I’m generally not a big fan of the memoir. I’m not one of those people that believes everyone has a book in them. In fact, I’m one of those that think maybe less people should be writing books.

Memoir like “creative nonfiction” often smacks of bullshit. Oftentimes they are purposefully full of lies (see James Frey) or they just feel emotionally dishonest (see Laurie Lindeen). Plus it doesn’t help my opinions on the genre that everybody and their dysfunctional brother have written memoirs. They sell, so publishers love them.

Hrmm, now that I’m in the middle of this I realize that Rob Sheffield’s Love is a Mixtape is a memoir and I loved that. So maybe I don’t hate memoirs so much as I hate poorly-written memoirs. I might have to think about that.

Anyway, let’s just say that I don’t like memoirs, but that I loved Shalom Auslander’s Foreskin’s Lament. This is how memoirs should be done — with lots of interesting stuff and tons of funny.

Sure on it’s surface it might seem like your typical memoir, dude has crazy dysfunctional family and issues with them. But in this case dude was raised in a crazy dysfunctional Orthodox Jewish family and he has issues with God. You know, the almighty one.

Yeah.

Like most books I love, Forskin’s Lament is hilarious and heartbreaking all at the same time. Auslander (the author of the wonderful short story collection Beware of God) handles his religious upbringing and rebellion with a sort of wry irreverence.

Auslander grew up with an angry, vengeful deity who seemed to have it out for his people (the Jews), and made up a bunch of seemingly arbitrary rules to make sure they stayed in line. Breaking these rules, or sinning, could mean death to you or your loved ones. The fear of God did not stop Auslander from partaking in porn, eating non-kosher food, and violating the sabbath.

Of course as soon as he sinned, Auslander was instantly remorseful and would bargain with God begging forgiveness and promising to do better, and then God would fuck him over. Nice one, God was Auslander’s continuous refrain whenever something bad happens. That refrain probably made me bust out laughing at least 14 times.

Underneath all the humor though is a damaged, frightened, and angry man. Reading through the book you really feel for Auslander. I wanted to take him home and pat his hand and tell him it was going to be okay.

Despite all the anger and fear and paranoia, the book ends on a surprisingly uplifting and satisfying note. I totally dug it, and I bet you would too.