The Man Booker Prize is one of the best known international literature prizes. The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland and Zimbabwe. The winner is assured of international renown and success. Therefore, the prize is of great significance. The winning title for 2010 was “The Finkler Question” by Howard Jacobson
The novel is set in present day London and follows two major themes; the present state of Jewish identity in Britain and how it interrelates with the gentile population and male friendship. This is all played out with Jacobson’s unique sense of humour.
The story is built around three friends: Julian Treslove at one time a BBC employee; Sam Finkler philosopher and television personality and Libor Sevcik an elderly ex-Hollywood journalist in mourning for his lost wife and at one time, a teacher to both Treslove and Finkler.
One day, while walking near Broadcasting House, Treslove is mugged, and the mugger calls out “You Jew!” The thought of being the victim of an anti-Semitic attack, when he is in fact a Gentile begins to worry Treslove. As Treslove’s two friends are Jews, he is already familiar with all things Jewish. He begins to think about anti-Semitism, reading of attacks on Jews around the world. Slowly, the mugging begins to take the form in his mind of an “atrocity”, and as the novel unwinds, poor Treslove begins to question whether he is in fact Jewish.
Howard Jacobson uses the jewishness of the novel as a metaphor to invite the reader to look at human culture in general or as a way for the reader to unearth the deeper questions of society and human culture.
Mr Thornton
Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading level: Year 11 – Adult
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