The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
(Penguin Canada, Toronto: 1995)
First published by Penguin Canada in 1964.
READ: January - February 2008
As someone who professes to love Canadian literature, I have been a little embarrassed to admit that I have never read any Mordecai Richler. So when I had a chance to pick up a nice copy of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, I jumped. (I haven't even seen the movie.)
I can see why the book is as lauded as it is; however, I hate it when I finish a book and still dislike the main character as much as I did upon starting. Still, there's something about this book that grabs you, and I can understand why it's endured as it has. The writing is, of course, excellent, and Richler really did a good job of developing the story. Still, the characters were a little one-dimensional, and that's probably why I disliked Duddy as much as I did. I had no starting-ground in common with him from which I might attempt to try to put myself in his shoes.
That being said, I am looking forward to reading more Richler.
1 comment:
All of Richler's character's are one dimensional - which is terrible, considering Duddy Kravitz was the only protagonist that wasn't a thinly veiled projection of the authorial ego (and I say that having enjoyed most of the books that I've read by Richler).
You ever read a Confederacy of Dunces? That was another dislikable character, but extremely funny.
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