Parentheses: An Autobiographical Journey

by Jay Neugeboren

The personal and political odyssey of a highly praised 30-year-old novelist in search of his country in the 1960s.

221 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Erich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book quite by chance, and took to it very quickly. A writer/activist's political coming-of-age memoir written in the 60s on the writer's 30th birthday, I was impressed by his honesty, and somewhat taken aback by the many touchpoints between then and now....

I was working out of town, and my phone had died. Unable to read on Kindle and Nook, I looked around backstage and grabbed a beat up hardcover that I knew no one would miss as a stage prop.

I will be thinking about this book for a time, revisiting it often, recommending it...and am looking forward to checking out the writer's novels....

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Neugeboren is the author of many novels and short stories, plus this compelling autobiography. Written when he was only 30, it’s a vivid portrayal of a young man’s emotional, academic, creative and political development on his journey to self-discovery. Honest and open, it chronicles in particular his political awakening and his experiences as an activist in the turbulent 1960s in America. He wrote the memoir whilst in the south of France with his wife where he attempted to put the upheavals of the time behind him by immersing himself in a calmer community of like-minded people and concentrating on his writing. But he was drawn back to America and found he couldn’t remain unengaged with the political struggle in his native country.
The book tells also of his childhood in Jewish Brooklyn and his early experience of corporate life working for GM. It was soon evident that he wasn’t cut out for this stereotype of the American Dream and as he became more politicized he needed to engage with the fight for a fairer and more meaningful society.
This is a very readable autobiography, and it captures vividly an era in American history. Neugeboren comes across as a serious, reflective and thoughtful person, and I will certainly explore his fiction after meeting him in this book.