Novels & Stories 1959-1962 : Goodbye, Columbus. Five Short Stories. Letting Go

I first read Goodbye, Columbus in the late sixties and did not really appreciate it as much then as I did upon this second reading. It is a rather vivid portrayal of Jewish family life of the 1950s-1960s period that is both telling and touching. While the novella is not exactly a coming-of-age

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piece, it is the next best thing, the story of a couple of young people who fall instantly, if temporarily, deeply in love. A striking aspect of the story is how different things were regarding birth control when this was written: the couple has to claim they are married in order to obtain anything other than a condom, for instance. Also striking, is just how unlikable and selfish the narrator is on this second reading, an impression I do not recall from my first reading all those years ago.

The "Five Short Stories" start out strongly, with the second one ("Defender of the Faith") and the third ("Epstein") being my two favorites. Of the five, the only one I disliked (and I strongly disliked it) is the last one, "Eli the Fanatic."

The Library of America volume that includes "Goodbye, Columbus and Five Short Stories" is of the usual high quality of everything produced by that publisher.

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