Judaism (a generalised concept, granted) is the main thread running through this book. Jacob in eighteenth-century France, initially persecuted as the Jew he was born as and later living indulgently as the Christian he became after another man's bet, are very interesting from a historical perspective. It also exploits in my opinion the notion that Orthodoxy is Good and Clean and everything else is Bad and Soiled. The descriptions of Jacob's and everybody else's sexual shenanigans garner a bored familiarity. None of it is new.

The modern Masha is the typical teenager trying to escape the rules, expectations, and stultifying traditions that smother her ambitions and do not empathise with her talents or needs. The coy but rather unnatural feelings of the orthodox Jewish girl encountering another kind of social acceptability out there are beautifully described. I missed the significance of the chest pains - would she have behaved differently if she was healthy? and the wild river demon scenarios of all the females were a bit hard to swallow. She is a well-rounded character, true to type, easy to identify with (most of the time) and her final choice was a relief - regardless of whether it was "right" or not.

Then there is Leslie. The man with the woman's name and very much a female cast to his character. Forget the descriptions of how tall and big he is, inside he is not. Always doing good, always bearing the circumstances of his father's death like a monkey on his shoulder. Is he a typical middle-ager, bored with marriage whether he chooses to acknowledge it or not, falling for the young voluptuous but innocent beauty? (Wait, does this not also sound familiar?) There are some deep secrets that shaped him and which were quite unexpected when revealed but I can quite imagine the book without him. Does Jacob really need him to break down his own Jewish angst?

Jacob reincarnated as a fly is an idea that many will find original, funny, etc. I found it embarrassing. I know it's a novel but really - some basic Muscan research would have been appreciated. If I need to believe in the other characters, I also need to believe in Jacob, the fly, even as a fantasy. Nah.

The final verdict - the humour in this book is not of the caliber I expected. The characters are as good as any out there, and the Jewish theme, although written about in literally thousands of other books, is still sufficiently explored to make it a stimulating read. There are comments that deserve to become quotes and some throw-away observations that strike true and deep. Not a wowser but if it comes your way, read it.