Estimated from the page count of this edition. Dense books can take longer than the estimate.
About the book
In winter 1959–1960, Ruben Blum, Corbin College’s only Jewish faculty member, is recruited to assess an Israeli historian applying for a job. Blum studies American taxation; the candidate, Benzion Netanyahu, specializes in the Spanish Inquisition, and their colleagues’ assumption of common ground leaves Blum reluctantly representing a Jewish identity he would prefer to keep private. When Netanyahu arrives with his wife and three sons, the Blums must host the entire family.
Reader notes
The campus satire alternates domestic farce with dense arguments about Jewish history and assimilation. Ruben’s retrospective narration incorporates recommendation letters and historical lectures, so the comedy repeatedly pauses for intellectual disputes that demand more concentration than the unruly houseguests might suggest.
How it reads
Writing style
Dense · Essayistic · Witty
Tone
Cerebral · Humorous · Irreverent · Satirical
Structure
Framed · Linear
Driven by
Character · Ideas · Relationships
Point of view
First person
Setting
Corbindale, New York (fictional)
Reading complexity
Writing
4 / 5
Ideas
4 / 5
Structure
3 / 5
Background knowledge
2 / 5
About this profile
Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).
Writing
How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas
How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure
How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge
Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity
Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.
Themes
Belonging
Family
Identity
Power
Race and racism
Work
Content notes
Violence
Mild
Sexual content
Strong
Swearing
Mild
Substance use
Mild
Abuse
Mild
Self-harm or suicide
Mild
Standing and awards
Highly regarded
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 2022
National Jewish Book Awards, 2021
National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, 2021
Questions readers ask
Is it hard to read?
Yes, the dense, essayistic prose and arguments about Jewish history and assimilation demand concentration. Ruben’s narration includes recommendation letters and historical lectures, and the comedy repeatedly pauses for intellectual disputes.
Is it more comic or serious?
The campus satire alternates domestic farce with serious intellectual arguments. Hosting Netanyahu’s wife and three sons brings unruly family comedy into Ruben’s home, while disputes over history and identity give the humor a cerebral, irreverent edge.
What does it explore about identity and belonging?
Ruben is pushed into representing a Jewish identity he would prefer to keep private when his colleagues recruit him to assess an Israeli historian. That situation puts assimilation, belonging and the assumptions of his academic workplace at the center of the satire.
How long is it?
248 pages in the New York Review Books 2021 paperback edition.
Which edition is shown here?
New York Review Books · 2021 · paperback. ISBN 9781681376073.
How long does it take to read The Netanyahus?
About 5 hours at 50 pages an hour, based on the 248-page New York Review Books edition. Dense books can take longer.
collected
