The Virgin : A Novel
Date: 01 January, 2005 — $9.71 — Book
Rating:
Yesterday I went to Border’s with the idea that I would buy a book for fun. It would not be jewish history, religion, prayer, jokes or anything jewish. I chose a novel about Reality TV–The Virgin. The protagonist? A jew passing for an episcopalian on a show called The Virgin. 20 male contestants and one female virgin. The winner? Yeah, you guessed it. The winner gets her gift.
I read it in a day, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed it. I didn’t enjoy it for the same reasons I don’t really like reality TV, but still watch it from time to time. I think when the author wrote this, it was satire. But in the time it took him to conceive, write, publish and publish to paperback–it became too close to reality.
He writes from three points of view and the overall story isn’t very integrated. The detail I enjoyed the most was Jeb/Joseph’s handwashing habit. Anytime he washes his hands in the book, the soap and smell of the soap is mentioned. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend it… Although I am lending it to a customer tomorrow, so maybe it isn’t the worst book ever. It does have some insight into reality TV.
Don’t waste the five hours it takes to read it. Congrats to the author on writing your first novel, but better luck next time having your satire stay satire long enough to get it to the shelf.