The Ministry of Special Cases
by Nathan Englander
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Book Reviews of The Ministry of Special Cases
Book Review: a slow start, but then explosive
Summary: 4 Stars
Englander's novel starts off at a slow chug, and during the first third of the novel there is the strong impulse to put it down (which is death to a book). Were it not for Englander's accolades, I probably would have thrown a shovel full of dirt on it; but thankfully the novel picks up its sluggish pace after the dawdling start, and fully rewards the reader with a novel of deep understanding of what it is to be a human being and a Jew, a father and a mother, and a citizen in a state where nothing but raw power matters, where human life is discounted and people discarded. A moving account of a scary time in the history of Argentina, Englander weaves many images of Jewish identity and death in fascinating ways.Book Review: Heart wrenching, nightmarish, and yes, funny
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Ministry of Special Cases" is the heart wrenching, sometimes nightmarish story of a couple's attempt to regain their son after he has been "disappeared" by the Argentine government. The plotline itself would be compelling enough but in Englander's hands it is so much more. He has an amazing ability of combining humor with pathos. There are several scenes I won't soon forget, and I will certainly remember Kaddish Poznan, the perpetual screw-up father, who is willing to do anything to get his son back, if only he knew what it was. I highly recommend "The Ministry of Special Cases" and look forward to reading more of Nathan Englander's work.
Book Review: Worth the Wait
Summary: 5 Stars
For those of us who have been waiting for Englander's next book , "The Ministry of Special Cases" was certainly worth the wait. While set in Argentina during the Dirty War, the mind-numbing-struggle this family faces against a totalitarian regime that refuses to acknowledge its sins, is a universal one. The story is deeply tragic and yet somehow Englander laces it all with his special brand of humor. We laugh and cry with the characters because Englander makes them breathe for us. We watch them live the full spectrum of human experience and sometimes life hurts but still the author helps us find reasons to laugh along the way.
Book Review: something missing
Summary: 3 Stars
I read the book and couldn't put it down. I gave it to my mom and she couldn't finish it (which is rare it is usually the other way around). I really wanted to like this book, but there is some quality about it that I just can't describe. The book takes place in a time and place that makes it difficult to fully get into the context of the book and the author doesn't do a lot to describe the character's environment. The book zig zags around with suspense but not much action. Extremely well written, I just didn't like the story.Book Review: An Outsiders View of "The Dissappeared "in Argentina
Summary: 4 Stars
February selection for a long running book discussion group on the upper west side in NYC. Several members had visited Buenas Aires and said the city was described well by the author. Nathan Englander, an American, wrote part of this book sitting in a cafe on Amsterdam Ave between 110th and 111th Street. Although profoundly depressing the group felt the book to be well written, the characters for the most part well drawn and the universal themes of loss and unrealized hope easy to identify with. Highly recommended.