The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

Review With Paul Hecht’s excellent narration, Duddy and all his chutzpah are brought vividly to life. -- Quill & Quire Product Description The dazzling tale of a clever young rogue who makes good (or at least makes money), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz established Mordecai Richler as one of the great comic writers of the twentieth century. Determined to claw his way out of Montreal’s Jewish ghetto, young Duddy takes to heart his grandfather’s maxim that “a man without land is nobody.” In his relentless pursuit of property and a big-time reputation, the cynical dreamer lies, cheats, and hurts everyone who loves him. Amoral, yet oddly endearing, Duddy Kravitz is one of the most charismatic anti-heroes of all time — a man who learns the hard way that dreams are not exactly what they seem, even when they do come true. Abridged by the author himself and featuring the melodious voice of Broadway’s Paul Hecht, along with original music and sound effects, this superb archival recording (which first aired on CBC Radio in 1980) captures the frenetic pacing and sharp wit of Richler’s 1959 masterpiece. From the Back Cover Determined to claw his way out of Montreal’s Jewish ghetto, young Duddy Kravitz takes to heart his grandfather’s maxim that “a man without land is nobody.” In his relentless pursuit of property and a big-time reputation, this cynical dreamer lies, cheats, and hurts everyone who loves him. Ruthless and yet oddly endearing, Duddy is one of the most charismatic anti-heroes of all time — a man who learns the hard way that dreams are not exactly what they seem, even when they come true. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz established Richler as one of North America’s great comic writers. Abridged by the author himself and featuring the melodious voice of Broadway’s Paul Hecht, this superb archival recording captures the frentic pacing and sharp wit of the 1959 masterpiece. About the Author A two-time recipient of Canada’s Governor’s General Award and the winner of Screenwriters Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay (for the film version of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz), Mordecai Richler published 10 novels before his death in 2001. He was also a regular contributor to a diverse range of magazines, including Gentlemen’s Quarterly, The Spectator, The New Statesmen and Punch. From AudioFile With more drive than sense, the eponymous young opportunist strives to scramble out of Montreal's working-class Jewish quarter by hook or by crook, leaving mayhem in his wake. In spite of Duddy's lack of scruples and (often inadvertent) cruelty, one cannot judge him irredeemable. He's too much a bull in a china shop as limned in this closely observed and hilarious look at New World ghetto characters and values. The CBC commissioned Mordecai Richler to abridge his classic novel for this recording. And, no less than the full-length version, it's a masterpiece--especially as read by Paul Hecht, one of North America's top audiobook narrators. He almost sings the prose melodies of the Montreal ghetto in that magical, irresistible baritone of his. Though an overzealous producer has needlessly underscored the reading with sound effects, this is a brilliant and singularly enjoyable rendition of a twentieth-century classic. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine