The Finkler Question Summary
Howard Jacobson

The Finkler Question Summary

The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson is an intriguing novel about three friends, two of whom are Jewish and one who decides to be a Jew. Julian Treslove struggles with his newfound identity as a Jewish Gentile while Libor Sevcik mourns his wife's death and Sam Finkler learns to cope with his convoluted feelings about being Jewish. The Finkler Question is a very interesting and entertaining novel that questions what it means to be Jewish in an inherently anti-Semitic world.

After leaving dinner with Libor and Sam, Julian is mugged by a woman, causing him to become obsessed with his belief that she may have called him Jewish. Both recently widowed, Libor mourns for Malkie, but Sam is unable to mourn for Tyler. When Julian tells Sam about the mugging, Sam believes Julian invented it because he wants to be Jewish. After recalling his affair... View more of the The Finkler Question Summary