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rdalcaraz's review against another edition
5.0
El libro te cuenta una historia personal de un hombre al que, por cierto motivo, lo empiezan a considerar como judío sin serlo. En un momento en el cual el antisemitismo estaba en auge en Estado Unidos, es un contratiempo crucial para el protagonista ya que su vida cambia de la noche a la mañana. No solo en el trabajo, sino con sus amigos, vecinos e incluso con su propia familia.
Creo que es una gran novela. A mi me ha marcado, ya que te habla de lo frágiles que son las relaciones sociales y lo que cada persona hace, o es capaz de hacer, por mantener una posición social o una reputación, aunque sea a costa de tirar a la basura y machacar emocionalmente (y socialmente) a una persona que considera amiga o, cuanto menos, no tiene nada en contra de la misma.
En resumen, creo que es una buena descripción y análisis de la sociedad donde nos movemos.
Creo que es una gran novela. A mi me ha marcado, ya que te habla de lo frágiles que son las relaciones sociales y lo que cada persona hace, o es capaz de hacer, por mantener una posición social o una reputación, aunque sea a costa de tirar a la basura y machacar emocionalmente (y socialmente) a una persona que considera amiga o, cuanto menos, no tiene nada en contra de la misma.
En resumen, creo que es una buena descripción y análisis de la sociedad donde nos movemos.
misha_devi's review
4.0
interesting examination of anti-semitism and prejudice, wth a main character who is easy to hate but it is interesting to see him change and learn as the novel progresses and his anxieties are realised.
inuklilacdiesel's review against another edition
3.0
damn. certainly controversial. I’ll have to sit with my thoughts a few more days before I come to a complete conclusion of my thoughts. Definitely a thought-provoking novel.
eli_cart's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
leaton01's review against another edition
4.0
I came across this novel in a used bookstore and thought the premise sounded fascinating, especially since I've been a fan of Miller's dramatic works. The story follows Lawrence Newman after he awakes in the middle of the night to hearing a screaming woman being assaulted. But since the woman is a minority, he largely seems to pay it no mind. The bachelor enjoys a home in a white Christian neighborhood and works in New York City and is largely successful until his eyesight gets the best of him and he's forced to get glasses. His glasses, as he feared, make him appear more Jewish in the race-obsessed world of the World War II 1940s. What follows is Lawrence's demise as those around him increasingly suspect him to be a Jew and he becomes subjected to the same cruel realities that he perpetuated just months before.
Miller's tale is a classic tale of what it's like to live in another man's shoes but also well layered with reflection by Lawrence as he comes to weigh the meaning behind the white supremacist view and how easily it insinuates itself into the minds of the privileged. Originally published in 1945, there is so much about this book that resonates with the world today that it could have easily been written as today with only slight adjustments.
Miller's tale is a classic tale of what it's like to live in another man's shoes but also well layered with reflection by Lawrence as he comes to weigh the meaning behind the white supremacist view and how easily it insinuates itself into the minds of the privileged. Originally published in 1945, there is so much about this book that resonates with the world today that it could have easily been written as today with only slight adjustments.
himotoku's review against another edition
“You look at me and you don’t see me. You see something else. What do you see? That’s what I don’t understand…. What do you see that makes you so mad when you look at me?”
One of the first studies on the rise of anti-semitism in the USA during WWII; for the time (1945) it was revolutionary and brave in its explicit portrayal and harsh criticism of bigotry and prejudice, but—although it is still an interesting and insightful read—I feel like Miller could not quite convey what he meant to say to the best of his abilities. He was definitely a better playwright than he was a novelist and it shows in this book’s compelling message, but unremarkable execution.
[no stars because I don’t rate classics]
One of the first studies on the rise of anti-semitism in the USA during WWII; for the time (1945) it was revolutionary and brave in its explicit portrayal and harsh criticism of bigotry and prejudice, but—although it is still an interesting and insightful read—I feel like Miller could not quite convey what he meant to say to the best of his abilities. He was definitely a better playwright than he was a novelist and it shows in this book’s compelling message, but unremarkable execution.
[no stars because I don’t rate classics]