Schoom

by Jonathan Wilson

Wiseguys, adulterers, schoolboys, and a New York fur salesman are among the curious characters who populate this debut collection of short stories--tales wryly observant of men and their fluctuating fortunes--set in London and Israel during the '40s and '50s, and during the Gulf War.

Paperback

Published January 1, 1993

About the author

Jonathan Wilson is a British-born writer and professor who lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

Jonathan Wilson is the author of seven books: the novels The Hiding Room and A Palestine Affair, a finalist for the 2004 National Jewish Book Award, two collections of short stories Schoom and An Ambulance is on the Way: Stories of Men in Trouble, two critical works on the fiction of Saul Bellow and most recently a biography, Marc Chagall, runner-up for the 2007 National Jewish Book Award. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and Best American Short Stories, among other publications, and he has received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is Fletcher Professor of Rhetoric and Debate, Professor of English and Director of the Center for the Humanities at Tufts University.

Wilson also writes a column on soccer for the Internet Newspaper, The Faster Times.

Reviews

[Alicia Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd think that if I were to unashamedly use ridiculous plot devices, I'd at least make some effort to create interesting stories. This author, not so much. It's tough to decide which story is the most boring. Overall, I get the feeling I'd find this writer tedious in person, since the protagonist in each tale seems like the same person, which typically means it's the writer.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Wilson is a brilliant writer. These stories invoke strong and uncomfortable emotions (in me at least). If you're a fan of Roth, loved Everything Is Illuminated and are otherwise into contemporary (read post-war) Jewish writers than you will get a lot out of Schoom.