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A review by brassmonkey
You Shall Be as Gods by Erich Fromm
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
PROS:
-Talmudic level analysis of the Biblical lexicon
-Revolutionary ideas about identity and liberation
-Uses the oven of Akhnai story which is always fun
CONS:
-Tries to universalize Jewish concepts without putting in the effort to contextualize them to a wider audience, often substituting Christian terms that fall short of his point
-Talks about dated neo-Freudian pseudo-psychoanalytical concepts like "necrophilous" and "incestuous" desires
-Says that Jews are clannish and xenophobic
CONCLUSION:
-???
The whole thing felt like getting trapped by an overenthusiastic Zayde at an oneg and sipping politely on your kiddush cup while you wait for him to finish telling you about how Moses was a bundist, only for him to immediately continue by explaining the rationale behind every category he sorts Psalms into. He makes some genuinely fascinating points, but part of my attention is always slightly annoyed with a desire to interrupt and challenge his ideas. I guess this is just a long winded way of saying you can get a better experience from a Parshat Ha'Shavuah.
-Talmudic level analysis of the Biblical lexicon
-Revolutionary ideas about identity and liberation
-Uses the oven of Akhnai story which is always fun
CONS:
-Tries to universalize Jewish concepts without putting in the effort to contextualize them to a wider audience, often substituting Christian terms that fall short of his point
-Talks about dated neo-Freudian pseudo-psychoanalytical concepts like "necrophilous" and "incestuous" desires
-Says that Jews are clannish and xenophobic
CONCLUSION:
-???
The whole thing felt like getting trapped by an overenthusiastic Zayde at an oneg and sipping politely on your kiddush cup while you wait for him to finish telling you about how Moses was a bundist, only for him to immediately continue by explaining the rationale behind every category he sorts Psalms into. He makes some genuinely fascinating points, but part of my attention is always slightly annoyed with a desire to interrupt and challenge his ideas. I guess this is just a long winded way of saying you can get a better experience from a Parshat Ha'Shavuah.
Content Warnings
Minor: Antisemitism