I never heard about the author or any of his books before and had no idea what to expect. I read it with an open mind, with no expectations and found myself pleasantly surprised.I find his style absolutely charming. An example that comes to mind from the very beginning of the story (avoiding spoilers) is a description of a character going up the stairs in the apartment building, going up 'several blending food smells'* before reaching his destination, which took me right to an old rotten Parisia...

Cross-generational, nonlinear, interdenominational, very entertaining. And, best I can see, we're still here.

Adam Mansbach writes sentences I wish I had written. That is all.

So I never actually finished this book. I don't really know why I couldn't get through it. The story itself wasn't bad but the constant jump in time and characters from chapter to chapter was SO confusing. Had I had the time to read this book quickly, I probably could have finished it, but since I picked it up and put it down, I kept forgetting what I had read before. Sometimes I couldn't make heads to tails of which character I was reading about - between Tris, Tristan etc. I need more continui...

Amazingly well written slice of life from several generations of a jewish family of writers who intersect in multiple ways with the world of black music, from Jazz to Hip Hop. Ultimately too thin on plot for my taste but worth it for the writing and characters.

Two generations of Jewish writers -- a grandfather and grandson -- and their partners, a poet and photographer respectively, are depicted in this novel that deals more successfully with the relationship between life and writing than the Jewish survival question, which the title suggests. The elder writer has elements of Norman Mailer and Philip Roth about him, I suppose, while the younger deals with having grown up white among hip hop artists and taggers. While I didn't find this impossible to p...

After reading other's reviews, I wanted to clarify something for the non-Jewish readers who felt the title is misleading. Jews are known to be negative. But in a comedic way. Near the beginning of the book, Tris is describing his friend's lavish Bar Mitzvot to his grandfather who responds in typical jewish fashion with hyperbole. One can hear the old man, clearing his throat of phlegm and shaking is head and saying "It's the end of the Jews."I grew up with these extremes. Just because something'...

This worthy novel traces the rise and plateau-ing of two Jewish writers: the promising “New York Intellectual” who scandalizes the community with a novel about Jewish slave owners and the grandson, an aspiring writer with a weak first novel. Both are entangled with black creativity, befriending and serving musicians in various capacities. Both have spouses who are artists, a poet and a photographer. The sacrifices all make for art loom large: women who live in the shadows of male creators, frien...

It's Not the End of the JewsOnly perhaps in this book. A family story, falling away from religion, culture and mores. Embracing not of another religion but culture. Is anyone any happier?

What don't I like about this book? I guess it is the tone of the book, the language the author uses. Both this and Siri Hustved's What I Loved were about art; bothe were about very violent behavior and about human relationships, but something was missing in this book. It was not way as intellectual, and it never gripped me as the other did. Mansbach did capture the characteristic dialogue of different age groups, of blacks, of Jews, of immigrants.

Surprisingly good. Stick with it through the first couple engrossing but slightly confusing chapters (or maybe just don't read it on the subway and you won't find it confusing) and it will be very rewarding.

Just finished this book, and I must say, Mansbach has a true gift for language and for creating a compelling plot. Mansbach is fond of using clever metaphors and similes in order describe his characters' actions, and this adds even more depth to the story. It was interesting how he addressed relations between Jewish and African-American communities, in how they share a common history of suffering. This witty drama reminds me of a movie Woody Allen would make, since it addresses estranged Jewish

I have a weird relationship with Adam Mansbach's books. I, like most people, first heard of him when Go the Fuck to Sleep took the entire literary world of those under 2 and over 35 by firestorm. I though it was a weird gimmicky silly book but good for Akashic for putting out a sleeper hit, and then forgot about it. Then last year I stumbled upon a proof of his newest book, Rage Is Back, and was shocked to realize that the same guy had made a novel about graffiti writers in NYC in the '70s. I bu...

Really well written. Good story line. Ending seemed to come quite abruptly, but thoroughly enjoyed the quick read.

Mansbach's family saga seems more concerned with the making of art than the making of Jewish identity, but his story of writers, photographers and the occasional jazz musician is highly entertaining and moving. I liked his characters, though I would have liked a little more background on how the young Tristan Brodsky who yearns to be a writer and escape the Jewish ghetto of the Bronx morphs into a somewhat tyrannical old man. And Mansbach is interested in the Otherness of being Jewish and to wha...

Mansbach is audacious, honest. He doesn't mind getting into the uncomfortable, embarrassing bits of ourselves. His prose has a bit of that neo-realist, hyper-pop-culturally aware thing that Lethem can do in his sleep (see Fortress of Solitude or You Don't Love Me Yet) but lacks some of the shades of subtlety. No worries, The End of The Jews proves that Mansbach is obviously possessing of a huge intellect and huge writer's balls, both of which should keep us reading him as he grows up.

There are insights into the human mind in this book which made me realise a lot about myself. There are also unashamedly truthful repreentations of what it is to be an artist with high ambition. The author's ability to be able to create characters and so sincerely represent their psyche is amazing. The ending, although shattering, was perfect. This book leaves a lingering taste.As a side note, I have noticed people dislike the title. I thought the title was fitting. It seems like the kind of tit...

Adam Mansbach's recent horror action thrillers betrayed a literary skills and credentials, but this book really brought home just how well the man can write. And talk about versatility, this one is miles away from Dead Run and Devil's Bag Man in almost every possible way, except for quality. The End of Jews is an exploration of several generations of a New York (Jewish, obviously) family and their wide circle of friends, lovers and acquaintances. Its timeline interweaving narrative is sprawling,...

I really loved this book---my four stars as I found some uneveness in the tone, but overall a great book. You feel as though you are in the lap of the main characters; their souls are very palpable and the differences between them strong and convincing. You feel the tension of the struggling artist; the inextricable pull toward artistic fulfillment at the compromise of their Jewish heritage. I love the relationship between Tristan and his grandson Tris/RISK---it makes the strain of Tris' relatio...

Great author, great story, enjoyable read. It's a page turner, although maybe a bit slow to get into. It's wroth following the lives of these characters as they deal with each other and face family trouble. Yes, the title if provocative but I think it's a shame that some people feel let down because the title didn't live up to their expectations! Did you read the jacket? Didn't you know what it was about?! It's great. Worth the time. There's a lot to be learned from Mansbach.