The underappreciated novelist Modicai Richler was every bit the master of Jewish comedic fiction as Phillip Roth. When it came to describing the emerging Canadian middle class in the 1950 and 60s Richler got it just right and left one roaring with laughter to boot.

This was the first Richler book I've read and I enjoyed it very much.

If you've had the pleasure of reading Barney's Version (also by Mordecai), read this novel, too. In it, you will find many of the very same comic characters and general situations that made Barney's version a Canadian prize winner.

Bonus suggestion: His son, Daniel Richler, has written an excellent novel, as well: Kicking It.

In On Snooker, Mordecai Richler here considers his love of the snooker game and his observations of the men and women who share his enthusiasm. Enjoy a blend of autobiography and game insights which examines snooker tables from Canada to Dublin, in a lively first person expose of memorable characters and games.

This book will be of intense interest to snooker enthusiasts and should hold some appeal for most billiards players and all Richler fans. A lifelong snooker fanatic, Richler begins with rich anecdotes from his childhood in Montreal, reviews the early history of cue sports, then devotes several chapters to coverage of the British snooker tournament scene, with special attention paid to Stephen Hendry, Alex Higgins, Cliff Thorburn and Kirk Stevens. He concludes with a discussion of sports themes in recent fiction. Some of the quotes and anecdotes will be overly familiar to the devoted snooker follower but entertaining for the more casual reader. Richler's final work is a welcome addition to the recently sparse snooker literature.

When I was in high school I was pretty well forced to read Mordecai Richler's "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" (at the time the only book I've ever read by him) and I couldn't care less about about it (I was a kid, what do you expect). But now that I'm older, Richler's works are delightful to read; as they are very "fresh" and stick out from the cliched garbage that now infest the stands at your local bookshop.
Belling the Cat, to me, is one of Richler's finest. Here we begin to understand what kind of man Richler was . . . a man full of humility and humor, though very sarcastic (though many of you would already point that out after reading "Barney's Version"), and never taking life too seriously. But nevertheless, he was a man with thoughts and ideas and was not afraid to give the world a little taste.
Belling the Cat was, is, a book composed primarily of essays and thoughts in "The World According to Richler". He touches upon subjects such as Sexual Harassment, his travels, including Germany, South Africa, and Egypt (properly entitled Egypt's Eleventh Plague, which, according to Richler, is tourism), sports, Canadian politics, and Woody Allen, to name a few. He even gives the reader a taste of his own "unpopular" success as an author in the introductory chapter entitled, "Writing for the mags", going from one book signing to the next with no turn out.
It's true that Mordecai Richler never succeeded to stardom like so many of the trashy authors that are out today, but regardless, isn't that what true authors and true literature is about?
Once you get into Richler's mind-frame and see the world he saw through his own eyes, Belling the Cat will bring you to laughter many times over.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
These autobiographical tales are based on his childhood growing up in Montreal and during his travels.
READ BY LOUIS NEGIN
ORIGINALLY BROADCAST DURING 1965
1. A Story about Bennie who went off to W.W.II and came back a Cripple and a Changed Man
2. The War, Heaven and After
3. "Bambinger". A story about a Boarder who rents a room.
4. If you don't like Jack Hawkins, Tell Me
5. "Sticking Together"A story about Jewish 'Clannishness' while in Europe.
6. "Mr. Sun" The First Citizen of the World
7. "E.G.C." The first time I met Edward Gorden Craig, a great innovator in theatre design and Staging
8. "Circus Book"
9. A hunours Account of the Influence of Communism, "The Red Menace"
10. "Shooting the Brease at St. Urban" An account of life on Richler's street in Montreal during this youth.
11. "Making it with the Chicks". A story about the sex life of a Jewish Boy

In Christian mythology the Wandering Jew is a subject of scorn. Bereft of a homeland, this accursed wraith crosses the landscape again and again, often as not bringing some tragedy or distress in his wake. Seen as the symbol of the Jewish Diaspora, the wanderer is the subject of suspicion, fear and accusation. This solitary and often tragic figure gives rise to repression and becomes the justification for unspeakable acts, of which the 20th Century Holocaust is merely the latest and best known.

Mordecai Richler has given us an astonishing and riveting account of one of these wanderers as he might have appeared in North America. As a child, Montrealer Moses Berger encounters the Gursky family. It's the first step in what will become an almost heroic quest for the truth behind the Gursky family's shadowy ancestor, Ephraim Gursky and the grandson, Solomon, who accompanied him on a journey in Canada's North. Ephraim, against all reason, apparently shipped aboard the HMS Erebus with John Franklin's ill-starred expedition into the Arctic. Richler demonstrates the Christian attitude toward the Jews with accounts of the many searchers for Franklin's remains. Those necrophiles uniformly scoffed at the notion a Jew could have been aboard, let alone survived, since "all know" these urban dwellers wouldn't have the fortitude or presumption to attempt such a feat. The evidence, however, suggests . . .

Richler has woven a rich tapestry with this mixture of invention and history. He does it so well that separating the threads of fact and fiction becomes an insurmountable task. And why not? He's given us a unique picture of the world's second largest nation. A fresh picture indeed, given that the nation of "two solitudes" conveniently forgets those of its number who are neither English nor French. If Ephraim Gursky sailed with Franklin and initiated a dynasty of Inuit Jews with such names as Gor-ski, Girskee, or Goorski. They wander, like their mentor, into the southern lands wearing, against all reason [again!] Jewish prayer shawls. They seem as homeless as their cantor, fulfilling, even in these outlandish circumstances, the Christian prejudice against wandering Jews.

Homeless he may be, but rootless the Wandering Jew is not. No matter where they settled, the Jews brought an endless capacity for adaptation, seizing whatever opportunities emerged to assist in their survival. Wherever they settled, they viewed it as "the next best place". The homeland of Israel remained within their consciousness, but they would do the best they could in whichever land they occupied. In the Gursky's case, circumstances kept opportunity at bay until Americans, in a flush of Protestant fervour, enacted Prohibition, almost certainly one of the least honoured pieces of federal legislation ever enacted. This was the moment the Gursky clan was able to seize, starting from minimal beginnings to emerge as a mighty empire built from alcohol. Richler has again merged fantasy with reality as his account of this aspect of the Gursky family would be better spelt "Bronfman".

Mordecai Richler's inventive mind and well-honed writing skills have provided us with a true masterpiece. He knows people, certainly the Montreal Jewish community, but far beyond that urban confine also. He takes us to the Arctic, the Prairies, flirts with England, pokes into America. The only missing scene is Van Dieman's Land [Tasmania], where Ephraim Gursky arrived as a transportee only two years before Franklin arrived as governor. These, however, are simply locations in which Richler can place his people. His cast is enormous, but he handles the lot with unmatched skill, presenting every persona as fully credible. We may not know the Jewish community intimately, but reading this book is an excellent means of viewing that community and how it sees the world. Moses Berger's quest for the Gursky story makes him the pivot around which this superb novel orbits as he encounters the key players in the story - especially the Wandering Jew.

It's sad to see this book "Out of Stock". It should be revived, giving more people an opportunity to comprehend Richler's absolute mastery of story-telling and conveying moods. He remains Canada's leading writing talent. That's a fair indication of what a loss it is to not have this book readily available.

I thoroughly enjoyed Solomon Gursky and his colorful life so expertly described by M. Richler. He truly is a genius at making the story come alive. This (his)story of the Gurskys is written so well, that you cannot put it down. It incorporates the good and the somtimes gruesome and grueling things that can happen in life, and is set in such settings as the prohibition years, and 19th century England, among others. You just can't get bored with this book, it draws you in!

This book is among my favorites of all time. I have actually re-read it four times and each time I have found something new. Smith the dedicated anti-bootlegger and anti-corruption campaigner, comes through as a complete pain in the neck and don't you hate him. Solomon, the crook is a hero. A reader would hate to be like Moses Berger but is it not a sneaking regard that you are left with. It was great. And I'll read it again.

Mordecai Richler's characteristic wit pleases once again with his fifth novel, THE INCOMPARABLE ATUK. ATUK is delightfully funny and intelligently satiric. The book satirizes Canadian cultural "super-nationalism," but it the more widespread themes of identity, corruption, and reverse discrimination are also explored. ATUK is the novel immediately preceding COCKSURE, and it shows: In ATUK Richler satirizes political correctness and reverse discrimination almost as much as he does in COCKSURE. For that reason you don't have to be Canadian to enjoy this book. Also, if you know that Canadians don't all live in igloos and eat "reindeer knuckle," it's hilarious to read a work by a Canadian author who plays with such misconceptions. ATUK may be Richler's most overtly Canadian novel, but I think it's a book everone would be able to enjoy.

i just finished reading this book, and it amazing. It jumps back and forth between characters and situations, leaving you wondering what the heck is going on the whole time. SLowly, connections are revealed, and you can't wait to see what will happen next. After reading the last line i said out lou to my self "What the ****" it was great...i'm sick of reading books that are so straight forward that you don't even have to think when you read it. Highly recomended!!!!

Trying to order this! This is the book the "Atuk Curse" is based on. Supposedly this book was made into a script and was offered through out the years to several comedians who later died after reading the script- John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy and Chris Farley...

When Jacob Two-two is thrown in the childrens prison on Slimers Isle for mocking a big person it's up to him with a little help from Fearless O'Toole and the Intrepid Shapiro (child power) to save the kids of Slimers Isle from the mean, excrutiating,vile Hooded Fang.Read this book to find out if Jacob Two-Two, even as small as he is can save the children of Slimers Isle.

