The Idiom and the Oddity

Colorful characters crazy hijinks loads of literary gags and callouts create an energetic fast-paced read in this novel. Peeking above and below all that merrymaking from time to time is the story of one still-secular Jew searching pondering the ancient texts challenged to jibe his love affair with American culture with a personal identity that transcends time and place to frequently hilarious effect.- Yael English JewishWorldReview.com January 15 2020Yael English is a Modernism scholar who received her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley where she also taught.The Idiom and the Oddity is imaginative funny insightful and perceptive - a brilliant tour de force. It is a must-read - excellent medicine for the mind and the heart.Rabbi Dr. Emanuel Feldman editor emeritus of Tradition magazine Rabbi Emeritus of Beth Jacob Synagogue Atlanta GeorgiaWritings in the Jewish tradition are multi-dimensional - they can be read on many levels and with many connections. The Idiom and the Oddity is an essay in that tradition. There is history - mid-century Jewish New York plus allusions to many other periods. There is psychology - of varied figures individually and in interactions and developing [unlike the failed Lord of the Rings]. There is Torah philosophy - some explicit and very much implicit. There is great literary expertise. There is challenging word usage [I wouldnt call it play]. There is a compelling plot - I couldnt put it down. And much more.- Rabbi David Gottlieb Rabbi David Gottlieb received his Ph.D. at Brandeis University formerly Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University Senior Lecturer Ohr Somayach.Bottom line its a demanding read. But its literature ... The hero of the book is clearly Reb Shimshon. Although he initially comes across as a quaint somewhat laughable relic of a vestigial past over the course of the novel he rises to his full majestic height. His concluding monologue - six pages of heavily accented of Yiddish rage uninterrupted by even a single paragraph break - is one of the most chilling sustained and memorable passages in the entire book.- Dr. Henry Abramson Orthodox Union OU Life Online Magazine September 24 2079. Dr. Henry Abramson Dean of Touro College Brooklyn N.Y. PhD history University of Toronto