Shylock Is My Name

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Retold: A Novel

By: Howard Jacobson

Narrated by: Michael Kitchen

Man Booker Prize-winner Howard Jacobson brings his singular brilliance to this modern re-imagining of one of Shakespeare’s most unforgettable characters: Shylock

Winter, a cemetery, Shylock. In this provocative and profound interpretation of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is juxtaposed against his present-day counterpart in the character of art dealer and conflicted father Simon Strulovitch. With characteristic irony, Jacobson presents Shylock as a man of incisive wit and passion, concerned still with questions of identity, parenthood, anti-Semitism and revenge.

While Strulovich struggles to reconcile himself to his daughter Beatrice's “betrayal” of her family and heritage—as she is carried away by the excitement of Manchester high society, and into the arms of a footballer notorious for giving a Nazi salute on the field—Shylock alternates grief for his beloved wife with rage against his own daughter's rejection of her Jewish upbringing. Culminating in a shocking twist on Shylock’s demand for the infamous pound of flesh, Jacobson’s insightful retelling examines contemporary, acutely relevant questions of Jewish identity while maintaining a poignant sympathy for its characters and a genuine spiritual kinship with its antecedent—a drama which Jacobson himself considers to be “the most troubling of Shakespeare’s plays for anyone, but, for an English novelist who happens to be Jewish, also the most challenging.”

Intellectually pretentious

I could not complete this book. That is a rare occurrence for me. It seemed to be a showcase for the author’s learning and intellect. I found i had little empathy or interest for the internally conflicted and self-hating protagonists. Because of my lack of engagement, the demands on me the reader to draw parallels with Shylock, Jewish history and the perceptions of the Jewish race were too onerous. The author is clever,for sure, but i think he would do better to write an academic treatise rather than construct a novel around his ideas if he wants to grip his readers and draw them in.

The best thing about this book was Michael Kitchen’s narration. His performance was excellent, and he managed to convey nuance despite the unrelievedly sardonic tone of the text.

Wonderful narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Shylock Is My Name to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kitchen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to all available Michael Kitchen performances and this is up to his usual high standard.

A challenging work brilliantly performed

A smart, sardonic and darkly humorous piece of work. Less a re-envisioning of "A Merchant of Venice" than a superstructure built on that earlier work's bones. I found it very challenging to sort out how to respond to characters that are almost universally reprehensible. I'm not sure if this a good or a bad thing, but it definitely made me react and think. I can easily understand the discomfort many people feel reading this.

One thing I must add: Michael Kitchen's narration is extraordinary. He brought the book brilliantly to life.

Far beyond expectations

Based on the initial Amazon reviews of the book, I would not have purchased this if it had been narrated by anyone other than Michael Kitchen. I am so glad I did. It is a brilliant exploration of whether non-Jews have indeed moved on in our opinions of Jews since Shakesepeare's time. It was written as a modern retelling of The Merchant of Venice so some of the plot points are quite contrived, but, if you forget about trying to make the connections and allow the book to stand on its own, it will reel you in and leave you thinking about it long after it has ended.