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Le Livre de la vie
Sept nouvelles qui mettent sept juifs aux prises avec leurs pêchés et leurs échecs, leurs infidélités, le deuil, les occasions ratées, l amour, l éloignement avec ceux que l on aime, le fossé entre les générations, la sécularisation de la vie juive contemporaine. Autant de sujets et de thèmes que Stuart Nadler met brillamment en abîme.
Un homme marié se laisse séduire par la fille de son meilleur ami avant de découvrir tardivement qu il a été instrumentalisé à ses dépens.
Deux frères que tout sépare, caractère et réussite sociale sont confrontés à la mort soudaine de leurs parents.
Un jeune homme, qui a du mal à trouver son chemin dans la vie, doit prendre en charge son grand-père, un vieux rabbin de 90 ans.
Deux amies décident de mettre à l épreuve la fidélité du mari de l une d elles, sans être en mesure de prévoir ce qu elles vont du même coup provoquer.
La famille, le couple, les relations père-fils, la transmission de la foi et de l identité juives occupent une place centrale dans l univers de Stuart Nadler dont l écriture classique se distingue surtout par
l élégance de son style et la complexité de sa narration.
Un homme marié se laisse séduire par la fille de son meilleur ami avant de découvrir tardivement qu il a été instrumentalisé à ses dépens.
Deux frères que tout sépare, caractère et réussite sociale sont confrontés à la mort soudaine de leurs parents.
Un jeune homme, qui a du mal à trouver son chemin dans la vie, doit prendre en charge son grand-père, un vieux rabbin de 90 ans.
Deux amies décident de mettre à l épreuve la fidélité du mari de l une d elles, sans être en mesure de prévoir ce qu elles vont du même coup provoquer.
La famille, le couple, les relations père-fils, la transmission de la foi et de l identité juives occupent une place centrale dans l univers de Stuart Nadler dont l écriture classique se distingue surtout par
l élégance de son style et la complexité de sa narration.
330 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2010
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548 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Nadler
10 books107 followersStuart Nadler is a recipient of the 5 Under 35 award from the National Book Foundation. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he was awarded a Truman Capote Fellowship and a Teaching-Writing Fellowship, he was also the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellow at the University of Wisconsin. He is the author of Wise Men, and the story collection The Book of Life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 20, 2018
As far as the standard of writing was concerned, and in terms of how astutely described the individual small thoughts and relationships between people are, this was very impressive. For the first half of the book, I was very much enjoying this collection of short stories I'd picked up cheaply on a whim. Alas though the longer I read it, the more my opinion waned. It was the nature of this collection - every story began to feel similar (Jewish men having ill-advised affairs that end up making them sad) and I started to feel less connected with the cultural aspects of the stories - both in terms of the Jewishness and the American-ness of the characters/stories. So yes, a talented author who made some very poignant and beautiful observations in this collection, but for me only ever likely to be 'quite' good.
September 12, 2011
A collection of seven short stories involving characters who are all involved in the midst of conflict involving faith, family, grief, love, temptation, and redemption.
Stuart Nadler's writing is uniquely driving and intensely captivating. I had a difficult time putting the book down and if not for other obligations, I would have finished it in a day. Nadler has a way of describing the situations involving his characters both efficiently and effectively. Throughout the book I found myself empathetic, uncomfortable and even awkward as I related to these people with an endearing attachment as though they were dear friends.
These stories have cliff-hanger timing. It angered me dearly as he would end one story and begin another at times that felt so inopportune to me that I found myself cursing him silently. I had become so invested in that story, it forced me to let go and move on to the next story, not knowing if things ever resolved themselves or if the characters were successful with their paths from that moment forward. I had no chance to negotiate with this 'Ghost of Christmas past' and perhaps stay for a moment longer onlooking. No closure, as much as I hated that... it signified to me the capabilities of a great author, as he invoked many emotions in me.
Stuart Nadler's writing is uniquely driving and intensely captivating. I had a difficult time putting the book down and if not for other obligations, I would have finished it in a day. Nadler has a way of describing the situations involving his characters both efficiently and effectively. Throughout the book I found myself empathetic, uncomfortable and even awkward as I related to these people with an endearing attachment as though they were dear friends.
These stories have cliff-hanger timing. It angered me dearly as he would end one story and begin another at times that felt so inopportune to me that I found myself cursing him silently. I had become so invested in that story, it forced me to let go and move on to the next story, not knowing if things ever resolved themselves or if the characters were successful with their paths from that moment forward. I had no chance to negotiate with this 'Ghost of Christmas past' and perhaps stay for a moment longer onlooking. No closure, as much as I hated that... it signified to me the capabilities of a great author, as he invoked many emotions in me.
