J – A Novel is a book set in the future, most likely a near future. People talk about “What happened, if it happened” and there is a sense of unease in the air. J was longlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2014. I recommend reading it before you read too many reviews, as spoilers could really ruin it.
I’m liking
I liked the sense of mystery and uncertainty about what was happening that was the background to the whole book. J is full of hints and things not said, and Howard Jacobson tells a lot of his story by showing and hinting, rather than telling.
J raises questions – what makes people hate? What brings people together? How much should we learn about the past? How much do we learn about it? How meaningful or meaningless can it be to say sorry? I liked that the book raised questions without giving the author’s version of the answer to life, the universe and everything.
Things that made me go hmmmm
I felt that the atmosphere had been well-established by about halfway through the book, and I became impatient for something more to happen or something more to be revealed.
One of the narrators was supposed to be a wordy academic, and I hope he was meant to be annoying. I certainly found his parts annoying.
I also found that there was a lack of description of the main characters and that I didn’t really get to know them as I read.
The conclusion
J is an intriguing book. I suspect that I read it too quickly and didn’t give myself enough time to mull over the ideas. I think it would appeal to people who like to take time over their reading and also to ponder big questions about life.
I don’t want to give any of the plot away, because I think it’s best to read the book without knowing too much about it.
I would not recommend this book to people who want a quick, easy read, or who like authors to clearly tie up every loose end.
J – A Novel is published by Jonathan Cape and has a RRP of $36.99
