With gallows humor, UK author Howard Jacobson takes on post-Oct. 7 ‘bloodlust’ for Jews

British author Howard Jacobson has released a new novel, *Howl*, which explores the global reaction to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel. The book centers on Ferdinand “Ferdie” Draxler, a Jewish headteacher in south London, who gradually unravels as he witnesses the world’s response to the brutal attack that left around 1,200 people dead and 251 abducted. Jacobson uses gallows humor and a descent into madness to channel his own anger and frustration over what he describes as a disturbing surge of “bloodlust” directed at Jews in the aftermath of the violence. Jacobson’s motivation to write *Howl* stemmed not only from the horror of the massacre itself but also from the disturbing reactions he observed closer to home. He was particularly angered by the celebration of the violence by some individuals whom he had previously regarded as civilized and educated. This, combined with the widespread misinformation and lies about Zionism, Israel’s history, and the resurgence of age-old antisemitic tropes such as the blood libel, fueled his creative response. Initially considering a nonfiction work titled *A History of the Jews in 100 Lies*, Jacobson ultimately chose the novel form to better express the complexity of his emotions and ideas. The character of Ferdie, who teeters on the edge of madness, follows a long tradition in Jewish literature of protagonists grappling with profound psychological and existential turmoil. Jacobson references Saul Bellow’s *Herzog* as a literary precedent, emphasizing that the novel format allows him to explore his themes with nuance and depth rather than resorting to polemics. *Howl* thus serves as both a personal and cultural reckoning with the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and the broader resurgence of antisemitism and hostility toward Jews worldwide.