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Matt Greene (1) (1985–)

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Per altres autors anomenats Matt Greene, vegeu la pàgina de desambiguació.

2 obres 134 Membres 9 Ressenyes

Obres de Matt Greene

Ostrich (1656) 87 exemplars

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Ressenya escrita per a Crítics Matiners de LibraryThing .
I really liked this book and would recommend it to others. It's a short read that made me think about how others see the world, which led to me thinking about how I see the world. I'm not ready to give away spoilers as I don't want to ruin the book for anyone, so just give it a go!
 
Marcat
Mooose | Hi ha 6 ressenyes més | Jan 1, 2023 |
To be fair, I'm not the target demographic for this book, not being Jewish, but from the cover and the punning title I was expecting a lighter touch. The first couple of chapters, about the author's formative years in a not especially observant Jewish family, were very witty and I loved the story about the photo of his 'hunchback' great-grandfather. Then Matt Greene came over all broadsheet journalist and the rest of the book became a bit of a slog. Obviously, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust are very far from laughing matters, and as he says, 'We're tired of trying to be funny so you'll keep reading', but the switch from personal to preaching, and 'them' to 'we', was still jarring. I learned a lot, however.… (més)
 
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AdonisGuilfoyle | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Jan 21, 2021 |
The author, a British journalist, was born into a Jewish family yet feels somewhat estranged from his Jewish heritage. He spends much of his career chronicling the alleged anti-Semitism of certain leading members of Parliament. He restlessly ponders the depths of whether being Jewish matters in a society where assimilation is easy and where discrimination is looked down upon.

Greene is at his best when he probes into how anti-Semitism can take root on the Internet. It’s obvious that he’s given much thought and research into this aspect of life. He also concludes this book with fascinating descriptions of visits to several concentration camps. Although he never finds a strict definition of what being Jewish means, he comes to the reasoned conclusion that it still matters in the modern, pluralist world.

I am a Christian, not a Jew, though I have had many Jewish friends throughout my years. I have probed deeply into the question of what it means to be a Christian in the modern world, and I relate to Greene’s inquiry. He, for one, does not see theism as an intricate part of the Jewish experience. Rather, the Jewish culture, with its overall meta-narrative, is most important.

This book has more limited appeal to an American audience (of which I am a part) because of its detailed analysis of British politics. Greene explores this topic as a part of his career in journalism, and it seems to hurt his impact. Yes, it impacts the author’s probe into Jewish identity directly; however, the overview seems to be focused on minor details and misses the big picture – something, as a non-Brit, I need.

This work has obvious appeal to those concerned about the state of Jews the world over. The author is not a rabid Zionist and is rather very modern. He learns to access the history of his identity, and that task, we can all relate to. Readers’ interest into the Holocaust and into centuries of persecution rises due to the difficulty of the subject matter. He does not seek to convert but instead to honestly relate to others his own experience and the experiences of those like him. The Jewish identity is one that has been slapped on him like it has been slapped on many people before; nevertheless, through and because of his inquiry, the reader can sense that he begins to take some pride in this label that did not exist before. That makes his story all-the-more gripping.
… (més)
 
Marcat
scottjpearson | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Nov 8, 2020 |
*I won this ARC copy via goodreads.*
4.5 Stars
While recovering from brain surgery twelve year old Alex starts to take notice that the people around him are acting more strangely than usual. Written in stream of consciousness this novel follows Alex through his investigations not only of people but also of life in general. Between his father’s Thursday night disappearances and his mother’s mysterious darkroom Alex finds that sometimes it’s not always easy to accept the truth.
First of all I will say that even after waiting a bit I am still on the fence between four and five stars. I won’t even mention what I didn’t like because I may after more time decide it wasn’t worth pondering at all. This is another one of those books that got me researching the facts tossed here and there throughout so I learned a few things and that’s always exciting for me. I even bothered my husband endlessly and he will be so relieved that I finished it. The humor is abundant enough to balance the rough spots which only made this book better. I recommend this novel wholeheartedly as it has something for everyone.
P.S. I do think it’s important to mention that even though this is a coming of age type of plot there are some very mature topics in which I have seen other reviewers mention. Yes, I was shocked by some things but I have heard and seen worse on animated television shows.
… (més)
½
 
Marcat
shayrp76 | Hi ha 6 ressenyes més | Sep 8, 2013 |

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Estadístiques

Obres
2
Membres
134
Popularitat
#151,727
Valoració
½ 3.6
Ressenyes
9
ISBN
16
Llengües
1

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