The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
by Mordecai Richler
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mordecai RichlerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-03-01
ISBN: 0671028472
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Pocket
Book Reviews of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Book Review: One of The Best from Richler
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a good book, whether you have seen the movie or not. As a point of reference, I have read all of Richler's major works and a few of his early novellas.
Modecai Richler (1931 to 2001) grew up in Montreal and that city is the setting for many of his stories - but not all. Many of his novels are about Jews living in Canada and Britain post WWII.
He is best known for his tales of life in and around St. Urbain Street. That is an area of three story buildings or walk up row houses located just east of the mountain in Montreal, and north of the commercial center of the city. At one time this was the center of Jewish immigrant life. Many Jews coming to Montreal started there but then moved on to Outrement, Hamstead, and other districts. His father was a scrap dealer and he graduated from a heavily Jewsih high school, Baron Byng High School, which has other famous alumni including William Shatner of Star Trek fame. Some of the local establishments such as Schwartz's Deli on St. Laurent are still in business. He uses much of those biographical experiences in the book.
His break out novel is the present novel Duddy Kravitz which is still a great read whether you have seen the movie or not. Also, I like his last book, Barney's Vision, which is probably his most balanced and best written piece of work. That novel lacks the edge and drama of Duddy Kravitz. Along the way, he experimented with different themes and the use of sex in the plots, and usually he did that with a lot of humor.
The present book has a very strong set of characters including Kravitz, his father Max, brother Lennie, the "boy wonder," Duddy's girlfriend Yvette, and his assistant Virgil. The basic story is about the life and motivation of a young man left with no mother at an early age, and left with both a weak father and brother, and who both lack ambition. He has a lot of energy and drive and is considered to be a "Jew boy on the make" by most other characters in the book. We follow his quest to break out of his working class background. Richler uses the same Kravitz character in small parts in later novels.
Many of his critics claim that he re-cycles his characters and deals only with one topic, but in general his books are far from the predictable.
This is a great read.
Summary of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
From Mordecai Richler, one of our greatest satirists, comes one of literature's most delightful characters, Duddy Kravitz -- in a novel that belongs in the pantheon of seminal twentieth century books.
Duddy -- the third generation of a Jewish immigrant family in Montreal -- is combative, amoral, scheming, a liar, and totally hilarious. From his street days tormenting teachers at the Jewish academy to his time hustling four jobs at once in a grand plan to "be somebody," Duddy learns about living -- and the lesson is an outrageous roller-coaster ride through the human comedy. As Richler turns his blistering commentary on love, money, and politics, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz becomes a lesson for us all...in laughter and in life.
Richler, Mordecai Books
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