When We Were Bad by C. Mendelson
A Phenomonal Story About a Family Falling Apart and Coming Together
When We Were Bad, by Charlotte Mendelson, (2007 Picador) is the complex and humorous story of a Jewish family in crisis, complete with intriguing characters, intricate plot structure and, most importantly, deep emotion.
Characters
The cast of characters revolves around the matriarch of the family, Rabbi Claudia Rubin. The character is strong, intense, and consistently concerned about her family. She is full of life and need and an idea of the family's role in her own success.
Flowing around her are her children; the two sons and two daughters. Leo, with his disappointing relationships and his sexual compunctions, Frances, with her paranoia and inability to see beyond death, until she meets the androgynous Jay, who turns her world upside down. Sim, the son with dreads who smokes pot and lives at home, where he expounds on complete devotion to his mother while instigating fights with his siblings. and Em, the constantly crying daughter who has technically moved out but only goes back to her own apartment when she's sleeping with someone new, male or female.
Norman, the devoted and secret keeping husband, is a pivotal character, and the reader often feels sympathy for him as he deals with his children and his wife while awaiting his turn at fame and fortune.
Themes
Beneath the humour and clear plot lines, there are tense societal issues at play.
Stereotypes and anti-Semitism: Mendelson paints the picture of a family that pulls together for every Jewish holiday, while always conscious of the views of others both within their own community and of those outside the Jewish community. There are constant concerns about money and how others view their "Jewish" use of money. There are details about skin colour, hair colour and texture, and nose size. Although all of these things are brought up somewhat tongue in cheek, the use of them by the author helps create the tension the family feels as they continue to fall into crisis.
Identity: The concept of identity and its function within a tight religious community is at the heart of the novel. Considered a "forward thinking" Rabbi, Claudia Rubin talks about the importance of accepting everyone, but when it comes to her own children she finds she must be far more accepting than she previously thought. Her daughter Frances examines her feelings for the androgynous Jay, a masculine woman, while also figuring out her feelings about motherhood and her ability to be different than her own mother. Leo learns that love just might be more important than family, but he isn’t sure how to extricate himself from their familial demands. Sim is nothing more than a political and philosophical talker, and his identity is clearly subsumed by his drug use and lack of motivation. Em, the youngest, constantly tries to find her own identity through revolving door relationships.
Faith: This is the most subtle theme, interestingly, given that the story revolves around the Rabbi matriarch. It is the family's faith, however, that has acted as the glue for so long, and to which the Rabbi returns most ardently when things seem like they are not getting any better. Perhaps the most poignant line of the novel is this: "After all these awful secret years of not-believing, maybe God has looked kindly on her after all."
Author
Charlotte Mendelson is the author of two other books, Love in Idleness and Daughters of Jerusalem, which won the Somerset Maugham Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Her writing style is direct and fluid, fast paced with a lively rhythm that keeps the reader turning pages. There are no spare words; every line conveys more story, more emotion and more complexity. She lives in London with her family. Her personal website has more information about her books as well as interviews and reviews.
