THE FINKLER QUESTION

Jacobson’s novel creates a comedic portrait of the lives of two old school friends, their ancient teacher, and a cast of often-bizarre North London friends and family. Listening to Steven Crossley portray the perennial Jewish/Gentile shtick, one laughs out loud. He performs the character stereotypes to perfection, including that of Julian Treslove, the Gentile who is having a midlife crisis. When Julian can’t comprehend the unreasonable complexities of his life, Crossley makes us vividly imagine his “deer-in-the-headlights” responses. This novel is poignant, beautifully written, and flawlessly delivered. Crossley is a master of interpretation. One needs to experience his near-perfect renditions of all the characters in this delightful work. M.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2011]