Customer Reviews

The Other Shulman: A Novel

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The setting is suburban Fort Lee, New Jersey, that place across the river from the Big Apple that Jerseyites eye with suspicion. There, middle-aged and overweight Shulman owns a failing stationery store, unable to compete with the new megastore Stationery Land, and has a failing marriage. Shulman decides he is going to lose weight, shape up and run the New York Marathon, raising money for AIDS in the process. Shulman along with a group of others, including attractive Maria, sign up with Coach Jeffrey to prepare for the race. Each chapter in the book represents one mile that Shulman runs in the marathon. In flashbacks we learn much about his life, one marked by lack of ambition and defeat. Shulman jokes that he has lost enough weight during his lifetime to make an entire other person. Lo and behold, during one morning's run, that person suddenly appears - T.O. Shulman (The Other Shulman). T.O. is Shulman's doppelganger - what he could have been if he had been more ambitious and confident. The Other Shulman turns out to be the owner of the successful Stationery Land chain that is driving Shulman's mom and pop operation out of business. However, our Shulman has one thing T.O. doesn't have - a big heart. Along the way to completing the marathon Shulman learns some profound lessons about living life to the fullest and about dying. And the reader is treated to some hilarious scenes that made the tears run down my cheeks. I particularly like the episode where Shulman describes how back in college he submitted the lyrics of a Paul Simon song to his poetry professor as his own, and the accolades he received, that is until he is asked to read it before his class. "The Other Shulman" is both wise and funny, definitely a perfect read to brighten up a gray day.

Usually when you see a review for a book that says "laugh out loud", what they really mean is "wry smirk to yourself". How often do you actually laugh out loud when reading a book? (How often do you even read books?) Well, this is a book I actually laughed out loud to (or with, as the case may be).

More than once.

Enough so that my wife began to question me, and it's a fine book indeed for whom I'm willing to endure my wife's questions.

Yes, The Other Shulman has its fair share of poignancy and depth and character development and whatnot. All those wonderful "literary" things that make you feel like a grown-up when you're reading. But this book is such giddy fun, that you'll also feel like a kid again.

Highly recommend.

The Other Shulman is a delightfully funny and warm novel. Told with touching details, this witty tale of middle aged Shulman with his aches and pains, both physically and psychically, is enlightening. As he runs through his old neighborhoods in New York, Shulman shares the struggle we all go through in looking outside for the answers that ultimately we find within. As the real Shulman emerges, you root for him not just to finish the Marathon but to live his life - his way. I couldn't put the book down and read many parts twice just to relish the moments with Shulman. You won't want it to end.

Shulman is stuck in a bit of a rut. He is not having a midlife crisis, exactly; it is just that he and his wife are drifting apart, his children are grown and gone, his business is not doing so well, and he can't seem to keep the pounds off. The way he figures it, he has been losing and gaining the same 30 pounds since his bar mitzvah --- enough for a whole other Shulman. To put some focus in his life and shed some weight, Shulman decides to train to run the New York City Marathon. Here, at the crossroads of his life, he must make decisions about who he wants to be and what he wants to do. It is also here that he meets the other Shulman (T. O. Shulman) in the flesh.

Alan Zweibel's latest, THE OTHER SHULMAN, is a hilarious and sweet look at middle age and one man's choice to fight against mediocrity and complacency. The 26 chapters in the book represent the 26 (.2) miles of the race, and Shulman, as he runs around the city from Staten Island to Central Park, thinks back to when the Other Shulman, the fantasy Shulman, thin and more successful, was just that --- a fantasy.

In training for the marathon, Shulman is forced to confront the realities of his life, and not just his sad physical shape. He meets Maria, a beautiful young woman who soon becomes his training partner. What does his attraction to Maria say about his marriage? His trainer, Coach Jeffrey, teaches Shulman about patience, persistence and to actually enjoy running, not just to see it as a means to an end. But will Shulman be able to call upon Coach Jeffrey's wisdom during the race? And, most importantly, will Shulman be victorious over his less than benevolent double, the Other Shulman?

His first encounter with the Other Shulman occurs as Shulman is running, lost in his own neurotic, wandering thoughts. Soon, he sees another runner barreling down on him; he looks almost like a mirror image. This Shulman is a bit thinner and decidedly more confident, and he tries to run Shulman off the track. From that point on there is a battle between the two Shulmans. The marathon becomes a symbol of Shulman's successes and failures and especially for the possibilities he can see taking shape in his future. Will Shulman run himself to exhaustion, or run to a life filled with happiness, success and contentment? Will he overcome years of doubt and become the man he always had hoped he would be? Will there be a happy ending for our Shulman?