October 7, 2023
Per me, un ritorno ben più che meritevole agli amanti racconti.
La scrittura è piacevole, il tono malinconico ma non stucchevole, le storie sono piccole gemme di normalità.
La scrittura è piacevole, il tono malinconico ma non stucchevole, le storie sono piccole gemme di normalità.
February 19, 2012
This is an absolutely fabulous collection of stories. In my view, it's the best kind of writing because there aren't any writerly tricks to keep you conscious of the fact that you're watching a writer at work. Here you get so absorbed by the characters and the situations they're caught up in that you forget you're reading fiction. Almost all of the characters have romantic complications - marriages that don't quite work, and infidelity is a problem that keeps getting examined from a variety of angles. There are a lot of parental relationships examined, too, particularly ones that left so many scars that the son and parents didn't see each other or speak for years. Many of the characters are Jewish, but most are secular ones and there aren't a lot of heavy religious themes, other than the basic one of how it's possible to believe or not. If you enjoy straightforward, compelling characters, great dialogue, and thought-provoking premises, I think you'll find this collection thoroughly worth your while.
The 7 stories, most of which are set in New York or Massachusetts, are:
1. In the Book of Life - 22 pp -- A great story right out of the chute about a man who begins an affair with the daughter of his boyhood friend and business partner, an entanglement that sets off a host of unexpected discoveries and complications.
2. Winter on the Sawtooth - 18 pp - A father is embarrassed when his son makes his first trip home from college and has to discover the shambles his parents' marriage is in. The husband and wife still share the same house, but the wife has taken on a new lover whom she sleeps with in the same house she shares with her husband. But the son's return could change the entire dynamic.
3. The Moon Landing -- 27 pp -- Two estranged brothers have to come together to clear out their parents' house after they both die within one days of each other. Searching through their clothes, they're reminded of how their childhood was shaped by their parents' constant drinking.
4. Catherine and Henry - 28 pp -- A young woman gets convinced by a cynical older fiend to test her boyfriend's faithfulness by hiring a woman to seduce him. The inevitable happens but because they both love each other the "test" presents unexpected turns for both of them.
5. Our Portion, Our Rock - 29 pp -- A young lawyer, who's not happy with his job, has to deal with a dying father who's crippled with Lou Gehrig's disease and his own foolish attempt to consummate his long-time crush on a law school classmate, who went on to marry his best friend.
6. Visiting - 16 pp -- A divorced father tries to make a connection with his 16-year-old son by driving him, on one of the rare weekends he spends with him, from Manhattan to the home of his dying father in Rhode Island. It's a compelling portrait of the "sandwich" generation, estranged from his sarcastic child and his cruel father. But in the end, there's a compelling look at how those generational gaps and estrangements can be bridged, if only in a minor way.
7. Beyond Any Blessing - 34 pp -- A grandson goes back to Boston to find out why his grandfather, a 90-year-old rabbi, has been fired by his temple board and evicted from his home. The grandson, Daniel, isn't much help in rectifying the situation, but the trip home gives him an opportunity to revisit his past (his grandfather raised him after his parents were killed in a car accident) and an old flame, for whom he still carries a torch for even though he's married to someone else. The grandfather was in his 70s when he had to take over raising this boy, but it's clear that, while their relationship wasn't always easy, there was a strong bond that the grandson is only now beginning to fully understand and appreciate.
The 7 stories, most of which are set in New York or Massachusetts, are:
1. In the Book of Life - 22 pp -- A great story right out of the chute about a man who begins an affair with the daughter of his boyhood friend and business partner, an entanglement that sets off a host of unexpected discoveries and complications.
2. Winter on the Sawtooth - 18 pp - A father is embarrassed when his son makes his first trip home from college and has to discover the shambles his parents' marriage is in. The husband and wife still share the same house, but the wife has taken on a new lover whom she sleeps with in the same house she shares with her husband. But the son's return could change the entire dynamic.
3. The Moon Landing -- 27 pp -- Two estranged brothers have to come together to clear out their parents' house after they both die within one days of each other. Searching through their clothes, they're reminded of how their childhood was shaped by their parents' constant drinking.
4. Catherine and Henry - 28 pp -- A young woman gets convinced by a cynical older fiend to test her boyfriend's faithfulness by hiring a woman to seduce him. The inevitable happens but because they both love each other the "test" presents unexpected turns for both of them.
