Shylock Is My Name: A Novel
Howard Jacobson
[Hogarth]
In Shylock Is My Name – part of publisher Hogarth’s series of modern takes on Shakespeare – Howard Jacobson offers a version of The Merchant of Venice that, while told with aplomb, does not quite live up to the potential suggested by the compatibility of author and subject. Jacobson, a seasoned commenter on British Jewish identity, transplants Shylock to an extremely wealthy area of present-day Britain dubbed the Golden Triangle. He meets his “Jewishly on-again, off-again” counterpart, Simon Strulovitch, and accepts his invitation to stay. Shylock engages his host in discussions on the nature of revenge and antisemitism, ruminates on his own failures, and offers advice on Strulovitch’s misfortunes. Strulovitch goes to obsessive lengths to keep his rebellious teenage daughter, Beatrice, from dating gentiles; a task that is complicated by socialites Plury and D’Anton setting her up with imbecilic goy footballer, Gratan. Strulovitch has strong feelings about circumcision, creating an earthy twist on Shakespeare’s pound of flesh trope. Gratan’s reluctance to accept Strulovitch’s caveat for dating Beatrice, as well as D’Anton’s desire to buy a painting from Strulovitch, see this bond become a key focus of the novel. Surprises are in store as to what Shylock has to say come the climactic ‘Act V’.
Given the preponderance of foreskin gags, Jacobson’s rejection of his “British Philip Roth” label may at first seem hard to justify. However, supporting characters here are closer to Lionel Asbo-era Martin Amis in the attempts at satirising easy contemporary targets. Jacobson is known as a humorist, and Shylock certainly provides some good laughs. Furthermore, the discourses between Strulovitch and Shylock are generally well-observed. However, Jacobson evidently put greater effort into the protagonists than into the rest of the cast. The other characters shadowing Shakespeare’s main players are little more than caricatures, and Jacobson’s avowed dislike of Portia shines through in his Plury character. The plot takes many overly convoluted turns. In the end, well-written, blackhearted humour alone cannot prevent the book failing to make different themes cohere.
Words: Stephen Cox