This book is about a young boy ( 2+2+2 years old) who is sentto a children's prison in the foggiest part of England. This prison isrun by a Former wrestler called The Hooded Fang. The Hooded Fang considers himself vile, vicious, and mean, but nobody agrees. The Intrepid Shapiro and the Fearless O'Toole plot to rescue Jacob and all the other children in the Children's Prison but there are a few kinks. A worker at the Children's prison called Mr. Fox leads them to the Children's Prison. After a great battle... I won't tell you the rest. S. Perry

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang is an interesting book,about a boy and the adventures of the fearless O'Toole and intrepidShapiro. Slimers Isle is the place where bad children go and live in a horrid castle. They make terrible things like rain for picnics. They also tell the worst bedtime stories ever! This is an enjoyable book for ages 10 and up. I hope you will read this book.

Ok, maybe that is a minor overstatement, but this is one hilarous book, to be read by people who have travelled, who plan to travel, and generally, people who want to laugh. A lot.

The book is also surprising for its timeless points about the journeying of certain upper white, middle class people going on a grand tour of Europe. I frequently had to remind myself that it was written in 1869 because his observations and the behavior of his shipmates is so close to the way people I studied abroad with acted-only a few years ago.

Twain also puts those "cosmopolitan" people who claim to have traveled, but don't know anything about any place they have been but and just like to lord it over everyone else that they have "travelled" and you have not.

Reading this book is like listening to a very wise, old man tell you about his adventures. Its not like a book, more like one long conversation. Twain takes nothing seriously-not himself, his fellow travelers or the places they visit. The words are another adventure-sometimes, you know he is setting you up for something, other times he is serious for a while, then you end up in the middle of a joke.

I know this is against the rules, but the other posters who don't like this book-don't be so serious and p.c. all the time. Twain is making humorous observations, at a time when a different standard was acceptable. Not to mention, he does manage to get a few zingers in there about what people are willing to accept and what they do not.

You will laugh yourself silly and want to book a trip-not to Europe, just to anywhere, after reading this book.

This book, along with Twain's 'Roughing It,' is often considered to be some of the best travel narrative ever put to paper. Certainly it deserves its acclaim. Twain, the irreverent All-American writer, took a trip halfway around the world in a steamer and visited many of the great sites of Europe and the Middle East. This is his account of his experiences, and the experiences of the group of 'Pilgrims' which accompanied him on this 'pleasure excursion.'

One of the best things about Twain is his refusal to romanticize, even in the cases of the greatest places in the world. He does not hesitate to verbally abuse Paris, Florence, Damascus, even Jerusalem. He tells it how it is, refusing to admire the work of the great painters (Raphael, Michael Angelo, and co.) and asserting that everyone who ever wrote of the beauty of the Sea of Galilee was a downright liar. He has some good things to say, too (he seems to have approved of Athens), but mostly he spends his time dispelling the romantic images of the great places of the world. The result is hilarious, and certainly makes one realize that, despite the perfect images that Paris, Pisa, and Rome sometimes have in our minds, they are a far cry from paradise.

Twain's wit, as always, is very sharp, and this book is an excellent example of it. His antics (and descriptions of them) are very funny, and his way of putting things a joy to read. Along the way, he pokes fun of the American "Pilgrims," who deface the sacred relics they visit and call every guide they have 'Ferguson.' This is certainly a classic in American Literature. Anyone interested in travel writing will profit greatly from this book, as will anyone who enjoys Twain's humor or just a good laugh.

In Innocents Abroad, Twain joins a passenger excursion to Europe and the mideast. Along the way, he and his fellow excursionists visit the Azores, Gibraltar, Paris, Venice, Istanbul, Damascus, Cairo and a host of places in between. Twain's acerbic wit is on full display as he offers up what are occasionally laugh-out-loud critiques of the places and people he encounters. Even his fellow passengers receive a ribbing, for which they often deserve, as they "chip" their way through the mideast removing souvenir pieces of religiously historic architecture. Innocents Abroad is not for the easily offended. This is a pre-PC view of the world which, properly judged for it's age, is highly entertaining.

The second book of this volume is Roughing It. Here, Twain takes us on a sojourn to the American west in the company of his older brother. Roughing It is possibly the best contemporaneous account of life in America's 19th century western expanse and beyond. From stagecoach travel to silver mining, exploration and discovery to regional ecomonics, lifestyle, and lawlessness, Twain provides the reader a humorous look at the many facets of Manifest Destiny.

As always, Library of America is a splendid publisher with an quality product priced attractively. I recommend this volume wholeheartedly.

NOTE: Amazon occasionally has difficulty connecting the right edition with the right review. This review is for the Library of America volume containing both Innocents Abroad and Roughing It by Mark Twain.

An immensely satisfying novel, once you overcome the desire to read a linear story. Barney's version is deliberately rambling, distorts past events to suit the narrator's perspective, and is very funny. It's structure suits the story, Barney Panofsky's attempt to tell his version of his life; mixed liberally with too much single malt, and Cuban cigars. This is a REALLY funny/sad book if you ever lived in Montreal, and can truly understand Richler's attacks on Quebec nationalism, the nostalgia of the Montreal Canadians at the top of the game in the 50's and 60's, and the recognition of the terminal loss of the whole Jewish-Anglo-Quebec world. Barney is not a lovable character, but still an unforgettable one. With cameo appearances by Duddy Kravitz and the Gurskys, it's been a while since I was this sorry to finish reading a novel. P.S. I thought it was peculiar that the cover of the book (at least in Canada) shows a picture of a Cuban Romeo y Julieta Churchill cigar, which is not Barney's brand in the novel. Explanation?

I have read a number of Mordechai Richler's books. In Barney's Version he has attained a level of international stature, transcending the provincial politics of some of Barney's Milieu. A larger than life character, Barney Panofsky, is a producer of T.V. shlock, He was thrice married and a gargantuan consumer of single malt scotches and Montecristo cigars. And hanging over his head is the question of whether he killed his close friend Boogie Marcovitch. There are many questions which arouse suspense for us untill the totally satisfying ending. I was thrilled with the vitality and roisterous humor that Mr. Richler is so masterful at evoking. He is Canada's most entertaining and accomplshed writer . I feel we are lucky to have ,if you'll forgive me my gushing, such a cultural treasuer.And on top of every other gift Mr. Richler gives a most enjoyable perspective on the folly known as Seperatism. A tonic for which we are sadly in need. Thank you Mr. Richler for such a mature and readable entertainment.

Many times authors don't bother to develop characters (see: Danielle Steele), or if they do, then the characters are overwrought with detail and too large (see: Ayn Rand).

In this case, the author makes the central character Barney just large enough to be believable and realistically vulgar enough to be human. There was also a lot of attention paid to details that made you believe that he was writing a biography. Examples:

1. His mother had what may have been Alzheimer's disease, which is known to have a genetic component. The main character shares the same fate at the end of the book. There are (to my recollection) no direct scenes with the characters' mother, and she could have been eliminated with no damage to the book. But she may have been there just to establish that link.

2. The pace at which the character starts to forget things increases throughout the book, foreshadowing his collapse into Alzheimer's at the end.

3. The accurate/ humorous portrayal of what really became of a lot of the black militants, portrayed through the character of Cedric. And his observations of the belligerence of the feminists.

4. The use of the epilogue (Barney's son), and real historical references, such as newspaper clippings to provide an air of believability to the novel.

The novel is definitely funny. I had the strange luck to read it during my internship at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, which is where scenes of Joshua's infirm wife took place. Richler easily gets me to belly-laugh. BUT, part of his humor is based on homophobia. Joshua is mistaken for gay and his mother enthusiastically and misguidely marches with PFLAG. I think such humour is of the "lowest common denominator" variety. In this as in other books of his, Richler relies on gay people, or misidentified straight people for a cheap laugh, which I don't appreciate.The rest of the book is great and I recommend it.

Mordecai Richler definitely came out of hiding with the release of Joshua Then and Now, a literary marvel that made me roll in my chair with uncontrollable laughter. This novel has many features worthy of praise. First, Joshua's character can go both ways in terms of admiration: some readers admire this crude character while othere despise the man who is a mere image of Richler. Second, continual flashbacks to different periods and settings make Joshua Then and Now a page-turner. The novel also had its lows. It was evident that Richler took a shortcut in producing this novel as Joshua Shapiro's character was a reflection of his own. Also, the novel could have done without scenes dealing with the William Lyon Mackenzie King Memorial Society as this did little to advance the novel. All in all, Joshua Then and Now was a success, preaching audiences about the importance of moral and sound family values. Mr. Richler, your comic energy and satires will be missed forever.

This book is classic Mordecai Richler:

His main character, Joshua, is a Montreal Jew who is opinionated, cynical and comes from a seedy background: and yet, is able to survive, become successful and marries into a well-off family that have their own set of closet skeletons. The story has many interesting twists and emotions vary from the serious, sad or sometimes, to the very funny. Like many of Richler's characters, there is a gutsy determination, a sense of purposeful indignation about Joshua that you can admire and identify with.

The novel is well written and easy to read and uses sporadic explicit language.This is sure to please anyone who has enjoyed other Richler books such as "Barney's Version" or "St. Urbain's Horseman". A recommended read!