This has been just a joke until, at a crossroads marked by overwhelming marital and business stress, he actually encounters this Other Shulman-an incredibly successful man who's made life and career choices that Shulman has spurned.
At first, the Other Shulman is but a mere nuisance, a source of frustration brought about by mistaken identity. But as time goes by, his actions become increasingly destructive and threaten to sabotage all aspects of Shulman's existence.
The struggle between the two Shulmans comes to a head while Shulman is running in the New York City Marathon. And it is during the course of this race, as he runs through the old neighborhoods where his life took shape, that this ordinarily passive family man examines all the choices he's made and realizes that in order for him to get his life back on track he must confront and overcome his haunting demons as presented in the form of this angry doppelgänger, this Other Shulman.
In 26.2 chapters, one for each mile of the marathon, The Other Shulman is a hilarious and affecting tale of identity and aspiration from one of America's best-known comic writers.
"This is an amazing comic novel that is every bit as novel as it is comic, and that's saying something. After reading this hilarious, insightful, and poignant book, I have quit my job, started training for a marathon, and am considering opening a stationery store in or around Fort Lee, New Jersey-just like Shulman."
-Larry David
"The Other Shulman is hilarious. It is also emotional and powerful. As Shulman runs the marathon, you realize it's also the marathon of our lives. A wonderfully inventive novel."
-Billy Crystal
"Alan Zweibel is a very funny guy. And he has written a very funny book. If this does not make you want to buy it immediately, perhaps you should sit down and take a long, hard look at what your problem really is."
-Merrill Markoe