REVIEW OF HOPE:A TRAGEDY Joe Igoe

Hope- A Tragedy

Shalom Auslander

 

 

Enough already !  Very funny, but just a bit over the top at times.  

I laughed out loud- always a good thing to do on the tube – in several parts, but at the end of the day I thought the booksomewhat outdone by its cleverness.  

There were some decidedly innovative – and negative-explorations of philosophy, after all who would have imagined that Hitler was the greatest optimist of the 20thcentury !  In a way this book is an exploration of Angst.  Angst as a Leitmotiv, unfounded (?) paranoia as the consequence.

The book also has some very good bits of social commentary.  

Very clever dialogue particularly on Anne Frank’s part when you thought she was more or less just a comic figure (that in itself is an achievement).  I also found the real estate agent’s rant quite memorable, but…..enough already.

Stereotypes abound in this book and if, unlike me, you didn’t grow up on Long Island or somewhere else with a decent whiff of Jewish culture and humour, you may have not gotten all the references and schtick.

Kugel is a nice guy, Woody Allen would love him (I’m sure he’s read the book- wait for the film).  Nice guys, however, according to the legendary Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, finish last and this is exactly what happens to our hero.  God bless him.

I liked this book, but would have liked it better if it had been a bit shorter and perhaps better edited.  It is funny, hilariously so in places, but also overegged in other places.  In a way like a joke that is a bit overlong.  Nonetheless the viewpoint and humour were very clever.

Three. Five out of five, just because I’m from Long Island.