Customer Reviews

The Pawnbroker

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Showing how one man endured the worst nightmare during World War II and how it affects him and his mind throughout his life, "The Pawnbroker" is a gripping story about loss, acceptance, family, and sacrifice. It is also a story about "moving on". It's an exceptionally well told story and a fine addition to literature and fictional prose regarding the holocaust and the lives of those that nightmare affected.

This is a rich work whose central theme is the meaning of true humanity. It is the story of a Jew who knows the worst inhumanity in the destruction of his family in the Holocaust( Shoah) and is tested as to the possibility of coming back to life through his meetings in the new world. It is a tightly written and in a way poetic narrative, troubling and moving. A very highly recommended work.

It's an interesting story, and very sad for much of the novel. But this is what Wallant wanted - a real person - not some literary hero larger than life, but a real person who has been pushed to every extent imaginable and merely desires to stay alive and keep moving, nothing else.

Wallant, unfortunately, died early, in his mid 30's of a sudden heart attack. Had Wallant lived and continued to write for decades, we - this country - would most certainly have a much deeper respect and appreciation for this man and for his craft. He was a writer of unmatched precision and empathy. Read this book.

This is a gripping tale of one mans loss of humanity and his regaining of it.
Mr. Wallant's untimely death cut short what would have been a brilliant writing career, although he did manage to write three other books before this one.
I am a great fan of the film, starring Rod Steiger in his breakout role, although many of the characters are the same in the film as in the book. There is great plot development from the onset, and the story really keeps you riveted to the book.
My one qualm with the authors writing is that he uses very, for lack of a better term, "poetic" descriptions of places and emotions which I found just a bit tedious.
Barring that, this is a read that I would highly recommend to anyone that wishes to explore the depths of misery and redemption.

This work contrasts with the sanitized view of war in much of modern media. The pawnbroker is an embittered, heartbroken Jewish man who survived World War II. He shouts out in despair: "I don't believe in God, just money!"

This is not a book I would've picked on my own. It was a selection in a local book club. Wallant is able to describe the undescribable...holocaust, horror, longing, as well as the everyday, "...in the hallucinatory foyer before sleep..." Perfect. I'm glad that the book club has introduced me to this powerful novel, and to an author of this caliber.

Bravo! Beautifully portrays life after the Holocaust