Zweibel's novel is funny and charming. Shulman is a shlubby and likable everyman, and along with the marathon bystanders in each of the boroughs, we cheer for him to make it to the finish line in one proverbial piece. The humor comes naturally to Zweibel, and his one-liners and observations, which are hilarious and poignant, usually hit the mark. But character development is not the strong suit of this novel, and readers may be left wanting a bit more depth.

Still, a book about a middle-aged, chubby stationary storeowner in New Jersey who meets his doppelganger and has a secret alter-ego as well ("Glue") and who runs a marathon through the city that shaped his childhood, cannot be anything but recommendable. THE OTHER SHULMAN is a smart and witty summer read.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

I don't often write reviews but I have to tell you that Alan Zweibel was right on the money with this book. The characters are eminantly likable while still believable. The story is fanciful (admittedly farfetched but with purpose) and you root for this poor guy through the whole book. Plus as someone who has actually endured the slog that is the NY marathon, I felt I was reliving it mile for mile (not always a pleasant experience but visceral nontheless). He does a great job of taking you through the marathon as a metaphor for life obstacles we wish we could overcome but that seem to great to do so.

Alan is a wonderful writer. The book uses dialogue well to deliver warm and enjoyable moments that never ceased to make me smile. His structure of the book in 26 chapters that map to Shulman's attempt to finish the "run of his life" is very artfully done and leaves you feeling satisfied.

If I had to offer one concern, (and I don't look to but it is a review afterall and nothing is perfect) the ending was a bit less than I had hoped. I kind of get the sense that he finished the book, wrote a few endings, and the editor picked one and just moved forward. It just doesn't seem to have the same pinash as the rest of the book.

Overall though, it's a wonderful book (I did give it a 5 out of 5)and should be enjoyed by all!

My face hurts from smiling.

But The Other Shulman is more than just a funny novel. It is one of the most moving and well-told stories that I have read in quite a long time.

Each word is so beautifully chosen that you will want to savor every moment. I tried to limit myself to one chapter at a sitting so that I wouldn't get read it too quickly and miss the subtleties, but every time I put it down, I found myself drawn back to the book. So I read it all at once - and now my face hurts from smiling...and I can't wait to read it again!

The Other Shulman is a lovely story with heart and humor. Not only did it make me laugh, but it reminded me to appreciate the great things in life - especially great literature.

This book is a must-read!

Shulman, a grossly overweight owner of a failing stationary store, announces during a Memorial Day gathering that he's decided to run the New York Marathon later that year to raise money for AIDS research. What Shulman does not announce is that he has turned to the marathon out of desperation, a last ditch attempt to exert some control over his deteriorating life. His six months of preparation for the marathon is recounted in flashbacks during his eight-hour, back-of-the-pack odyssey through the streets of New York, one chapter for each of the twenty-six miles.

Billy Crystal called this book "hilarious," but words like "amusing" and "thoughtful" seem more apt. Some of the humor came across as forced, much like an SNL skit. I found the story most entertaining when the author let the comedy spring naturally from Shulman's absurd situations (like the "Glue" subplot) rather than from the constant attempts at clever narration.

What sets this book apart from the multitudes of other stories concerning mid-life crises (and the numerous novels employing flashbacks during sporting events as a narrative structure) is the doppelganger device from which the book gets its title. During the months preceeding the marathon, Shulman repeatedly encounters a thinner, more ruthless version of himself. This "Other Shulman" is bent on destroying our Shulman, both professionally and personally. If Shulman is to overcome a life of passive, defeatist behavior, he realizes that he must best this aggressive doppelganger. Wondering whether Shulman will rise to this challenge and save his career, reputation and marriage keeps the pages turning and sets up an interesting climax that coincides with the marathon's finish.

While the doppelganger is the most effective part of the novel, Alan Zweibel's ambiguous resolution of the conflict between the two Shulmans left me somewhat dissatisfied. I understand what the author was trying to accomplish and applaud his creative set-up of the final showdown, but his ending came across as a bit too facile and left a few too many unanswered questions, forcing me to reinterpret the plot without any interpretation seeming satisfactory.

Almost every page of this book will bring you something to laugh about and something to inspire you. It is absolutely one of the best books I've read in ten years. I cannot recommend it highly enough. You'll struggle with Shulman each mile in his marathon of life, relationships, marriage, business and baby boomerism. Brilliant, funny and incredible.

As a 10X marathon finisher AND a middle-aged American Jew, this book could have been written by my alter-ego.
As a matter of fact, I think it was!

For laughs and tears, plus enormous human insight, this is a book I can recommend to absolutely everyone.