By Zohar
Man of la Book
My rating for Jewish Noir II – 5
Buy Jewish Noir II from Amazon.com*
Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised to receive this book. I didn’t request it but I read and enjoyed, other books by Kenneth Wishnia and I’d like to think he kept me in mind.
After finishing the Jewish Noir II: Tales of Crime and Other Dark Deeds, the first thing that stood up in my mind is the quality of the writing. In these short stories, sometimes a whole world was discovered. Many of the stories were thought-provoking, as well as spiced with the self-deprecating, dark humor I adore.
I enjoyed the presentation and the way the collection was organized. Even though there is no central theme to the stories, besides the obvious (Jewish noir), the stories flowed seamlessly into one another in a balanced way, which someone made sense.
The collection consists of stories ranging from post-World War II trauma to mysticism, including exploration of the psyche, this new (but not really) wave of anti-Semitism, civil rights, and others. I specifically enjoyed the story about Israeli mercenaries, something you don’t think about when the word “Jewish” comes to mind.
Much like Jewish Noir, this was a diverse collection of stories, which were as varied as the name implies. The dark deeds, noir, and crime promised in the title all make delicious appearances for a fun, and entertaining read.
