Lilith Zeremba, a young woman rebelling against her intellectually complex, feminist Jewish mother, is The Last Jewish Virgin. In this playful and provocative, sensual and suspenseful novel, Janice Eidus merges the timeless, romantic myth of the vampire with contemporary life in volatile New York City—and beyond. Determined to make her own way—on her own terms—as a successful Jewish woman in the world of fashion, Lilith finds herself in a place where mythology and sexuality collide. She meets two men to whom she is drawn in ways that feel dangerous and yet inevitable: the much older, wildly mercurial and mesmerizing Baron Rock, and Colin Abel, a young, radiant artist determined to make the world a better place, one socially progressive painting at a time. The Last Jewish Virgin, an innovative and universal tale of longing and redemption, refreshes and reinvents the classic vampire myth for a contemporary world in which love, compassion, faith, and politics are forever evolving and intersecting in surprising and original ways.
The Last Jewish Virgin
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In yet another variation of a vampire love story, Eidus (The War of the Rosens) introduces Lilith Zeremba, a college freshman who has declared herself, over and over, to be the last Jewish virgin. It's a moniker she is determined to keep, though the particulars--why it is so important to her, whether she intends to keep it for a lifetime, and if she's been tempted in the past--are unclear. Also unclear is the nature of the love triangle in which she quickly finds herself. In one corner is Colin Abel, who is handsome, confident, talented, and sexy. In the other corner is vampire Mr. Rock, who is elusive, moody, sometimes cruel, and twice her age (also, he might be shtupping her mother). Rock is cast as the obvious bad boy to Colin's good guy, but without any of the redeeming qualities that would ostensibly make it a fair fight. The book manages to be kitschy without being fun, silly without being funny, and drama-filled without being dramatic. In the sultry world of vampires, it's as exciting as an air kiss.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Fiction is subject to viruses, and the vampire bug strikes the unlikeliest writers. Witty and incisive Eidus (The War of the Rosens, 2007) has always drawn our attention to the divide between fantasy and reality, emphasizing the inescapability of the latter. She now reverses direction. New Yorker Lilith Zeremba dreams of success as a fashion designer, a pursuit her widowed Jewish feminist intellectual mother considers frivolous at best. Beth is so sensitive to gender inequality, she believes women should rid their sexual fantasies of any hint of submission. Her daughter goes one step further: Lilith is determined to remain a virgin until she establishes her career. But this is not the message she sends when she shows up for her first day of art school in sexy vampire attire. Her risqué outfit gets an A from her intimidating drawing instructor, a chiseled man-in-black with mirrored sunglasses and the wicked name Mr. Rock. Eidus pours it on in this read-without-stopping tale of Jewish and feminist identities assaulted by raw sexual magnetism and otherworldly powers. A smart, vampy, campy send-up. --Donna Seaman
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Kerry Langan
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Move over, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham; today's sexy man has a little vampire going on. Such is the case in Janice Eidus's edgy, wickedly intelligent, and humorous novel, The Last Jewish Virgin, A Novel of Fate. The protagonist, Lilith, battles tradition and parental expectations as she guards her heart as well as her hymen. The reader can't wait to discover whether she will seal the deal with the kind and idealistic artist, Colin, or the charmingly sinister professor, Mr. Rock. The lusty mystery culminates in a literary ravishing that proves to Lilith that the best things come to those who wait. Don't wait, however, to read this book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Lyn Lifshin
Format:Paperback
I love this book. From the first words it is as mesmerizing as the protagonist, Lilith, is mesmerized and drawn in, obsessed by her mysterious and darkly magnetic art teacher, Baron Rock. The book, unpredictable, quirky and compelling, will draw you in as he does Lilith. That feeling of attractive, enchanting danger braided wit ironic humor is delicious. No one does it better than Eidus. I didn't want to let the characters go. Janice is a superb story teller, in person as well as on the page, and this mix of sexual awakening and ambivalence, fashion, fantasy, myth and contemporary life is unique. It's perfect
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. Two days later I was woefully far behind on my paperwork, but had fallen in love with the characters of The Last Jewish Virgin. At times reliving the pain of obsessive adolescent love, and at times relating as the mother of a teenage girl, I was always enchanted with the story and eager for the next page. I'll be passing this one on to my sixteen year old daughter...I think she'll love it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
a sly wink
A sly wink at love, teenagers, and mothers within a framework of vampires, academia, and fashion,this novel moves fast, and takes chances.
Published 14 months ago by eyeland
5.0 out of 5 stars
Could not put it down---love at first bite
Who is he, really? Why do they love each other? Why don't the love each other? A charming new version of the Vampire story, set in art school in New York---it's otherworldly,... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Allison Burke
5.0 out of 5 stars
write what you don't believe!
When a writer of Janice Eidus's proven literary prowess tackles a genre novel (in this case, supernatural romance, vampires, and horror), don't expect slumming. Read more
Published on March 29, 2011 by Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging, strange book
What does one make of a book which the author herself calls a "literary, Jewish, feminist, fashionista, vampire novel"?
It is certainly in a class by itself. Read more
It is certainly in a class by itself. Read more
Published on March 11, 2011 by N. Lucero
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling, Funny, Original, Insightful
Compelling, funny, original, and insightful, "The Last Jewish Virgin" will draw readers into the world of art, fashion, myth, feminism, the love-hate relationship between mothers... Read more
Published on March 6, 2011 by Kenneth L Schreiber
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read The Last Jewish Virgin
Jews, vampires, handsome men, and sexy babes. What could be more fun, or sensual? The Last Jewish Virgin manages to be both, even as it explores the bonds between women and the... Read more
Published on February 5, 2011 by MG
2.0 out of 5 stars
Came to me under the wrong classification...
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
[...]
THE LAST JEWISH VIRGIN was a difficult book for me to write about, if only because I feel like I shouldn't be... Read more
[...]
THE LAST JEWISH VIRGIN was a difficult book for me to write about, if only because I feel like I shouldn't be... Read more
Published on January 20, 2011 by J. Markovic
5.0 out of 5 stars
An intriguing read that will prove hard to put down
Vampires are a staple of literature, but Janice Eidus takes them in a whole other direction. "The Last Jewish Virgin" tells the story of Lilith Zeremba, a young Jewish woman... Read more
Published on January 7, 2011 by Midwest Book Review
4.0 out of 5 stars
No Escaping
Those not familiar with Janice Eidus's work will want to read more after this delightful short novel. Read more
Published on December 31, 2010 by Steve Turtell
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Terrific New Take on an Age Old Story
Janice Eidus does a masterful job reworking a timeless myth. Vampires have been very much in vogue of late, but this isn't some quick attempt to catch a trendy wave. Read more
Published on December 30, 2010 by Peter A. Zheutlin