5. Our Portion, Our Rock - 29 pp -- A young lawyer, who's not happy with his job, has to deal with a dying father who's crippled with Lou Gehrig's disease and his own foolish attempt to consummate his long-time crush on a law school classmate, who went on to marry his best friend.
6. Visiting - 16 pp -- A divorced father tries to make a connection with his 16-year-old son by driving him, on one of the rare weekends he spends with him, from Manhattan to the home of his dying father in Rhode Island. It's a compelling portrait of the "sandwich" generation, estranged from his sarcastic child and his cruel father. But in the end, there's a compelling look at how those generational gaps and estrangements can be bridged, if only in a minor way.
7. Beyond Any Blessing - 34 pp -- A grandson goes back to Boston to find out why his grandfather, a 90-year-old rabbi, has been fired by his temple board and evicted from his home. The grandson, Daniel, isn't much help in rectifying the situation, but the trip home gives him an opportunity to revisit his past (his grandfather raised him after his parents were killed in a car accident) and an old flame, for whom he still carries a torch for even though he's married to someone else. The grandfather was in his 70s when he had to take over raising this boy, but it's clear that, while their relationship wasn't always easy, there was a strong bond that the grandson is only now beginning to fully understand and appreciate.
April 26, 2013
The Book of Life by Stuart Nadler is a collection of short stories about Jewish people on the East Coast and involving, love, hate, grief and non-grief, infidelity, loneliness, alcoholism and jealousy.
I usually don’t read short stories for the reason that I get so attached to the characters and get angry at the author when there is not more. Sometimes that doesn’t happen and I am happy. Not this time, I would rather have a whole book instead of a short story. The Book of Life, the first short story is perfect. I want a whole book or even a movie. It had a Hitchcockian ending to it and I would really like it if Woody Allen made a film of it. By the time that I reached the end of this book, I laughed at the author when he said that he agrees with John Cheever. Always put your best story at the beginning!
There was one story that I did not like, if you read this book, I want to know if you had the same reaction. The writing, plot, characters were great, it is just that I did not want the characters to do what they did.
All the characters were memorable. Still I felt cheated by the author’s characters, I wanted them to come back to life and tell me more. That is why I want to read Stuart Nadler’s book, Wise Men. Surely I will get enough of his characters in a whole book, or will I?
I highly recommend this collection to anyone who loves short stories. If you don’t, you still must read the first story, The Book of Life.
I usually don’t read short stories for the reason that I get so attached to the characters and get angry at the author when there is not more. Sometimes that doesn’t happen and I am happy. Not this time, I would rather have a whole book instead of a short story. The Book of Life, the first short story is perfect. I want a whole book or even a movie. It had a Hitchcockian ending to it and I would really like it if Woody Allen made a film of it. By the time that I reached the end of this book, I laughed at the author when he said that he agrees with John Cheever. Always put your best story at the beginning!
There was one story that I did not like, if you read this book, I want to know if you had the same reaction. The writing, plot, characters were great, it is just that I did not want the characters to do what they did.
All the characters were memorable. Still I felt cheated by the author’s characters, I wanted them to come back to life and tell me more. That is why I want to read Stuart Nadler’s book, Wise Men. Surely I will get enough of his characters in a whole book, or will I?
I highly recommend this collection to anyone who loves short stories. If you don’t, you still must read the first story, The Book of Life.
April 4, 2012
I was fortunate to have received a copy of Stuart Nadler's Book Of Life through Goodreads-Thank-you. I must say that it took me awhile to get to read it but I wasn't diappointed when I did. It's a great read and a wonderful collection of stories.Nadler has a gift of getting to the heart of his characters, I didn't always like them but could identify with them because they were real warts and all. I enjoy looking into the rooms that people normally keep locked and reading these stories let me into those rooms to explore. This is a collection that I will go back and read and discover more nooks and crannies.
June 10, 2014
This began strong and then quickly took a turn for the mediocre. The last story was almost unreadable. Several of the first stories were very well written, and I have hopes for the future works of the author. However, this collection was very hit-and-miss. Several threes, a few fours, one two. Overall: three stars.
June 28, 2017
I'm admittedly a little disappointed. These stories almost never elevated themselves above the one-sentence descriptions on the back cover. And when it comes to Jewish content this is the type of writing that I'm worried that I'd reproduce if I didn't do a lot of research first--basically it was pieces of random trivia, without any deeper connection to Judaism's broad history, culture or spirituality.
