|
|
| Plot Summary of Swimming Toward The Ocean |
|---|
"
Carole L. Glickfeld
Knopf, Feb 2001, 24.00, 388 pp.
ISBN: 0375408924
In 1953 Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, Russian-Jew Chenia Arnow agrees with her husband Ruben's pronouncement that they cannot afford a third child. Chenia tells the doctor no baby, as she knows they cannot afford a third child plus she is closing in on fifty. Though the doctor gives her a shot to cause a miscarriage, Chenia gives birth to Devorah.
Ruben decides to relocate the family by moving to Manhattan nearer to his lover Trudy. Chenia feels guilt for her own liaison with Harry and his “Magic Shoes”. So a family begins to extend while the parents provide illicit lessons to the next generation on faithfulness, caring, and love.
SWIMMING TOWARDS THE OCEAN is a powerful look at a New York City Jewish family in the 1950s. The story line provides incredible insight into the era that it documents. The key players, Chenia and Ruben come to life through their reactions to her two affairs and his three affairs as seen through the eyes of Devorah, who narrates the story. In this realistic look back in time, Devorah's insightful knowledge of family matters that she would at best know few facts could destroy the feel of the plot, but instead opens the story line even wider. Whether the specifically of the events is true or not, Devorah the narrator believes them to be so and perhaps subconsciously filed in the gaps. Carole L. Glickfeld has written a superb tale that the boomers and probably their children will want to read.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
|
|
|
| Review Analysis of Swimming Toward The Ocean |
|---|
|
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
|
|
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- depressed
Time/era of story
- 1980's-1999
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- playing footsy while inconveniently married
Inside culture (main char)
- Jew
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society)
- American Northeast
If story of urban/rural...
- Big city life
Pregnancy/Child rearing
Yes
Major part of story:
- to abort or not abort
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani
Most recent discussions:
General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Online Dating Advice
George W. Bush
4:32:46 PM
Southampton Row
4:05:35 PM
V.C. Andrews
3:51:51 PM
Erin Hunters
3:49:22 PM
Jeanette Walls
2:50:57 PM
James Patterson
1:28:26 PM
Suzanne Collins
1:26:03 PM
General Discussion (All Topics)
1:22:33 PM
Ruth Minsky Sender
12:31:59 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun
10:25:33 AM
Deric Longden
7:40:15 AM
Robin Jenkins
4:55:32 AM
John Marsden
11:50:52 PM
Caroline B. Cooney
10:36:06 PM
Wendelin Van Draanen
9:56:14 PM
Lorna Freeman
9:19:46 PM
Betty Mahmoody
6:00:12 PM
Ken Catran
3:51:52 PM
Lurlene McDaniel
2:51:46 PM
Zana Muhsen
8:19:55 AM
More message boards
|
