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A review by cmlane
Shmutz by Felicia Berliner
4.0
Shmutz is the story of Raizl, a young Chasidic Jewish woman in New York, who finds herself addicted to porn while trying to find a husband, carry a job, and complete a college degree. It's a concept unlike any other book I've read.
I thought Berliner did a great job creating a flawed, multi-faceted character, whose struggle and hope in her faith was very relatable. I think the story of someone losing their religion while in a sort of crisis is an obvious story— not a bad one, just one I've read— and I liked to read how Raizl was able to co-exist with her faith and addiction. I myself am not religious, but a story that concludes that sinners and faith are not mutually exclusive, that imperfection does not mean that you must abandon your values or your culture, is one that is so necessary for so many.
The one thing I kept thinking over and over while I read the book was that Berliner relied on the audience knowing more about Judaism, Chasidism, and Yiddish than was probably appropriate. As a reader of this book outside of New York's Jewish culture, I found myself needing some more guidance. However, I don't think it took away from the whole of the story.
I thought Berliner did a great job creating a flawed, multi-faceted character, whose struggle and hope in her faith was very relatable. I think the story of someone losing their religion while in a sort of crisis is an obvious story— not a bad one, just one I've read— and I liked to read how Raizl was able to co-exist with her faith and addiction. I myself am not religious, but a story that concludes that sinners and faith are not mutually exclusive, that imperfection does not mean that you must abandon your values or your culture, is one that is so necessary for so many.
The one thing I kept thinking over and over while I read the book was that Berliner relied on the audience knowing more about Judaism, Chasidism, and Yiddish than was probably appropriate. As a reader of this book outside of New York's Jewish culture, I found myself needing some more guidance. However, I don't think it took away from the whole of the story.