I know I have a little bit of a bias when it comes to male authors writing female characters, but I don't think it's my defensiveness that rendered many of them to be one-dimensional. Jane in the titular story, "The Book of Life," is a vixen and con artist with all men. Catherine in "Catherine and Henry" has a stereotypical rich bitch girlfriend who encourages her to deal with her jealousy by orchestrating a situation designed to make her boyfriend cheat. Both of these women are described in seductive tones of wearing coats and little else.
In "Winter on Sawtooth," the protagonist's wife has a very open affair for unexplored reasons, and their college-aged son has gotten religious in an attempt to woo a girl. An understandable sentiment on its surface, but his most obvious show of faith is telling his parents that he's off to Shabbat services and that he won't be coming home to celebrate Christmas. We have these two throughlines in Nadler's short story and both of them seem underwhelming. It's a thing that crops up in his other stories as well--they're long, so I guess they have enough room for more than one plot (I'm guilty of that myself sometimes, though technically short stories should be much more focused.) None of his plots feel that enlightening to me.
Most of his narrators are Jewish men by wit of marrying non-Jews, and then feeling the need to set themselves apart by proclaiming "Jew" when things go wrong. Particularly in "Visiting" when "Jew" means the protagonist and his estranged son look a certain way and have a Holocaust survivor for a relative. We have a rabbi in "Beyond Any Blessing" who loves baseball and gives a generic platitude about why he believes in God; there's no true depth to the Judaism or the character. (Meanwhile, the protagonist in that story is caught in a love triangle with his non-Jewish spouse and his Jewish childhood sweetheart, and again, there's little insight into his relationships with either of these women besides his labeling them by religion.)
More critical readers than me might give this collection a lower rating. But I'll end on some positives; Nadler is good at creating a sense of place with physical descriptions. His stories take place on the upper East Coast of the U.S., with New York City as the southern point, but the settings weren't ever stale. Then there's my favorite story, "The Moon Landing," where the protagonist is helping his younger brother pack of their deceased parents' home. This is the one story where the characters actually work for me; we explore the protagonist's adult estrangement, and a childhood memory that ultimately lends some character insight to his mother's personal aspirations. Here's a piece that was elevated beyond the words on the page, so kudos.
I know I have a little bit of a bias when it comes to male authors writing female characters, but I don't think it's my defensiveness that rendered many of them to be one-dimensional. Jane in the titular story, "The Book of Life," is a vixen and con artist with all men. Catherine in "Catherine and Henry" has a stereotypical rich bitch girlfriend who encourages her to deal with her jealousy by orchestrating a situation designed to make her boyfriend cheat. Both of these women are described in seductive tones of wearing coats and little else.
In "Winter on Sawtooth," the protagonist's wife has a very open affair for unexplored reasons, and their college-aged son has gotten religious in an attempt to woo a girl. An understandable sentiment on its surface, but his most obvious show of faith is telling his parents that he's off to Shabbat services and that he won't be coming home to celebrate Christmas. We have these two throughlines in Nadler's short story and both of them seem underwhelming. It's a thing that crops up in his other stories as well--they're long, so I guess they have enough room for more than one plot (I'm guilty of that myself sometimes, though technically short stories should be much more focused.) None of his plots feel that enlightening to me.
Most of his narrators are Jewish men by wit of marrying non-Jews, and then feeling the need to set themselves apart by proclaiming "Jew" when things go wrong. Particularly in "Visiting" when "Jew" means the protagonist and his estranged son look a certain way and have a Holocaust survivor for a relative. We have a rabbi in "Beyond Any Blessing" who loves baseball and gives a generic platitude about why he believes in God; there's no true depth to the Judaism or the character. (Meanwhile, the protagonist in that story is caught in a love triangle with his non-Jewish spouse and his Jewish childhood sweetheart, and again, there's little insight into his relationships with either of these women besides his labeling them by religion.)
More critical readers than me might give this collection a lower rating. But I'll end on some positives; Nadler is good at creating a sense of place with physical descriptions. His stories take place on the upper East Coast of the U.S., with New York City as the southern point, but the settings weren't ever stale. Then there's my favorite story, "The Moon Landing," where the protagonist is helping his younger brother pack of their deceased parents' home. This is the one story where the characters actually work for me; we explore the protagonist's adult estrangement, and a childhood memory that ultimately lends some character insight to his mother's personal aspirations. Here's a piece that was elevated beyond the words on the page, so kudos.
