The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt [Hardcover]

Ruth Andrew Ellenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 2005

A hilarious and provocative collection of original essays by some of today’s top Jewish women writers—including Aimee Bender, Daphne Merkin, and Rebecca Walker—exploring all the things that their rabbis warned them never to discuss in public.

Have you ever heard a grandmother’s biological clock tick? Are you certain that a piano is about to fall on your head, simply because too many good things have happened to you lately? Would your own mother out you as a lesbian at her Yiddish club? The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt is a laugh-out-loud funny pull-no-punches collection of original essays on topics that aren’t usually talked about—much like the recent bestselling anthology The Bitch in the House.

o Molly Jong-Fast, author of Normal Girl and daughter of Erica Jong, writes about displeasing her therapist in “Tell Me About Your Mother.”
o Tova Mirvis, author of the bestselling novel The Ladies Auxiliary, writes about the pressure to be perfect in “What Will They Think?”
o Lori Gottlieb, author of the bestselling memoir Stick Figure, writes about trying to outwit her mother using caller ID in “Conversations with My Mother.”

Also includes pieces by: Jennifer Bleyer · Pearl Gluck · Rebecca Goldstein · Lauren Grodstein · Dara Horn · Rachel Kadish · Cynthia Kaplan · Binnie Kirschenbaum · Ellen Miller · Katie Rophie · Laurie Gwen Shapiro · Susan Shapiro · Ayelet Waldman, and many more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rabbi's daughter Ellenson's wide-ranging and thought-provoking collection touches on familiar-mothers, marriage and bacon-as well as less obvious, but equally potent, sources of guilt. In one of the strongest essays, Susan Shapiro explains how she's done what most women only fantasize about: declined social engagements and cut back on granting favors so she can do what she wants. It's selfish, she admits, but she's happier. Binnie Kirshenbaum manages to retain a sense of humor despite being greeted with "When are you going to grow up and have a family?" whenever talk turns to her childlessness. Humor is a staple for many of Ellenson's writers, among them Lori Gottlieb, whose "loving but lethal" mother seems to have been pulled from central casting. But Gottlieb captures the right tone, and the result is fresh and funny. As is Sharon Brous' recollection of being reprimanded by a religious Jew for placing an unopened bottle of salad dressing on a kitchen counter. "I was mortified and guilt-ridden-as much by my stupid mistake as by the fact that I didn't understand half the words she was shouting at me." Her solution: she is now a rabbi. That won't work for everyone, but given the variety of approaches offered here, most readers will find something to help assuage their guilty consciences.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

A humorous exploration... of strong and moving stories about what it means... to be a Jewish woman in today's world -- Los Angeles Times

A lively and intelligent gathering. -- Seattle Times

Brilliantly observed... The angst-filled situations are funny and poignant and have a fresh, frank, Sex and the City tone. -- New Jersey Jewish News

Entertaining with emotional depth. -- New Jersey Home News Tribune

Funny, thoughtful and frequently moving... A fine job of articulating the crises of identity that beset modern Jewish women. -- JBooks.com

Humorous and poignant.... explores in a nuanced way the different kinds of guilt experienced by modern American Jewish women. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Trust me, you'll feel guilty if you don't read this hilarious and poignant collection. Move over, Woody Allen. -- St. Petersburg Times

Twenty-eight essays by some of America's most prominent Jewish female writers... a kid-in-the-candy-store experience for the angst-ridden Jew. -- Jewish Journal of Los Angeles

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (August 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525948848
• ISBN-13: 978-0525948841
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,156,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As a jewish girl, I really relate, October 23, 2005

By 

Rebecca N (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt (Hardcover)

The essays in this book were consistently excellent, with few exceptions. I was raised in an ultra-orthodox household, rebelled to modern orthodoxy in my teen years, and am generally non-practicing as an adult -- with the exception of making a kickin' matzoh ball soup when the urge hits me. In reading these essays, I laughed frequently, and felt that the writers (who span the complete spectrum) really expressed the jewish culture, while, at the same time, had unique stories to tell. I couldn't believe how well I related to so many of these women. If you are a jewish women of any bent, I think you will as well. Some essays assume specific knowledge of judaism without explanation (i.e. using the word "shadchan" instead of "matchmaker") but even those without this knowledge could probably pick up what they don't know because of context. I think some of my catholic friends would also enjoy this "guilt" book.

As a little bit of additional heresy, I kept this book as bathtub reading, since each essay was about as long as a short story. Full of laughs! I highly recommend.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful anthology, November 2, 2005

By 

Scott H. Smith (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt (Hardcover)

Though I am a man, I know from guilt, and Ellenson and her authors nail the topic. This isn't what you expect; it's not a typical treatment of a broad topic, with the typical cliches. Instead, it's a sensitive, creative treatment of an intriguing and complicated human phenomenon. One does not need to be either Jewish or a girl to fully enjoy this book.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars laughed while sobbing, November 4, 2005

By 

Jewessy J. (PNW) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt (Hardcover)

Molly Jong Fast, daughter of Erica Jong who wrote Fear of Flying, wrote one of the funniest esays I've ever read in my life for this book. She writes about how all of her therapists become obsessed with her mother writing sexual novels and how they try to get her to talk about how much her mom traumatized her. Instead of feeling guilt about it, she decides to only agree with her shrinks if they give her candy. Freakin' hysterical.

The other essay I LOVED was by Aimee Bender (who wrote "The Girl in the Flammable Skirt"). As a Highly Assimilated Jew myself I completely 100% saw myself in her story. I don't feel particularly religious, but always feel a spooky air of superstition around me, a fear of an "evil eye" if things are going too well--if I'm too happy, I'm screwed.

I read the book over several lunch breaks at work and found it a fun way to take myself out of my day.