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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Orthodox Judaism and the modern world.,
By
This review is from: The Outside World (Hardcover)
Fans of Tova Mirvis's debut novel, "The Ladies Auxiliary," have waited impatiently for "The Outside World," a book about Jewish families in transition. Tzippy Goldman is a woman in her early twenties whose mother pressures her constantly to find a husband and settle down. After suffering through over forty failed dates, Tzippy goes to Israel where, ironically, she meets and falls in love with a man whom she admired as a teenager. The boy whom Tzippy once knew as Bryan Miller has been changed forever by his years of study in Israel. Bryan now wants to be called by his Hebrew name, Baruch, and he is no longer content to be "Modern Orthodox," like his family. He is now a "black hat Jew," following all of the commandments of the Torah to the letter, with no room for compromise. Baruch's parents and sister are uncomfortable with his transformation. They regard him as a self-righteous and condescending young man who no longer even pretends to fit in with their lifestyle.Mirvis starts off her novel promisingly. She ably describes the many differences among Orthodox Jews that often lead to conflict instead of cooperation and understanding. She also nails the tremendous upheaval that making a lavish wedding causes in a family that cannot afford to pay for such an overdone affair. In addition, Mirvis astutely portrays the friction between parents and children, who often hurt one another without realizing how much pain they are causing. However, as the book progresses, Mirvis goes off in too many directions. She flits from one troubled character to the next and from one plot line to another, but the various elements do not always mesh. We learn about Baruch's attempt to make it in the business world while retaining his religious fervor, Tzippy's decision to go to college, Tzippy's mother's depression, and her mother-in-law's search for spirituality and meaning in her life. As the narrative becomes more scattered, it becomes less compelling. If Tova Mirvis has written "The Outside World" with a tighter focus, it could have been a richer commentary on the challenges of being an Orthodox Jew in the twenty-first century.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Satire of Religious Jewish Life,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Outside World (Hardcover)
I read this book as a satire of Orthodox Jewish Life in America. Everything she writes about it is true, but so exagerated! The author knocks both the Boro Park types and the Modern Orthodox equally. I grew up in a Modern Orthodox world and now live in the "black hat" world, and her descriptions are accurate down the last detail, but highlight the most negative aspects of both communities. The majority of people from both communities are committed to Judaism and to their fellow human, not people merely observing the laws from rote with no feeling or spirit.There are no "heroes" in this novel. Unlike The Ladies Auxillary, where Batsheva was good and everyone else in Memphis portrayed as bad, in this book, each character epitomizes the worst characteristics of the typical stereotypes: Baruch, the insensitive "nouveau frum" son; Joel, who wants to blend in the outside world; Naomi, the spineless peacemaker; Shayna, who cares only about being accepted; Ilana, the rebel; Tzippy, who has no concept about why we are religious; and of course, Hershel, the typical dreamer on the verge of making it big! Of course I know people like these characters, but Tovah Mirvis has drawn a caricature of them, exagerated to bring out the worst. Just as her religious characters in The Ladies Auxillary are missing the spirit, the passion and the dedication to their religion, with the exception of Naomi and Baruch, these characters live it without any idealism or involvement. The two communities have different values and priorities, but the differences are exagerated as well. They both keep the same Sabbath and holidays, the same laws between fellow human beings, the same basic Kosher laws, the same marriage laws, etc. The book is extremely well written, and I have a hard time putting it down. Enjoy the book, just remember not to take seriously this portrayal of Orthodox life!
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
an Orthodox Jewish reviewer,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Outside World (Hardcover)
In response to a previous Orthodox Jewish reviewer, I just have to say that as a young, liberal, modern Orthodox Jew, I enjoyed this novel a great deal. I would be delighted to have my daughter (if I had one) read it. Tova Mirvis obviously knows the Orthodox Jewish world quite well. It's wonderful to read a novel about the world I live in, the details of which few writers truly grasp. It's not a perfect novel; there is a bit of stereotypical characterization, and the plot gets a bit thin at the end. I do quite like the end, though. I would definitely recommend this book. (I also have no clue what that previous reader was referring to when she said this book hinted at inappropriate things. Well, of course the characters have sex; they're married, aren't they? Since when were Jews scared to mention a married couple having sex?)
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