October 2, 2017
Thank god for discount books, in my case it can make for a somwhat random or unqualified selection of books, with a greater selection of lesser known authors This was one great find through the discounted stack of books. I didn't know who Stuart Nadler was or had read any of his stories at that time, all I knew was that he spun a good short-story in the few pages that I had sampled. Stuart's short-stories are almost like short plays, they touch on many facets of life, youth, family, aging, death, love, infidelity, and religion. I can't say that i liked two of the stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed four stories and even reread two stories.
I see Stuart Nadler has a few novels, i may give that a try sometime soon.
I see Stuart Nadler has a few novels, i may give that a try sometime soon.
April 19, 2015
This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Beautiful and funny and vivid and absurdly distinct - between this and Wise Men I am all in.
September 21, 2023
I ended this collection of short stories thinking that the author doesn't like endings. None of the stories had a definite conclusion without hinting at either might be or cannot be.
The stories range from quite good to quite mediocre. Easy to read but also hinting at context rather than staying things outright. I doubt I would want to read extended versions of any of them but there was some entertainment to be found.
A very hit and miss collection it is hard to recommend but also I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading.
The stories range from quite good to quite mediocre. Easy to read but also hinting at context rather than staying things outright. I doubt I would want to read extended versions of any of them but there was some entertainment to be found.
A very hit and miss collection it is hard to recommend but also I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading.
May 31, 2017
Beautiful stories with great perspective. Didn't want to stop reading them. Love this writer.
October 8, 2017
"La linea di confine tra umorismo e tristezza è particolarmente sottile." (Oltre ogni benedizione, p. 193)
October 4, 2011
I was a first read giveaway winner, thank you Stuart Nadler and Goodreads! This is not a book I usually would read, but its an eye opener. The stories are so true and you can see these things happening in your life or through someone you know, even if they are not jewish. I think it was a beautiful book. This book has seven short stories that are filled with love, family differences, heartship between lovers. There was one story I loved and could not get out of my head called "Winter on the Sawtooth",it was about a family, the son comes home from college and is told that the Mom is seeing somone else. But the Dad is still living in the same house, where the boyfriend comes over, visits and even sleep over sometimes. This relationship has been going on for years, but the Father is being very patient and is waiting for his wife to come back to him. The weekend when the son comes home for the weekend, he is angry at his parents, at his dad for allowing this to happen. At the end of this story, it states how the Father, the husband has been waiting for his wife to come back, that he always knew she loved him and that she would come back. Just that ending, in a way I would like to believe that could not be possible for a man to do or hope for. I think that no man would wait for his wife and endure,that he would be filled with hatred and jealousy and fill betrayed. However, I do believe that love will endure this type of heartship, you never know how much love anyone could have for you and only through their actions can you tell. Love is patients. This book has so many different stories coming from so many different homes, but they are all built on our love and understanding, what we go through everyday, and we may have experienced these, or hope we never will.....this book is a must read... I loved it!
September 18, 2011
The power and grace in this collection of short stories sneaks up on you, because Nadler's voice is a quiet one, never showing off or shouting. These masterfully crafted and heart-filling short stories are going to stay with me, for many reasons.
The story that gives the book its title, The Book of Life, is about a man whose closest friend is his business partner; their families are like one family. And yet they betray one another - in ways they don't understand themselves.
Another story is about an oldest son who turns his back on his dysfunctional family, and in doing that, over the years, creates even more dysfunction for himself, even as he becomes sober.
In another story, a good man watches his marriage fall apart, bewildered as it's happening. And his son, returning from college, challenges him on why he's being so passive.
The tensions in these stories feel so true and vulnerable, so limpid; they spoke to my own understanding of family and lovers' relationships. The screw-ups generally happen without malice. It's a reminder of how many of our sins are sins of omission, and not sins of commission.
This book also has an interview with Nadler in the back, and a readers' group guide. I'm so glad that short stories are being published in collections again, and I hope readers' groups do take it on.
Thanks too to Goodreads. I really doubt I would have read this collection were it not for receiving it through their giveaway. I'm not big on literary short stories. Guess I'm going to have to rethink that! I'd advise other readers that short story collections are more likely to be the real deal - stories with plots, beginnings and endings, stories that make sense. Stories, in other words, rather than abstract art in letters.
The story that gives the book its title, The Book of Life, is about a man whose closest friend is his business partner; their families are like one family. And yet they betray one another - in ways they don't understand themselves.
Another story is about an oldest son who turns his back on his dysfunctional family, and in doing that, over the years, creates even more dysfunction for himself, even as he becomes sober.
