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Fiction Biographical

Joshua Then and Now

Penguin Modern Classics Edition

by (author) Mordecai Richler

Publisher
McClelland & Stewart
Initial publish date
Oct 2016
Category
Biographical, Literary, Jewish
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780771073366
    Publish Date
    Oct 2016
    List Price
    $22.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780771075186
    Publish Date
    Apr 2001
    List Price
    $19.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780771098642
    Publish Date
    Oct 1989
    List Price
    $9.95
  • CD-Audio

    ISBN
    9781511316651
    Publish Date
    May 2016
    List Price
    $21.99

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Description

Joshua Then and Now is about Joshua Shapiro today, and the Joshua he was. His father a boxer turned honest crook, his mother an erotic dancer whose greatest performance was at Joshua’s bar mitzvah, Joshua has overcome his inauspicious beginnings in the Jewish ghetto of Montreal to become a celebrated television writer and a successful journalist. But Joshua, now middle-aged, is not a happy man. Incapacitated by a freak accident, anguished by the disappearance of his WASP wife, and caught up in a sex scandal, Joshua is besieged by the press and tormented by the ghosts of his youth. Set in Montreal, the novel chronicles the rocky journey we all make between the countries of the past and the present. Raucous, opinionated, tender, Joshua Then and Now is a memorable excursion into Mordecai Richler's comic universe.

About the author

Mordecai Richler (1931-2001) wrote ten novels; numerous screenplays, essays, children's books; and several works of non-fiction. He gained international acclaim with The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, which was later made into a movie. During his career, he was the recipient of dozens of literary awards, including two Governor General's Awards, The Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Mordecai Richler was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2001.

Mordecai Richler's profile page

Editorial Reviews

“A richly comic satire in the best uninhibited Richler tradition, full of sharp jabs and ticking bombs.”
—Globe and Mail

“A superb work, a rowdy, roistering tour de force. . . . It’s Richler the Irreverent at the height of his powers.”
—Calgary Herald

"Full of splendid writing. . . . Funny, compassionate, ambitious, perceptive and rich in character. . . . Richler has unflagging comic energy.”
—Chicago Tribune

"Wildly funny.”
—Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22

"A thoroughly enjoyable, exhilarating read.”
—Times Literary Supplement

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