Dee Dee's Reviews > The Ruined House
The Ruined House
by
by
Ruined House is an excellent debut that balances internal struggles, religion, and isolation within contemporary life with lush language and delightful dialogue.
What I loved most about the novel is the intersection of religion and modern-day identity crisis. The novel is divided into seven sections; each are prefaced by parts of the Talmud. Each preface sets the reader up for the upcoming chapter and has subtle nods throughout the preceding passages. As a Harvard Divinity School graduate, I love when authors explore the intersection of religion and identity; religion is deeply entrenched in who we are, whether we acknowledge this presence or not-- the map is never the territory. While Andrew has led a largely secular life, it is fascinating to go through his journey of learning and confronting the inherent, religious part of his self.
At the heart of academic religious discourse, one must privilege another's religious experience, no matter how uncomfortable or strange this may seem to the outside party. When Andrew starts seeing visions of ancient Jews performing and celebrating rituals, it helps as a reader to take these visions at face value; it makes for a great ride throughout the book. The descriptions of Jewish mysticism, both noetic and ineffable, made my heart sing.
Like any existential crisis, this novel piles up slowly. Give this book time! It can be slow moving, but that is the beauty of the book. You get to revel in the loveliness of the prose, while questioning Andrew P. Cohen's character and journey. I highly suggest this book for fans of Nicole Krauss and Philip Roth.
A side note: as a language-nerd, the translation from Hebrew into English is beautifully done.
What I loved most about the novel is the intersection of religion and modern-day identity crisis. The novel is divided into seven sections; each are prefaced by parts of the Talmud. Each preface sets the reader up for the upcoming chapter and has subtle nods throughout the preceding passages. As a Harvard Divinity School graduate, I love when authors explore the intersection of religion and identity; religion is deeply entrenched in who we are, whether we acknowledge this presence or not-- the map is never the territory. While Andrew has led a largely secular life, it is fascinating to go through his journey of learning and confronting the inherent, religious part of his self.
At the heart of academic religious discourse, one must privilege another's religious experience, no matter how uncomfortable or strange this may seem to the outside party. When Andrew starts seeing visions of ancient Jews performing and celebrating rituals, it helps as a reader to take these visions at face value; it makes for a great ride throughout the book. The descriptions of Jewish mysticism, both noetic and ineffable, made my heart sing.
Like any existential crisis, this novel piles up slowly. Give this book time! It can be slow moving, but that is the beauty of the book. You get to revel in the loveliness of the prose, while questioning Andrew P. Cohen's character and journey. I highly suggest this book for fans of Nicole Krauss and Philip Roth.
A side note: as a language-nerd, the translation from Hebrew into English is beautifully done.
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
September 8, 2017
– Shelved