In another story, a good man watches his marriage fall apart, bewildered as it's happening. And his son, returning from college, challenges him on why he's being so passive.
The tensions in these stories feel so true and vulnerable, so limpid; they spoke to my own understanding of family and lovers' relationships. The screw-ups generally happen without malice. It's a reminder of how many of our sins are sins of omission, and not sins of commission.
This book also has an interview with Nadler in the back, and a readers' group guide. I'm so glad that short stories are being published in collections again, and I hope readers' groups do take it on.
Thanks too to Goodreads. I really doubt I would have read this collection were it not for receiving it through their giveaway. I'm not big on literary short stories. Guess I'm going to have to rethink that! I'd advise other readers that short story collections are more likely to be the real deal - stories with plots, beginnings and endings, stories that make sense. Stories, in other words, rather than abstract art in letters.
June 7, 2012
Stuart Nadler scrive benissimo, ma soprattutto sa quali sono gli ingredienti per confezionare dei racconti che se non rappresentano la perfezione, poco ci manca. Non si spinge mai più in là del dovuto, sempre consocio di cosa vuole ottenere da un personaggio, dalla sua storia, e come farlo.
Pur essendo un autore che si può facilmente inserire nel cosiddetto filone della letteratura ebraica (v. Bellow, Malamud, Englander), gli stilemi classici di questa tradizione entrano solo di striscio a far parte del libro, solitamente nei personaggi più anziani che vi compaiono, lasciando spazio piuttosto a una serie di “comuni” rapporti affettivi che di volta in volta emergono e si distinguono per i loro contrasti e difficoltà; le parole che un figlio riesce finalmente a dire, o non dire, al padre malato, il coraggio di non lasciar andare una storia travagliata con quello che probabilmente sarà l’amore della propria vita, etc.
I racconti della raccolta, esordio letterario di Nadler, sono tutti più che buoni, ma in particolar modo mi hanno colpito: “Lo sbarco sulla luna” e “Il nostro destino, la nostra roccia”.
http://www.subliminalpop.com/?p=5748
Pur essendo un autore che si può facilmente inserire nel cosiddetto filone della letteratura ebraica (v. Bellow, Malamud, Englander), gli stilemi classici di questa tradizione entrano solo di striscio a far parte del libro, solitamente nei personaggi più anziani che vi compaiono, lasciando spazio piuttosto a una serie di “comuni” rapporti affettivi che di volta in volta emergono e si distinguono per i loro contrasti e difficoltà; le parole che un figlio riesce finalmente a dire, o non dire, al padre malato, il coraggio di non lasciar andare una storia travagliata con quello che probabilmente sarà l’amore della propria vita, etc.
I racconti della raccolta, esordio letterario di Nadler, sono tutti più che buoni, ma in particolar modo mi hanno colpito: “Lo sbarco sulla luna” e “Il nostro destino, la nostra roccia”.
http://www.subliminalpop.com/?p=5748
February 16, 2016
I don't generally like short stories - just as i get to know the characters the story is over. Plus I find they leave too many unanswered questions. But I did enjoy these stories - found them easy to get into and beautifully written..... still I would have preferred it if each story were a novel.
Book description:
Forced together on a trip from Manhattan to Rhode Island, a father and son attempt to renew their bond over lobster, cigarettes, and a buried secret. A pure-hearted artist finds his devotion cruelly tested, while his true love tries to repent for the biggest mistake of her life. Unwittingly thrust into an open marriage, a man struggles to reconnect with his newly devout son. And in the book's daring first story, an arrogant businessman begins a forbidden affair during the High Holidays.
Written in clear, crystalline prose, The Book of Life comprises seven stunning tales about faith, family, grief, love, temptation, and redemption that signal the arrival of a bold and exciting new writer.
Book description:
Forced together on a trip from Manhattan to Rhode Island, a father and son attempt to renew their bond over lobster, cigarettes, and a buried secret. A pure-hearted artist finds his devotion cruelly tested, while his true love tries to repent for the biggest mistake of her life. Unwittingly thrust into an open marriage, a man struggles to reconnect with his newly devout son. And in the book's daring first story, an arrogant businessman begins a forbidden affair during the High Holidays.
Written in clear, crystalline prose, The Book of Life comprises seven stunning tales about faith, family, grief, love, temptation, and redemption that signal the arrival of a bold and exciting new writer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2011
There are several magnificent stories in this debut collection. Nadler knows how to tell a story and create original characters. In the title story, two businessmen and longtime friends are lead astray by misguided affairs that threaten both their personal and professional relationships. This story as well as most others is told in either a tight third-person point of view or in the first person. Nadler does a great job of getting into the heads of these characters, many of them either cuckolded or doing the cuckolding.
