Mordecai Richler was a Canadian author renowned for his incisive and often satirical novels that frequently centered on Montreal's Jewish community. His writing was characterized by sharp wit, cynical humor, and a focus on the outsider and the marginalized. Richler explored themes of identity, assimilation, and the complexities of diaspora life. His style, marked by keen irony and unsparing honesty, garnered a dedicated readership and critical acclaim.
A selection of writings on World War II by major novelists, poets, essayists, diarists and journalists. They include Evelyn Waugh, Primo Levi, Noel Coward, John Keegan, Elie Wiesel, Bernard Shaw, Jessica Mitford, Germaine Greer, Julian Barnes, Yukio Mishima, Martha Gellhorn and Guenter Grass.
Even Barney Panofsky's friends tend to agree that he is 'a wife-abuser, an intellectual fraud, a purveyor of pap, a drunk with a penchant for violence and probably a murderer'.
From his youthful days as a poolroom hustler, playing truant from Baron Byng High School, Mordecai Richler remained a snooker devotee. Here, in his inimitable style, he delves into that eccentric world with pith and perception. Outrageously funny, passionate and thoroughly researched on snooker tables from Montreal to Dublin, On Snooker takes us on an entertaining journey through the story and world of snooker, and introduces us to the game’s great players and bad boy champions. It is a book that lovers of great sports writing will cherish, from a masterful storyteller.
Young Noah Adler, driven by idealism, seeks to break free from the confines of Montreal's Jewish ghetto, believing that embracing the outside world will lead to true freedom. However, he discovers that liberation remains elusive, forcing him to confront the complexities of identity and belonging. Richler's narrative blends sharp comic satire with a profound exploration of the struggles between tradition and self-discovery, ultimately revealing the intricate ties to a world he cannot fully abandon.
Since the age of 11 Moses Berger has been obsessed withthe Gursky clan, and insanely wealthy, profoundly seductive family of Jewish-Canadian descent. Now a 52-year-old alcoholic biographer, Berger is desperately trying to chronicle the stories of their lives, especially that of the mysterious Solomon Gursky, who may or may not have died in a plane crash.
"Among the wonders of St. Urbain, our St. Urbain, there was a man who ran for alderman on a one-plank platform - provincial speed cops were anti-Semites. There was a semi-pro whore, Cross-Eyed Yetta, and a gifted cripple, Pomerantz, who had a poem published in "transition" before he shriveled and died at the age of twenty-seven. A boxer who once made the "Ring" magazine ratings. Lazar of Best Grade Fruit who raked in twenty-five hundred dollars for being knocked down by a No. 43 streetcar. A woman who actually called herself a divorcee. A man, A.D.'s father, who was bad luck to have in your house. And more, many more."
At just six years old, Jacob Two-Two finds himself imprisoned by The Hooded Fang for the grave offense of insulting an adult. This whimsical tale explores themes of childhood innocence, the absurdity of adult authority, and the power of imagination as Jacob navigates his bizarre predicament. His adventure unfolds in a fantastical world where he must confront challenges and outsmart his captor, ultimately highlighting the resilience and creativity of a young mind facing unjust punishment.
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz is the novel that established Mordecai Richler as one of the world’s best comic writers. Growing up in the heart of Montreal’s Jewish ghetto, Duddy Kravitz is obsessed with his grandfather’s saying, “A man without land is nothing.” In his relentless pursuit of property and his drive to become a somebody, he will wheel and deal, he will swindle and forge, he will even try making movies. And in spite of the setbacks he suffers, the sacrifices he must make along the way, Duddy never loses faith that his dream is worth the price he must pay. This blistering satire traces the eventful coming-of-age of a cynical dreamer. Amoral, inventive, ruthless, and scheming, Duddy Kravitz is one of the most magnetic anti-heroes in literature, a man who learns the hard way that dreams are never exactly what they seem, even when they do come true. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Set against the backdrop of Franco's post-war Spain, a Canadian painter named André Bennett navigates life in a dilapidated hotel while grappling with his love for Toni, who urges him to return home. The tension escalates as he is pursued by Roger Kraus, a Nazi fugitive. Their fateful encounter on a bridge during a festive night filled with fireworks leads to a gripping climax. Originally published in 1954, this novel showcases Mordecai Richler's powerful storytelling and marks his debut in the literary world.
A humorous look at Quebec's movement toward independence from Canada, remarking upon the Draconian language laws imposed on English-speaking Quebecois, the economic problems posed by the movement, and the troubles with blind nationalism.
