Reason Read: special event/March 2024.
This story by Henry Roth, published in 1934, out of print for a number of years was reprinted in 1960, is the story of the immigrant experience, specifically the Jewish immigrant. It is most likely set in the time period of the early 20th century. 1907 brought the greatest number of immigrants through Ellis Island into New York City where they mostly stayed and turned the streets into slums.

The family consists of David Schearl, a 6 y/o boy, his mother Genya and his father Albert. Other characters include; Bertha, sister to Genya, Reb Yidel, Rabbi teaching David who is an exceptional student, Leo a Catholic boy.

While this is the story of the immigrant experience it is more than that. It is also the story of a family and family secrets. It is a story of language and dialects. There is Yiddish, Irish, Polish, English, Hebrew. It is a story of culture; Jewish, Yiddish, Catholic, slum culture. It also looks at feminist experience. The patriarchal society, the consumerism of American Society.

Themes include the mother son bond, oedipal rivals, parricide, "purity".

David becomes fixated on a passage from Isaiah where Isaiah's unclean lips are cleansed with a burning coal. David sees a "white light" one day, he decides that this is what is being referred to in Isaiah. So there is the theme of purity. David resists sexual explorations that other boys seek. His aunts step daughters are another example.

There is much to glean in the novel. It is a great example of the Jewish novel, I think. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read about Jewish experience but also the immigrant experience. ( )

I enjoyed this book though I did feel the length somewhere around past page 200. I picked this one up and read it because Fran Lebowitz recommended it on that Scorsese HBO documentary. Besides the fact that I frankly hate her writing, I do like hearing her talk, so I decided to check out the recommendation. I was not disappointed the book did hook me immediately. However, the street pidgin started to wear on me somewhere around after page number two hundred as well. Other than that, I liked it and am glad I read it. I would recommend this to a reader who's looking for something substantial to read, this is not light reading. ( )

too violent ( )

Some where in all my moves have lost this book, much to my regret. The story had a profounc impact on me at the time I read it. The social issues presented and those of the middle 60s, when I read it, galvanized my understanding of and importance of the social issues of both times. It was a book and story I dearly loved and miss not being in my library. ( )

I love reading about early 20th Century New York and this book recreates it in minute detail. Parts of it were hard to get through and I had trouble following the narrative in some sections. But this is a book that should be taught in schools and read by everyone. How was this never made into a movie??

The more I ponder this book, and reread sections, the more it takes my breath away with its complex structure and breathtaking ambition. What a fabulous novel. Not an easy read, but I think this will stay with me for a long, long time. ( )