In the two tales that didn't work so well, I think he lost his focus on the narrative a bit. This is especially true in Catherine and Henry where the story switches back and forth between the two. The reader never feels quite grounded and the plot of the story feels unrealistic. However, even that story is very entertaining and contains many "aha" moments.
In the two tales that didn't work so well, I think he lost his focus on the narrative a bit. This is especially true in Catherine and Henry where the story switches back and forth between the two. The reader never feels quite grounded and the plot of the story feels unrealistic. However, even that story is very entertaining and contains many "aha" moments.
September 28, 2011
I love short stories and this book is now one of my favorites. The author lets you inside the hearts and minds of the characters and gives you a surprise here and there. My favorite short was the first one which the book was named after, "The Book Of Life". I loved the ending, it totally surprised me.
The other stories were:
Winter on the Sawtooth
The Moon Landing
Catherine and Henry
Our Portion, Our Rock
Visiting
Beyond Any Blessing
The book is a quick read at 235 pages(the other pages are the RGG etc) but it seems even quicker due to the different stories.
I enjoyed this book very much, even though some of the endings were not wrapped up like I wanted. I will be looking for more from this author.
The other stories were:
Winter on the Sawtooth
The Moon Landing
Catherine and Henry
Our Portion, Our Rock
Visiting
Beyond Any Blessing
The book is a quick read at 235 pages(the other pages are the RGG etc) but it seems even quicker due to the different stories.
I enjoyed this book very much, even though some of the endings were not wrapped up like I wanted. I will be looking for more from this author.
January 10, 2013
I'm giving this 3.5 stars actually. Darn you Goodreads for not giving us half star options yet...
I like the rhythm and tone of Stuart Nadler's writing. I like the themes he explores and the people he introduces us to. I like the complex issues he raises. But I don't like the lack of resolution or even of ending to a couple of his stories.
While I understand the need to leave things open-ended sometimes, so the reader can think about or guess what might happen next. But sometimes it's TOO open, like we walked away a scene too soon. That there were still too many questions and no idea where we were going from there.
I would want very much to read more by Stuart Nadler. I might even recommend him to other readers. But he's just not quite 'there' yet.
I like the rhythm and tone of Stuart Nadler's writing. I like the themes he explores and the people he introduces us to. I like the complex issues he raises. But I don't like the lack of resolution or even of ending to a couple of his stories.
While I understand the need to leave things open-ended sometimes, so the reader can think about or guess what might happen next. But sometimes it's TOO open, like we walked away a scene too soon. That there were still too many questions and no idea where we were going from there.
I would want very much to read more by Stuart Nadler. I might even recommend him to other readers. But he's just not quite 'there' yet.
December 22, 2012
It took me a long time to read this book because I found a lot of the stories almost heart-breakingly sad. I both dreaded and looked forward to each new story, so I spaced them out and they filled up an entire year. The stories stuck with me, and I found myself thinking about the characters for weeks or months afterwards. I am always impressed by the rare short story that conveys as much plot and character as many novels, and almost all of these stories fall into that category. While I didn't find all of the stories enjoyable, and a lot of them were downers, they were all pretty compelling.
May 20, 2013
sette racconti in cui si ripetono gli stessi temi: il tradimento, la separazione declinata in vari modi, il ricordo, la normale sofferenza di essere umani. non c'è il conforto della religione, in queste storie, sebbene l'ebraismo sia quasi sempre presente; non ci sono gesti eclatanti ma la quotidianità dei nostri tempi e il ritorno alle origini per capire come si è arrivati a un certo punto. nadler non è mai melodrammatico, mai superficiale, mai superfluo, mai gratuito: esordio ottimo, in attesa di un romanzo.
[mi sono piaciuti tutti i racconti, ma i miei preferiti sono "nel libro della vita", "catherine e henry", "il nostro destino, la nostra roccia" e "oltre ogni benedizione")
[mi sono piaciuti tutti i racconti, ma i miei preferiti sono "nel libro della vita", "catherine e henry", "il nostro destino, la nostra roccia" e "oltre ogni benedizione")
April 18, 2018
Depois do livro de contos de Alice Munro, e já que estava numa de histórias curtas, peguei neste de Stuart Nadler, um jovem escritor norte-americano, que já estava na fila de espera há uma data de tempo.
