Customer Reviews

The Romance Reader

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I loved this book. I was raised within Orthodox Jewish tradition myself, and feel that this is an accurate portrayal of a rebellious daughter within an Ultra-Orthodox family. I know many of the customer reviews disagree with me; however, I do feel that within every single culture there are naturally bound to be certain individuals "who want out"! (Just as there exist secular Jews who want to be ultra-Orthodox). At any rate, the writing is excellent. And I especially enjoyed the part around her wedding; her horrible feelings around her mother shaving her head; and before that, picking her husband, sadly feeling that it didn't matter whom she picked; she had to pick him or someone similar. I had two criticisms: one, that the main character showed no affection for any of the ultra-Orthodox traditions. (There must have been something she liked about her life!) The other is the ending; I felt it was too concise and superficial, didn't really answer what happened after she returned to her family. But overall, this is a wonderful book, and lets us see a world that is mostly hidden from view. I only wish the author would write a sequel, so we can see how the main character deals with non-Orthodox life. I am waiting impatiently!

I thought the book was fantastic-the characters were compelling and Abraham provides a tight tension (I was never quite sure what Rachel would do).

As I am extremely interested in strict interpretations of Judaism (while being very glad I live in a secular world!), I found the background of the story deeply fascinating. That said, I don't think the book is simply a story about the Chassidic world. It's a story about a closed community and the desire of some of its members to remain in the closed community while others push at and seek to explore the unknown world outside the closed society. There are innumerable parallels to this-for me, having a mom who grew up in an extremely rigid immigrant community and whose mom rebelled in a big way (going to college in the 1940s, marrying "out" and marrying someone of a different religion-a WASP whose family came here in the 1630s), the story was really insightful (made me understand my mom and her choices in a new way-and why many people from her childhood still see her, 40 years later, as a dangerous rebel). But it also provided me with insights into some of the closed societies to which I have belonged and the reluctance of the members of these grps to acknowledge the validity of the lives of those outside the society.

Abraham writes well and the characters are well-drawn and highly complex people (with all sorts of contradictions within themselves). This was a book I literally couldn't put down. I strongly recommend it!

The Romance Reader gives a glimpse into the hasidic world that was fascinating to me. As a coming of age story it works very well. I did find myself wishing that Abraham had taken a few more risks, that she had added a little more texture and layer to the world she describes. Other books in this vein that I enjoyed are The Ladies Auxilary by Tova Mirvis and The Mind Body Problem by Rebecca Goldstein --both of these also give fascinating glimpses into the Orthodox Jewish World with a great deal of depth and humor.

The Romance Reader appeals to a certain voyeuristic desire to peer into an "exotic" world closed to most. However, as a novel, it is simply not that good. There is not enough story-telling horsepower; it seems distinctly underpowered by plot. The author's style, while intentionally minimalist, leaves one longing for more. Pearl Abraham is in the unique position of having left her Hasidic upbringing for secular life, hence she writes this autobiographical novel with a certain authority. The vast majority of Hasidic girls are content to marry within the fold and are unlikely to write novels exposing their world. Nor are most Hasidic women likely to have Pearl Abraham's fluent English. So Ms. Abraham has a temporary exclusive, but her monopoly will not last forever. There has to be a writer who can describe ultra-Orthodox life with both an insider's knowledge and an outsider's distance, and tell a good story while she's at it. This is an operatic subject, and it needs more than minimalist writing.

This memorable book tells the story of Rachel, and what it's like to come of age within the confines of an ultraconservative Jewish sect. She is surrounded by mainstream America, she is required to follow the strict rules of a culture dating from the Jewish ghettos of 18th century Poland. Rachel wants to fit into the streets of New York kids of the 60s, a desire that nearly makes her rabbi father, dutiful mother, and indeed her entire community, come undone with shock. To readers, Rachel sneaking into the public library to read classical literature is endearing; to her family, it's akin to sacrilege.

This is a great coming of age story of a girl who just happens to be chasidic and her life. I dont think the point of the book was to dis the chasidic community, she could have been amish, catholic, russian or japanese. The point was her conflicts with the life she was used to. I liked Rachel, and thought it was great that she stood up for what she thought was right.

