This review was sent in by Jaclyn, thank you.
I’m not a big fan of light reading. I’ll take a complex read over a page-turner any day, but every so often a little gem comes along that is clever, yet light enough, to captivate you while still making you feel as if you are getting a quality reading experience. Mr Rosenblum’s List (Hodder & Stoughton) by Natasha Solomons is a prime example.
Set in the early 20th century the story describes the lives of Jack and Sadie Rosenblum and their daughter Elizabeth who leave Germany to settle as refugees in England. Unsettled in this unfamiliar territory, Sadie feels lost and traumatised by the loss of her family bonds back in Germany but Jack, oblivious to his wife’s growing despondency, has only one goal – to become an English gentleman.
Following a list of guidelines on the British, given to him as a refugee, and adding to it religiously, Jack embarks on a long and quirky life-mission to accomplish these goals. But when he reaches his final goal, to become a member of a golf club, he comes to the cold realisation that no German Jew is going to be allowed to join in anywhere. Determined to complete his list, Jack has but one choice – to build his own golf course, and not just any golf course, the best golf course in the whole of England!
This book is an extremely quick read which you cannot put down once you have begun. Even if books don’t make you laugh out loud, it will definitely leave you smiling with satisfaction.
After reading this review, I have to say I was intruiged to read it, and then I saw the cover and well, that just tickled my fancy even more. So, guess what is now on my TBR list? Thanks Jaclyn!
The overwhelming impression I get from this book is that the author is trying too hard. As a result the novel is often twee and is filled with ‘memorable’ scenes that are straining to be poignantly eccentric.
I found this book surprisingly moving. I loved it, especially knowing there was some truth in the context. The food descriptions and the close contact with nature and the seasons made it a treat, especially during an Australian heatwave.
[…] Mr Rosenblum’s list- Natasha Solomons – which again, I thoroughly enjoyed. […]