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Literary Fiction · DarkA Jewish rabbi's son in London is locked in a spiral of drugs and delusion
The Elected Member
1969Moderate readSteady pace
★ Booker Prize, 1970
A rabbi's gifted son breaks down under family pressure
Norman Zweck is the brilliant son of a Jewish rabbi in London, raised to carry high family expectations. As an adult he sinks into drug use and delusion, and his family tries to cope with what has become of him. The novel won the 1970 Booker Prize and Bernice Rubens became the first woman to win it.
More about this book
Who
Norman Zweck and his family, led by his father, a rabbi.
World
A Jewish family in London.
What makes it different
Rubens was the first woman to win the Booker Prize.
Feel
Intense and claustrophobic.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- The Elected MemberWikipedia