São sete contos que prendem cada um como um romance. Um homem que se envolve com a filha do melhor amigo mas que percebe que está só a ser utilizado. Uma mulher que decide pôr à prova a fidelidade do companheiro. Dois irmãos que têm de esvaziar a casa dos pais após a sua morte. Um pai que se tenta aproximar do filho adolescente. E outras que vale a pena ler.
O que se sente ao longo de todo o livro: que a vida é dura. Mas que vale a pena vivê-la.
São sete contos que prendem cada um como um romance. Um homem que se envolve com a filha do melhor amigo mas que percebe que está só a ser utilizado. Uma mulher que decide pôr à prova a fidelidade do companheiro. Dois irmãos que têm de esvaziar a casa dos pais após a sua morte. Um pai que se tenta aproximar do filho adolescente. E outras que vale a pena ler.
O que se sente ao longo de todo o livro: que a vida é dura. Mas que vale a pena vivê-la.
September 4, 2011
I recieved a free copy of this book through the first reads on Goodreads. The Book of Life was not what I was expecting at all. The book had amazingly developed characters in such a short period of time and stories that grabbed your full attention within minutes. The title for the book was perfect. While I read the book instead of feeling depressed or sad like the character, I just felt as if, ‘well that’s life’. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of this book and would recommend it to anyone.
April 29, 2012
A writer writes what he knows.
The protagonists in each of these seven short stories are Jewish, many in name only and each story features a a father-son relationship. A few of the stories have the protagonist growing up in Brooklyn and then trying to belong, or to reconcile not belonging, in a more educated, less survivalist world.
The writing is honest and reflective and has a touch of Yiddish pessimism. The message I got: Life is tough. And it probably won't work out. But there's something worthwhile in the effort of being alive.
The protagonists in each of these seven short stories are Jewish, many in name only and each story features a a father-son relationship. A few of the stories have the protagonist growing up in Brooklyn and then trying to belong, or to reconcile not belonging, in a more educated, less survivalist world.
The writing is honest and reflective and has a touch of Yiddish pessimism. The message I got: Life is tough. And it probably won't work out. But there's something worthwhile in the effort of being alive.
October 1, 2011
Thank you Goodreads for the advance copy! The Book of LIfe is a look into the daily lives of everyday people. It draws on every emotion and plays into your fears, desires and hope. It wouldn't have made a difference for me, but to be far, each story has a relation to the Jewish faith. It's not the center point or focus but has hints throughout. All in all, a well written, deeply moving book.
February 4, 2012
This is a book of short stories all centered around Jewish families and practices. There are stories of infidelity and stories of father-son relationships. There was one story that really overwhelmed me with emotion, called Catherine and Henry, but otherwise I though the stories were average.
Unfortunately, I am left with little to say about his book other, than it kept me interested enough to finish it, but I didn't it find it earth shattering.
Unfortunately, I am left with little to say about his book other, than it kept me interested enough to finish it, but I didn't it find it earth shattering.
July 9, 2012
Abbisognerei di più stelle da dare come voto. Bello, anzi di una bellezza straordinaria e semplice. Una scrittura che ricorda la Munro ma con un afflato più caldo, quasi benevolo, nei confronti dei protagonisti di questi sette racconti. Racconti di vita, di ogni vita: medri, figli, amanti, coppie, relazioni che si sfasciano, osservate e ri-scritte con grande maestria.
Pare che stia scrivendo un romanzo il Nadler, spero presto di poterlo leggere.
Pare che stia scrivendo un romanzo il Nadler, spero presto di poterlo leggere.
March 18, 2013
Nadler's short stories immediately sucked me into the world of his characters, which are often those of middle-class Jews on the east or west coasts. His stories trace diverse relationships (father & son, husband and wife, bf and gf) and, much to Nadler's credit, you don't feel the the short-story format causes him to cut any corners in exploring these relationships' complexities. These are poignant, satisfying tales.
January 13, 2016
Good old-fashioned - almost nostalgic - collection of stories.
Reading this felt like going back to when stories were stories, and writing was good writing. Each tale had something to offer and every character was beautifully created. My particular favourite was the first one, 'In the Book of Life.' The last story too, 'Beyond Any Blessing' read like a novel on its own.
The relationships between all the characters does make it THE BOOK OF LIFE.
Reading this felt like going back to when stories were stories, and writing was good writing. Each tale had something to offer and every character was beautifully created. My particular favourite was the first one, 'In the Book of Life.' The last story too, 'Beyond Any Blessing' read like a novel on its own.
The relationships between all the characters does make it THE BOOK OF LIFE.
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