji tells Rabbi Zuckerman, who is Orthodox, that he's gay. Predictably, fireworks ensue, ending with the rabbi calling Benji an "abomination" and throwing him out of his house. They eventually reconcile, and each teaches the other. Benji falls in love with a Jewish man who is even more ba'al teshuvah than he is, and Benji becomes his teacher, with Rabbi Zuckerman as the unknowing teacher.
This is a nice story. It's a very fast read. It is somewhat trite and predictable, but the relationships ring true. There is a lot of basic Judaism in it, as well as some surprising insights into Pirke Avot. That said, had this not been a book club book, I would have stopped reading at about a third of the way through, because that's when I realized how trite and predictable the story is.
July 12, 2015
The book handled the classical conception of friendship, defined as an opportunity to practice virtue, pretty well -- even though it was trite at times.
The rest of the book made me chuckle, but most of it was banal beyond belief.
How many more stories of white, middle class, suburbanite people embarking on some quasi-existential journey to find themselves will suck up literary rewards from writers with something important to say?
The protagonist Benji was no more banal than the mainstream gays/lesbians you see on television -- put there to present an air of normalcy that makes straight people feel comfortable. The protagonist, much like the gays/lesbians on tv, reflect the values of his straight 'progressive' white counterparts: monogamy/marriage, suburbia, and the Democratic Party line.
YAWN!!
This novel got three stars because: 1) the book gave us a pretty decent treatment on friendship and 2) the protagonist was Jewish. Given my familiarity with Jewish culture, the character was far less exotic (to me) than he normally would have been were he a just a white gay guy.
If you've seen Eat Pray Love just pretend the main character is a gay Jewish guy who is on a quest to find out what it means to be Jewish and skip the novel . . .
The rest of the book made me chuckle, but most of it was banal beyond belief.
How many more stories of white, middle class, suburbanite people embarking on some quasi-existential journey to find themselves will suck up literary rewards from writers with something important to say?
The protagonist Benji was no more banal than the mainstream gays/lesbians you see on television -- put there to present an air of normalcy that makes straight people feel comfortable. The protagonist, much like the gays/lesbians on tv, reflect the values of his straight 'progressive' white counterparts: monogamy/marriage, suburbia, and the Democratic Party line.
YAWN!!
This novel got three stars because: 1) the book gave us a pretty decent treatment on friendship and 2) the protagonist was Jewish. Given my familiarity with Jewish culture, the character was far less exotic (to me) than he normally would have been were he a just a white gay guy.
If you've seen Eat Pray Love just pretend the main character is a gay Jewish guy who is on a quest to find out what it means to be Jewish and skip the novel . . .
May 15, 2012
I need to explain the rating. I would have given it 2.5, but a half is not an option on goodreads.
The writing is very good, as are the details. And as a fan, I can't say "No" to a couple of references to the Barry Sisters. (And when the author mentions a specific poster of them, I immediately knew which one he was talking about.) So, overall, I did like the book.
Now the problems. The text followed what to me seems like a lazy man's Jewish story line. There's a difference of opinion that is strong enough to have a serious argument and falling out over. If you've seen a black-and-white Yiddish-language "Mamele" or Jeff Baron's "Visiting Mr. Green," you'll know what I mean. Especially "Visiting Mr. Green," as the two plots are very similar in broad terms. That was my main problem with the book. And yes, there are a big number of differences between the two. The problem is that the story is too transparent for the common skeleton of the stories remain hidden and unnoticeable.
However, if you haven't seen "Visiting Mr. Green," I would recommend this book. Because at the end of day, it is well written. (I got a hold of a reviewer's copy.)
The writing is very good, as are the details. And as a fan, I can't say "No" to a couple of references to the Barry Sisters. (And when the author mentions a specific poster of them, I immediately knew which one he was talking about.) So, overall, I did like the book.
Now the problems. The text followed what to me seems like a lazy man's Jewish story line. There's a difference of opinion that is strong enough to have a serious argument and falling out over. If you've seen a black-and-white Yiddish-language "Mamele" or Jeff Baron's "Visiting Mr. Green," you'll know what I mean. Especially "Visiting Mr. Green," as the two plots are very similar in broad terms. That was my main problem with the book. And yes, there are a big number of differences between the two. The problem is that the story is too transparent for the common skeleton of the stories remain hidden and unnoticeable.
