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| When We Were Bad: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Charlotte Mendelson
Publisher: Picador
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £7.98 (100%)
New (30) Collectible (1) from £1.53
Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 2341
Media: Paperback
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0330449303
EAN: 9780330449304
ASIN: 0330449303
Publication Date: February 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Acceptable. SKU D40330449303. All our items are NEW & UNREAD - but with some minor damage.. Items cover and some internal pages are likely to have sustained some damage, but will be readable.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Disorder Galore! September 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Mendelson takes us to a very special wedding on the first page of this witty and socially incendiary novel. The Rubin family have turned out to see one of their members, their first son Leo, married before his Rabbi mother Claudia, easily the most exotic, creature in the world: `No one is interested in you. There is one star of this show: tall and distractingly voluptuous in sea-green silk devore. With her in their mist...who could not be happy?' Yet Leo strangely has other plans. He elopes before the congregation with the seductive wife of the presiding Rabbi and precipates the whole Rubin family into chaotic disarray. Claudia's control begins to slip. Her dutiful daughter Frances, once gratefully married to the monstrously complacent Jonathan, falls for the `boyfriend' of her younger sister and finds that attraction has its own surprises and rewards. Rebellion mounts and even Claudia's steady husband Norman has his own preoccupations and secrets. Mendelson's writing delights in its frothy intelligence, sudden illumination and underlining compassion for the disordering impulses that may unravel our tried and tested lives, yet also redeem us, as we discover who we really, honestly are.
 Self-obsessed August 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Selfish and unpleasant family members spend their time obsessing and whining about being Jewish and complaining about how the world owes them a living and isn't delivering. Diverting it ain't.
really turgid read August 16, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I took this on holiday after reading all the positive reviews posted on Amazon. I hated it. There was no warmth in the story telling just a bunch of 2 dimensional unlikeable characters trying to avoid upsetting an atrocious mother/rabbi. I have no idea why this book would be worthy of an award nomination. I recently read The Road Home by Rose Tremain and this doesn't hold a candle to it.
I only gave it a star because the Amazon review system doesn't allow you to leave 0 stars ....so bad I left it behind at the villa.
very good book August 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'd tried another novel by Charlotte Mendelson and found it a bit overwritten and the first chapter of this made me think it was going to be more of the same. But I persevered and really enjoyed this book. It had great wit and humanity, the dilemmas of the main characters were beautifully realised and I laughed out loud often. I did think the resolution was a bit hasty and unrealistic, hence five stars rather than four but I'd still strongly recommend this.
A good quality soap opera with substance ... August 11, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I really love it when I hit upon a book that is light and perfect for a holiday read, without being vacuous or cliched. This is one such book.
The story is set in London and centres around a female Rabbi - Claudia Rubin - who is very well respected and loved in the community. She is there for her congregation when they need her, thoughtful to a fault and always dresses and behaves impeccably. Her family life seems perfect to the outside world and the Rubins are envied far and wide.
But, you never know what's going on behind closed doors and when her son decides to leave his fiance - at the altar - to elope with the wife of a fellow Rabbi, it becomes clear that all is not well with Claudia Rubin's family.
From this point the illusion of happiness that has cloaked her family begins to untangle. The story is amusing and light - it feels like a good quality soap opera with substance! You can't wish for more than that for a holiday read surely?!
Incidentally, as someone who knows little about the Jewish faith, I greatly enjoyed reading about Jewish celebrations and the amazing preparations that go into them ... this was all weaved seamlessly into the story.
Give yourself a treat and read this book!
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