Bruce Jay Friedman (1930–2020)

... il protagonista, vittima designata e bersaglio privilegiato di infiniti guai, finisce per assumere con rassegnazione se non con fierezza la maschera e lo stereotipo dell'ebreo della grande tradizione comica est-europea e poi americana, lo schlemiel più tardi promosso a gloria internazionale grazie a Philip Roth e ancor più a Woody Allen (i quali, è il caso di ricordarlo, a Bruce Jay Friedman e al suo Stern debbono non poco). Spesso sconfitto, Stern anche se non è responsabile delle sue umiliazioni è forse comunque colpevole di affezionarvisi; del resto, in certo senso si affezionerà anche alla sua ulcera, un feto ingombrante che è comunque suo... (dalla Postfazione di G. Fink)… (mer)

Loved this book... so why "only" a 4 star review ... perhaps a bit too much with the one angle (mother, obviously and the clever protag). I came across this title reading about Confederacy of Dunces (as in another crazy, funny, regional 60s writer - with mother issues, presumably). Story of Brooklyn Jewish lad realizing he better apply to college (because he is just out of high school) in ... 1950s i guess. Gets turned down by his 2 choices, so things look bad, but he spends the summer as a camp assistant in upstate new york, thanks to his mothers prodding. She is ... a force of nature ... full of chat, girdles, abrasiveness, cajoling, flirting, taunting everyone in her way- from son, to husband to every kind of adult that crosses her path. A cliche perhaps, but such an entertaining cliche! like a sitcom, maybe? still- she ribaldly carries on, eventually landing her son at the Kansas Land Grant University where they study cows and corn all day. Of course she comes with him (to help him acclimate) for the first 2 or 3 months and significant hijinks occur. Kind of a riot, but amusing, if a little repetitive. Finally he gets her to go back to New York and that's the end....… (mer)