Customer Reviews

Solomon Gursky Was Here

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 good to see this book restored back in print. That gives more people an opportunity to comprehend Richler's absolute mastery of story-telling and conveying moods. He remains Canada's leading writing talent. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I am a fan of Mordecai Richler. His books are well written, and often hilarious (..using the same sort of Judaic satiric wit ala Joseph Heller). And in 'Solomon Gursky...' we have a juicy premise: a Jew from mid-19th century travels to Canada and becomes a legendary figure among the Inuits, with his legacy felt over a hundred years later (in the twisted lives of his grandchildren). Unfortunately I was overall disappointed with the book. Why? ...

Well quite simply Richler has made the book far too grandiose in scope. He introduces too many characters, too many disconnected scenes, and the overall focus of the story becomes clouded over long before the end. While there are a good many interesting elements and characters to enjoy, and Richler's prose is as fine as ever, the book compares badly to his later works (such as Barney's Version). 'Solomon Gursky...' is a clear example of where less would have been more.

Bottom line: Richler goodness is largely wiped out by this overly long and complex saga. For die-hard Richler fans only.

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 penultimate novel, and certainly his most ambitious, Solomon Gursky Was Here is a yarn spun around the Gursky brothers - Bernard, Morrie, and Solomon - kings of a whiskey empire forged from bootlegging, millionaires many times over, and based on Canada's Bronfman family. The brood constitute the grandchildren of one Ephraim Gursky, a Jew and sole survivor of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition, an 1846 attempt at unmasking the Northwest Passage.

Ephraim cuts a trickster figure; a Holy man and polyglot who has been self-employed as both thief and forger. In the Arctic, confronted by the Inuit, he calls forth an "eclipse," thus saving his hide and catapulting to the echelon of deity. He establishes a Jewish sect whose offspring sport parkas with Orthodox markings. He learns Latin, and, in one of the book's more bizarre, and irrelevant, sections, gives the business to the instructor's rigidly Christian wife. Glimpses of Ephraim's life come to us via Solomon, which come to us via Moses Berger, a scholarly alcoholic and philanderer who becomes obsessed with Solomon Gursky after he's killed in a plane crash in the North, perhaps because of some mechanical tampering at the hands of his brother, Bernard.

But is Solomon really dead? We're not certain, and the complex, time-skipping narrative, interlaced with snippets of Yiddish, machinations of bootlegging on the Prairies, Inuit myth, Judaism, a palm-greasing scene set against the backdrop of a fishing expedition in northern New Brunswick, references to Carl Jung, descriptions of nineteenth century London, analyses of human greed, perversion, and corruption, and a thousand other subjects, themes, connections, symbols, asides, etc., takes on a sort of mystery element. Through Berger's research (he is connected to the Gurkys through his father, a failed poet hired by the liquor barons as a speech writer cum cultural advisor, like the Bronfman's hired the poet A.M. Klein), we catch glimpses of Solomon at the Long March, Watergate, Nairobi, Israel, and, of course, the Canadian arctic. Or perhaps it's not really him. Or perhaps his sprit now resides in an arctic raven, a trickster figure in Native myth, playing games on mankind and watching on in amusement. You imagine a plot chalked out on about four dozen blackboards and you wish the first chapter were preceded by a genealogical chart. Solomon Gursky Was Here is outstandingly complex, and you wonder, more than once, in spite of the brainy detail and impressive intellectual workouts, if the narrator knows where he's going.

Many consider this to be Richler's finest novel, and although I would say it's the most remarkable (you can't help but marvel at how much the author knows, and the enormity of the task he's taken on), I enjoyed Barney's Version and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz better, even though, stylistically, Duddy Kravitz isn't even in the same league as Solomon Gursky. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy the book; I did, but alongside the sections that shone, there were sections unnecessary. Still, I'm giving the book four stars. It took Richler a decade to complete, and he remains, for me, Canada's best and most important writer. Technically, there are others who write as well (Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies), but there is no one more compelling. Although this book is often compared to Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, the analogy is fragile; yes, it's generational; yes, it delves into magical realism. But Solomon Gursky Was Here remains unique.

Troy Parfitt, author of Why China Will Never Rule the World

This,like all of Mr Richler's books,is a very good read; however, even me, a diehard fan, got to thinking that this book gets silly in the ending chapters.

I started reading this book (being an Australian) knowing absolutely nothing about Canada or Canadian history, and having finished it I know a great deal more...though I am at a loss as to whether my new found knowledge is entirely factual!! None the less I thought that it was brilliant and recommend it to any one interested in an engaging, thoroughly enjoyable read!!

A compelling and hilarious story of a Jewish family come to prominence in Canada. Based on the Bronfman family (I'm sure many of these elements were lost on this American), the story is beautifully written in a classic style, but thoroughly up-to-date in its irony and wit. The characters are unforgetable and the pace quick.

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 is an extraordinary story of a Jewish Canadian family whose fame and wealth were born in the bootlegging era. It focuses on the middle brother - Solomon - and his unconventional life, how it was shaped by the legend of his grandfather Ephraim and how this life has come to haunt writer and habitual alcoholic Moses Berger. The Gurskys are all larger than life, but it is only as the novel progresses that the astounding story of Solomon, his brothers, their children and the quasi-mythical Ephraim are fully understood through the touchingly human eyes of Moses Berger, Solomon's self-appointed biographer and life-giver.

As a point of reference, I have read all of Richler's major works and a few of his early novellas. This was written after Richler's sexual obsession or British phase and he tells a broad multi-generational story about rich and poor Jews spread out across Canada in time and space. They are found in places as diverse as the Artic, to Winnipeg, to Montreal, both rich Jews and poor, but most of the characters are related by family ties.

Following on from the very liberated Cocksure and the well written St, Urbain's Horseman, we see a much more down to earth and literary Richler. Here he has attempted to create a family epic novel that covers multiple generations going back to 1850 or so. In the opening chapter, Richler demonstrates his literary talent for interesting prose.

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 as in Cocksure.

This book is among his best works but not the best. For the present novel, the story is the story is about a family spread over many generations in Canada. It has a few twists and turns and tentative links with mysterious birds, but in the end it is mostly a conventional story. My only complaint was that he seems to jump around a lot and sometimes the story is a bit hard to follow. In his later novel Barney's Version, he does a better job at presenting a coherent plot. Having said that, the present book does have interesting historical ties to Canadian history, and that will interest some readers.

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 and this book is another example.

This is an unusual read. I found it a bit slow going, but 5 stars for creativity.