However, if you haven't seen "Visiting Mr. Green," I would recommend this book. Because at the end of day, it is well written. (I got a hold of a reviewer's copy.)
April 1, 2014
I didn't love this book. It was okay. some lines were funny but a bit cliche. Also, some of the comments Wayne Hoffman makes about orthodox jews is interesting to read from an outsider's perspective but still lacked details to portray its realness. I felt like many parts of the book were a little unrealistic and idealistic. Some parts of the book made it feel like the author was himself awkward about being gay even though he had come out for many years. There was never any mention of any explicit intimate scenarios with his partners and I felt that it was hard to really see him as a gay man because he expressed so much inner turmoil. Although he seemed like he was advocating and proud of his gay lifestyle, there was something about the way he wrote this book that may suggest otherwise. And why did {emphasis on the "did") it take him so long to tell the rabbi he was gay? He talks alot about guilt, which I think gay or not many of us can relate to and the notion of wanting to please our parents and being scared of what they think. It was an easy read and I got through it fairly quickly. the story was nice but lacked something, i can't quite put my finger on it.
September 19, 2011
I have always been drawn to engaging stories of friendship, especially those of a budding nature that must somehow break through a barrier in order to flourish. Wayne Hoffman has created that kind of story that not only deals with an age barrier, but one where religion plays such a pivotal role in how people view the world as young Benjamin befriends Rabbi Zuckerman. Like Benjamin, I recall when I was in my 20s and a minister and I became friends and his world was shattered when he discovered I was gay. Hoffman takes his readers on an alluring journey through this generation gap as both men must learn from one another. He craftily intersperses memories of Benjamin's past to relate to what is happening in his present (or in the Rabbi's life). Like "Mass Appeal" and "Tuesdays with Morrie" did in their decades, Hoffman creates a fresh outlook on the mentor/student relationship in a way that will surely endure the test of time for generations to come. A great read about discovering one's own spirituality and inner peace in an unlikely place.
September 10, 2011
I found this book facinating. The characters are so in depth, the story is passionate, moving, funny and deep. I absolutely loved it. I was so interested in what what happening to each character and everytime a new character was introduced it was done so with the same care and energy that you had no choice but to care about what was happening to them. Now I am not Jewish and there were terms I was unfamiliar with, but it did not take away from the story, in fact it makes me a little more interested in the subject. I highly recommend this book, it is one of the best I have read this year, it is so deeply moving, yet also light and quick that it is a must read this fall.
April 1, 2012
I absolutely loved this book - gay twenties non-observant Jewish gut meets octogenarian widowed morose rabbi - hijinks ensue. Despite the rift the author could have gone on with this book, the result is one of the best books I have read so far this year ... sweet, insightful, thought-provoking, an appropriate amount of schmaltz. I read this book in its entirety on a flight back from London. Three quarters of the way through the book, my seatmate turned to me and asked if I was ok. I said I was fine and asked why the question - "because, throughout this flight you have either been smiling or crying." It's that kind of book and I know that I will read it again. Thank you Mr. Hoffman.
February 25, 2012
Sweet Like Sugar is a very sweet story, a love story, between a young gay man and an octogenarian Rabbi. It's not your conventional m/m love story, there aren't any steamy love scenes between the two because the love is platonic, but it's still a wonderful love story. I certainly understand why the book has won so many awards. It's very well written and the characters just shine. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I was a little verklempt to see it end.
I give Sweet Like Sugar five stars.
February 15, 2014
A nice little slice of life gay lit read, about an unlikely friendship formed between a lapsed Jewish gay man and an 80 year old orthodox rabbi and how they end up challenging each others' world views and learning from each other. I wish the title were uh, something else though, it really doesn't say anything about the book, though it comes up in a pretty important revelatory passage. I wish there were an easier way to find books like these on goodreads/amazon since the majority of gay fic that comes up seems to be wild M/M sex romps.
August 26, 2015
So, when I picked up this book and the opening sentence is: "I was looking at internet porn when the rabbi opened my door..." how could I NOT snatch it up, I tell you? Another great find at my local discount bookstore. This was charming and light, funny and heartwarming. 2 main topics are discussed in this book, and it was great to learn a bit more about each. This was a fix that scratched my itch...was looking for something quick and cute. But it also provided something to the story that was not shallow or silly. I enjoyed this one very much.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews