For the Relief of Unbearable Urges : Stories

Rating:
Summary: Imaginative, original and profound
Review: These are wonderful stories, I found myself reading them slowly and carefully, they were too clever and emotionally involving to do otherwise. I have to take issue with the reader who criticizes Englander for writing about people he has not been (a department store Santa, a Park Avenue gentile) etc. Crazy - the day writers only write about what they have been is the day fiction stops being exactly that, fiction, and becomes memoir, or worse, plain reportage. Whatever interesting experiences Englander has had in his private life I'm glad he has taken the time to let his imagination run free and become a storyteller. Stories - that is why we read fiction isn't it? I don't believe Michael Ondaatje was a pilot in the Second World War either, but fortunately he wrote The English Patient regardless. I thought Englander's stories were quite wonderful, and the women in them lovingly and touchingly rendered. Englander hasn't been a woman in his life either, but thank god he didn't hesitate to write The Wig or The Last One Way, or we would have been deprived of reading about Ruchama's stiffling marriage and Gita's desperate bid for freedom from her brutal husband.

Rating:
Summary: Three excellent stories
Review: Englander has three excellent stories here - and an even better publicist at Knopf. Aside from "The 27th Man," "The Tumblers" and "The Wig," which are simply stunning, the stories in this collection are mediocre to good, but not great. A few have a slight or incomplete feel to them. When there are only 9 stories in 205 pages, and the book has been overhyped as the best debut since I don't know whose, you expect every story to blow your mind. Three of them did, and this book is worth getting for those three truly great stories. Is Englander a talented writer? Unquestionably. Is he a writer on par with Malamud and Singer? No. But if he gets three excellent stories out of his next few books as well, he will one day have a wonderful "Collected Stories" volume worthy of 5 stars. If you want to read a truly remarkable, beautiful and haunting 5 star book, worthy of Englander type hype, read Joseph Skibell's A BLESSING ON THE MOON.

Rating:
Summary: For the Relief of Unbearable Urges for Good Short Stories
Review: Englander has managed to string together a wonderful collection of short stories, unlike any that I have read before. Each story pulls you in of its own right and keeps you captivated until the end. Stories such as, "The Wig" and the title's namesake, bring you into the life of someone you would never have otherwise met. The characters are so vivid that they could be sitting right next to you; Englander doesn't just describe them, he brings them to life. Ruchama, from "The Wig," is described as having six children and a chin for each of them. Englander may not be a woman but he is able to write from the point of view of one with incredible accuracy. Being Catholic myself, I learned a lot about Jewish customs from "The Gilgul of Park Avenue" where a complacent Christian suddenly decides he is Jewish while riding in a taxi cab. Englander has created a terrific work of art in each of his short stories and I would highly recommend this to almost anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Well written - a good read
Review: Nathan Englander's For the Relief of Unbearable Urges is a continuously appealing collection of short stories full of wit and creativity with a sadness hovering over each story. Orthodox Judaism, the common thread throughout all of the stories, is often the main focal point of each tale such as in one of the stories in this collection, "The Gilgul of Park Avenue." As a non-Jew, it is very interesting to be able to step into the lives of the characters and see life from their point of view. Most of the short stories in this collection take place in New York, where Englander grew up. All nine stories are well crafted and educational introducing new language and different perspectives of the world from a traditional Jewish background. Although there are some shaky parts, I would recommend this collection to anyone who would like to read insightful literature.

Rating:
Summary: Review of For the Relief of Unbearable Urges
Review: The Relief of Unbearable Urges was a witty collection of humanistic Jewish stories. Although not a Jew myself, I found each story humorous and full of wise human observation. In each selection, you were able to connect with the characters and relate to them. Each short story dealt with an important aspect of life in a somewhat comical venue. Although most of the topics in the selections were of a serious matter, the way in which Englander wrote and manipulated the characters made reading the stories quite enjoyable. I would recommend this book to all, not matter what religion ,because in the end ,everyone has problems.

