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As thrilling as it is annoying,the book reads like a rant, and is clearly intended to shock. It's not fair to judge it for not being more coherently argued, just as it would be absurd to complain that Bach keyboard music is bad because it can't fill the dance floor. This work is meant to have a powerful impact, to unsettle, to upset, and to hold up a series of very uncomfortable mirrors to a mostly Jewish readership. There is a great deal of criticism aimed at so-called "self-hating Jews," and I believe Mamet does a better job than many in explaining why this oxymoronic epithet might actually be appropriate.The writing here most reminds me of Rieff's late work, such as "My Life among the Deathworks: Illustrations of the Aesthetics of Authority." Both works are fragmented and filled with rage at a culture that seems unable to avoid hating Jews. They both offer stunning reinterpretations of cultural texts, but they are also a bit too consistent to be completely convincing. Mamet is more focused on the Jewish "race traitors," at least in this book.Don't misunderstand me. I think Mamet has more or less accurately captured a lot of anti-Judaism, with a psychological depth that is truly remarkable and a refreshing departure from the unconvincing everyday rationalizations. However, like much literary analysis, it is open to the criticism that "Yes, that's a very nice way of putting it, but it's simply not the case." In the end, with him attacking from all directions at once, I don't even think David Mamet agrees with everything he writes in this book.Even though I did enjoy it, I do think the book would have been improved by better editing. There are quite a few typos and many phrasings that are unnecessarily difficult to understand. I actually like the fact that the book has the feel of a brilliant, rambling, raging series of orations. It's a suitable style for the subject matter. But since it is a book, there's no harm in modifying the phrasing of the orations until they are more accessible.At the end of the day, given Mamet's scathing critique of "I'm Jewish but..." Jews and his continued deep loyalty to the Reform movement, I can't help but wonder, who does he talk to at kiddush?