Her mother reminded me alot of my own Jewish mom.. tied into tradition without giving it much thought. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ethnic parents, no matter what the ethnicity is.

Pearl Abraham's debut novel, Romance Reader, explores the difficulties of being an orthodox Jewish woman trapped between the modern and conventional worlds. Rachel's marriage is, for all practical purposes, arranged for her--as much as she dreams of contemporary romance, it isn't to be had. So she begins to rebel, slowly, against her husband, against the customs of her religion, and against the values with which she has grown up.

THe novel isn't always easy to read, as it becomes more and more apparent that Rachel is stuck in a loveless marriage and wants to get out. And so the primary question of the book--will she leave or won't she?

Rachel is a compelling and fascinating character, and this book is far better drawn than Abraham's followup, "Giving Up America." You will sympathize with Rachel and stay with her toward the end. One note of warning--Rachel is (as Abraham herself appears to be) critical of the orthodox lifestyle and its restrictions. I suspect that there is more than a bit of the author in Rachel.

I really liked this book. It is a very provacative look into the life of a young girl who wants to be something other than what she is.

The only things I wasn't sure of were the daydream sequences. I also had a hard time with the passage of time (there was no warning between now and four years later). And I wasn't exactly sure how the book actually ended.

I loved the languange and the structure of the book. I also loved the subtle movements and actions of their everyday lives. I felt like I had learned something secret and new and wonderful by the time I was finished.

Romance Reader was a choice of my book club and I was surprised how good it was. As others have observed, we care about the heroine, Rachel Benjamin, and her struggles with the religious world of her family. And as others have noted, author Abraham maintains suspense, which mainly focuses on whether the parents will find out what Rachel's doing and shut down her spirit.

Romance Reader brings home a reality about nearly every strict religion. From the outside, demands can seem strict, petty, and even cruel, especially when members are also outsiders in the larger world. Because Rachel's father is also a rabbi, the family is expected to adhere even more stringently to the minutiae of religious observance.

As I read, I kept thinking of parallels to other religious groups. Rachel wonders why male rabbis should be discussing her choice of clothing, just as many Catholic girls wondered why male clergy get involved in their sex lives. Jodi Picoult's novel, Plain Truth, shows how Amish culture leads a mother to risk her own daughter's future to maintain a moral code.

Romance Reader deals explicitly with dual influences on young members of these communities. Conformity is rewarded with strong doses of social support, understanding and love. But the same closeness also isolates Rachel from her schoolmates and neighbors, denying her opportunities to grow as a person and experience the life she wants.

Rachel emerges as a quiet heroine, trying to "do the right thing." On a visit to Williamsburg, a religious section of Brooklyn, she reflects that she would be "more like Ma wanted" if she could live in a community where she wouldn't be different from others around her. She doesn't fight her religion's rules but she consciously makes choices.

The section dealing with Rachel's arranged engagement and marriage is especially poignant. Rachel wants a place she can call her own, sex she can enjoy and work that uses her talents and intellect. She finds herself paired with a decent but naive man from a very nice family -- someone who's (pardon the pun) no match for her.

My favorite sections described the way Rachel and her sister arranged for lifeguarding lessons so they could earn money and gain some freedom. Why, she wonders, can't her family appreciate what she's doing -- shouldering initiative and responsibility -- instead of worrying about whether she's wearing a bathing suit. Ultimately, the life she saves turns out to be her own.

I enjoyed this story. The character development of the main character was good, for the most part. The view into a Hasidic lifestyle was very interesting for a non-Jew. However, I felt that some of the other characters could have used more depth. Even among Jews, her family was ultraorthodox, so one would think more of the family would have difficulties.

The parents were a problem for me. A father telling his children that they were made to suffer and be pariahs because they were Jews. A wacked-out mother always at either her husband's or her children's throats. Both of them shoveling on guilt and fear of social disapproval. Yet Rachel worries that -she- might be judged insane.

I disliked the ending, which seemed to just drop into an abyss. There's an indication of her plan, but no real resolution or indication of how her life will go from there. Rather disappointing, when a lot of the drive to finish the story was to find out if she would buckle under social pressure and conform, become a nut like her mother, or completely break free and leave her family behind.

I give it three stars because the story and Rachel were engaging, but the ending and character development were lacking.