The novella follows Neil Klugman, a working-class Newark librarian who begins a summer romance with Brenda Patimkin, a wealthy Radcliffe student living in suburban Radcliffe. Their relationship exposes the friction between the moderate, integrated Jewish middle class and the upwardly mobile Patimkin family, who measure success through sporting equipment and luxury goods. The accompanying stories address Jewish identity in post-war America, focusing on characters like Eli Peck, who struggles with the arrival of displaced Hasidic refugees in a secular neighborhood, and Sergeant Marx, who must manage a subordinate’s manipulation of religious tradition to avoid combat duty.
Readers interested in the tensions of social mobility and the specifics of mid-century suburban life find a sharp dissection of status anxiety here. The collection appeals to those looking for a direct examination of how ethnic heritage shifts across generations and how assimilation alters personal morality. A reader finishes the book with a clear view of the cultural divide between tradition and secular material success, as well as the specific psychological pressures placed on individuals attempting to bridge the gap between their origins and their ambitions.
Deep and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1959
- Language
- EN