Rating:
Summary: The Jewish Religion Unveiled
Review: It is always nice to be able to learn something new through reading, and not through lectures. I knew absolutely nothing about the Jewish religion until now. Englander has a way of telling a story with significant meaning. I was able to enjoy a good book, and learn at the same time. The short stories are so deatailed and descriptive that you are able to play the scene in your head like if you were watching a movie. It is not one of those books in which you question yourself about the reality of the stories. The stories are realistic and portray the elements of the religion. A big plus about this book is the easy reading. The context is easy to understand. It is one in which is comprehendable and depicts real life situations. You are able to relate to the stories in one way or another.

Rating:
Summary: Fun and Interesting Read
Review: For the Relief of Unbearable Urges is an excellent book. It's a collection of nine stories, unconnected to one another. Nathan Englander takes ordinary life situations and creates funny, shocking stories around them. The stories are interesting to read. The characters endure some almost unbelievable problems, which captivated me, so that I could not wait to find out what happens in the end. In the short story "For the Relief of Unbearable Urges" within the book of the same name, a Jewish man's wife refuses to have sex with him. The man goes to see his Rabbi, to find out what he should do. The Rabbi gives him such an unbelievable recommendation, sending him to see a prostitute, which ends up leaving him with problems even worse than he had before. This book supplies with a lot to think and talk about. I highly recommend For the Relief of Unbearable Urges. It is truly an enjoyable book to read.

Rating:
Summary: Just another opinion
Review: Nathan Englander's "For the Relief of Unbearable Urges" contained some of the better short stories I have ever read. One story in particular stands out in my mind: "The Gilgul of Park Avenue." This is the story of a man who suddenly finds religion and how he and his family handle the sudden changes. It is almost comical to watch the main character try to learn more about the religion he now finds himself immersed in, while attempting to maintain harmony with his wife, shrink, rabbi, and himself. The story was both funny and thought provoking and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: An average collection of short stories
Review: Nathan Englander is a creative, intelligent writer whose stories range from profound to unfortunately predictable. There are a variety of short stories in For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, all dealing with the common thread of the Jewish religion. The most interesting in my opinion is "The Twenty-Seventh Man," which includes some very raw emotions from its central characters. Although the conclusion is fairly predictable, the conversations between the four Jewish writers during Stalin's reign in the USSR. are quite powerful and significant. "The Wig" is less predictable, but lacks some of the zest of the prior story, but certainly makes up for it in craziness. Based upon the common idea that you don't really appreciate what you have until it is gone, the story follows around a woman in search of the perfect hair that she once had. This story opens up many people's eyes to what it would be like to live the life of the main character, Ruchama. While I never thought that I didn't understand her, I never really felt that I knew what made her tick either. The characters in "The Gilgul of Park Avenue"are far more developed, yet seemed to be less relatable. I just find it a story that is hard to believe and therefore couldn't understand the main character, Charles. His sudden epiphany in a NYC taxicab is quite difficult to relate to especially as a New Yorker. The story than becomes more believable, but Charles becomes more and more distracting. The title story was by far the most appealing and at the same time the most absurd. "For the Relief of Unbearable Urges" centers around a couple who are having marital problems and then leads to the husband making some very bad choices. I was intrigued by the husband's lack of common sense as well as the Rabbi's incredibly insensitive and unintelligent advice. Although some of the stories stand out in a bright shining light, many are dull and not worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Great short story collection
Review: Nathan Englander's For the Relief of Unbearable Urges is a collection of short stories taking ordinary experiences everyday people have and portraying them in an interesting and creative manner. While some stories were a little confusing, introducing religious terminology I am unfamiliar with, they all served to teach me things I never knew about the Jewish religion. Each story presents its readers with an engaging situation in which the readers are eager to find out what happens next. One of the stories I would most recommend is "The Gilgul of Park Avenue." This story is about a Christian man who realizes in the back of a taxi that he is now Jewish, whether his wife likes it or not. This story was so interesting because I was able to put myself in the wife's position. I was able to imagine what I would do in her situation.
I found the stories both interesting and educational; introducing me to things I had never been aware of. The only thing I did not like about these stories were the cliffhanger endings. Englander ties up most loose ends before ending the story, but after reading them I began to wonder "what happens next?" All in all, a great collection of short stories that I would highly recommend.