Book #205 of 2019:
Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
This story of a New York City Jewish family on the verge of divorce has well-drawn (albeit realistically frustrating) characters and some sharp observations on marriage, parenting, and gender roles. I like the late perspective shift that complicates our understanding of the Fleishman dynamics and raises questions of narrator reliability. But at the end of the day, it’s a literary novel about rich people going through midlife crises, which is every bit as depressing and exasperating as it sounds. There’s also just a whole lot of sex and masturbation, which I personally could have done without. I’m sure some readers will love all of the above, and I’d happily check out further works by the clearly talented debut author Taffy Brodesser-Akner, but this wasn’t an ideal book for me.
[Content warning for graphic descriptions of childbirth, sexual assault, child pornography, and revenge porn.]
★★★☆☆
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