Reviewed on Fresh Air:"When does cultural pride transform into cultural arrogance? It's an uneasy question we consider daily in this mixed-up democracy of ours, most recently with the controversy over whether Sonia Sotomayor's Hispanic pride remarks are or are not "racist." Burr's provocative new novel weighs in on the issue of identity politics and also makes a powerful case for why great books are a great danger to small minds."http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104866339

There are many threads in this book; Anne becomes more independent, Howard questions his decision to be a secular Jew and their son, Sam, reveals his sexual identity. All of this takes place against the backdrop of the movie industry in Hollywood. Both Anne and Howard have doctorates in English Literature and are well read, to put it mildly. Anne forms book groups at the request of Hollywooders who want to read and the book is full of literary quotes and references. The book would have had better balance with less quotes. I connected with the principle characters but found there to be too much background noise ( )

Buss is best know for being the perfume critic for the New York Times.This book is about prejudice, racism and love - being on the "inside" and being on the "outside". British vs American, Jewish vs non-Jew. ( )

You can read my full review on my Jew Wishes website. http://jewwishes.wordpress.com/2009/0...

You or Someone Like You, by Chandler Burr, is a novel that is strong in detail, and strong on message. If you have an aversion to extremely unambiguous content, then I suggest you pass this book by. Burr does not soften or sugar coat any aspect of the story line or word visuals.It intensely deals with many issues, from the literary aspect and the Hollywood upscale settings, to religion and religious/racial purity, to the marriage of Anne and Howard Rosenbaum. Their marriage is a religiously mixed one, she being a gentile, he being Jewish and formerly Orthodox. They live in an environment of affluence and within circles powered by monetary fulfillment.

The superficial factors of our lives do not make us individuals of strength and character. Those attributes come from our truthfulness and our honest projections of ourselves…the projections that show the individuals in our personal environment that we care, that we are concerned about them, and concerned about the world as a whole. I think that is one of Burr’s messages. We need to treat each other, no matter where we reside on this planet, as we want to be treated. We need to show compassion and empathy to everyone, and try to be sincere and honest, and do good, as best we can, with whatever our capabilities allow us to do so. We need to dust ourselves off and get out of the perceptive rut we are in, and open our minds and hearts to our surroundings.

It is not an easy read. Burr’s words caused me to reflect on and question my thinking on certain issues. I feel You or Someone Like You is an important literary contribution that elicits the reader to ponder the issues regarding the dogma, ideals and facets of religious-based racial purity, and to question the theme of religious ethics, and also moral responsibility for humankind. ( )

http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2009... ( )