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Rich man, poor man.
by
Irwin Shaw
Rich Man, Poor Man is the story of two brothers whose contrasting natures reflect the turmoil of post-war America. Rudy is the rich man - a romantic who would let no one stand between him and success. Tom is the poor man - the black sheep of the family on the run from his violent past.
Hardcover, 767 pages
Published
February 1st 1987
by New English Library
(first published 1969)
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This is the fourth, and best, book I've read by Irwin Shaw, and having completed it, I feel that it will be a good idea for me to read everything else he ever wrote. There are many ideas and themes related throughout the course of its 600 or so pages that made me stop and think before continuing reading, and that made me think later on in the day, or the next day.
The story follows two brothers and a sister, all very different, and how their lives affect each other throughout the course of a quar...more
The story follows two brothers and a sister, all very different, and how their lives affect each other throughout the course of a quar...more
So sad I didn't read it when it was a huge succes, back in the 90's 'cause now, even when I really enjoyed, it seemed to me a little old fashioned. It's catchy and you get involved in it, but the style and the story itself seems so... 90's! The typical american story of succes, with the "dark" side of poverty and failure, portraited in the "poor man". This last one, Thomas, ended up being, in my opinion, the most wonderful character. Not only because of his final sacrifice, but because he seemed...more
This is another one I pulled off my dad's bookshelf when I was maybe 17 or 18. I remember there were some racey sex scenes. At my (ahem) tender age I was more than a little shocked either of my parents would have anything like that on their bookshelves, and surprised they didn't mind my reading it too. Other than the sex, I remember very little about this book, except they made a TV mini-series about it in which several important parts were left out (like the sex seens) and characters were combi...more
2 likes · like · see review
Jul 09, 2009
Steven Kent
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
stuff-you-re-supposed-to-read
Like so many Americans in the 70s, I fell into Shaw's grasp after seeing the mini-series version of Rich Man, Poor Man. As I understand it, this was the first mini series. It was soon followed by Roots, Winds of War, about a dozen Sidney Sheldon stories, and more.
After seeing the mini series I read the book and found fell in love with it. This is the story of two brothers, one is a good student, a natural leader, and destined for the good life. The other is a trouble maker and a gifted fighter.
H...more
After seeing the mini series I read the book and found fell in love with it. This is the story of two brothers, one is a good student, a natural leader, and destined for the good life. The other is a trouble maker and a gifted fighter.
H...more
At the time that I read this, way back in high school days, I’m sure I would’ve given it the full five stars. I hadn’t thought much about it since. Then, a few weeks ago, as I was reminiscing about it with my culturally astute wife, her comment was something like, “Oh yea, wasn’t that a night-time soap?” Thinking back, I suppose it was. They made a mini-series out of it that featured a young Nick Nolte as the black sheep brother – the edgier one, quick with his fists.
I recall getting caught up...more
I recall getting caught up...more
This was a good read, but a little too soap-opera-ish for my taste. I thought it was a quick read, but contained a lot of melodrama, which I do not like. Shaw skipped back and forth between the 3 main characters (all siblings; two sons and one daughter), and something was lost with all that skipping around. The specifics provided in the beginning about Rudy, Tom and Gretchen were great, but time passes, and the author provides less details--it seems as the characters lost touth with one another,...more
I read the book in Russian, and span through its 500+ pages in a couple of days: it is such an easy, vivid read, and the characters really drew me in. I kept on expecting more drama, though, more of conclusion... I guess, the genius of the book is in the characters, who, with their strengths and weaknesses are just people. They are not "archetypes" but simple people, traumatized by the childhood in different degrees and coping with it through their lives as they can and see possible. I liked Rud...more
Regarding struggles and the coming together of an immigrant family living through the Great Depression and how their fortunes change through hard work and caring for each other.
1 like · like · see review
This eminently readable novel made me reluctant to do anything else for the entirety of the time I read it. At work, in my ceramics class, even walking the dogs, I was thinking about the characters, their lives, their tragedies, curious for their futures, hopeful for their success. The novel’s chapters (including Goodreads comments) largely focus on the brothers, Tom and Rudy; I, however, found Gretchen’s story quite enthralling. My only detraction from the novel would be that, while it touches...more
"Rich Man, Poor Man" is easily one of the most readable novels ever written. Spanning a good 20 years in the lives of the Jordache siblings, the themes of the novel include the attempt to escape a dysfunctional upbringing, poitical, societal, and relationship issues. The eldest son learns to form relationships that will assist him in his rise in business and society, regardless of who may be hurt in the process. The younger son and the sister find themselves entangled in relationships that are d...more
If only all books were this good.
The story of three siblings who started life in a dysfunctional family, each with their own personality, striving for a better life.
The eldest, Gretchen, who accepted help from a wealthy man and willingly paid his price, ends up becoming an independent woman but only after many years have passed.
Rudolph, the golden child not just to his mother but also to other people as he climbs the ladder of success with hardwork and honesty which can't save him from great dis...more
The story of three siblings who started life in a dysfunctional family, each with their own personality, striving for a better life.
The eldest, Gretchen, who accepted help from a wealthy man and willingly paid his price, ends up becoming an independent woman but only after many years have passed.
Rudolph, the golden child not just to his mother but also to other people as he climbs the ladder of success with hardwork and honesty which can't save him from great dis...more
This book affected me strongly as a pre-teen, which is why I rated it 5 stars.
Had been a long time since I read this book. I would have given it 5 stars during the 1970's, and although I think it has held the test of time to some extent, it can be dated in certain areas.
I remember liking the Nick Nolte as the troubled brother and pugilist, yet my memory of the character from the series was slightly more dynamic than the book character now portrays the second time through.
However, really like the family dynamics of the book and re-read it with the idea to make sure I don't...more
I remember liking the Nick Nolte as the troubled brother and pugilist, yet my memory of the character from the series was slightly more dynamic than the book character now portrays the second time through.
However, really like the family dynamics of the book and re-read it with the idea to make sure I don't...more
So, there's this movie, Beautiful Girls, that I really like which makes a reference to the Rich Man, Poor Man mini series. I was intrigued, so I looked for the mini series without success. Then, a couple years later, I found the book on the cheap and decided I could part with the two quarters it was priced at. This was my first exposure to Irwin Shaw and it was a smooth, engaging, read I enjoyed from cover to cover. At some point I'd like to explore more from Shaw, so if anyone has recommendatio...more
I don't normally read fiction, but I was on vacation and happened to just pull this gem out of a small personal library of books bought for show and did I get lucky.
The character development is top-notch. The story-line captivating and the drama is full of wicked suspense. I think what I like most about this book is that it takes you back to World War II and modern people tend to think that old-timers were straight-laced. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just a great book full of awesome...more
The character development is top-notch. The story-line captivating and the drama is full of wicked suspense. I think what I like most about this book is that it takes you back to World War II and modern people tend to think that old-timers were straight-laced. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just a great book full of awesome...more
Oct 23, 2007
Fenixbird SandS
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Youth Generational HIstorical Fiction
One of my all-time favorites!! It was risque (in parts) for its time remember??
How do you describe a classic?
The ages at which I read the following books is half of the impact they made upon me.
The Talisman by Peter Straub & Stephen King
Read during my early teen years & showed me
how fear of progress can set a people's back
and equally instilled a unique perspective
on the advances of technology
Rich Man, Poor Man By Irwin Shaw
Recommended for those who perhaps led a somewhat
sheltered...more
How do you describe a classic?
The ages at which I read the following books is half of the impact they made upon me.
The Talisman by Peter Straub & Stephen King
Read during my early teen years & showed me
how fear of progress can set a people's back
and equally instilled a unique perspective
on the advances of technology
Rich Man, Poor Man By Irwin Shaw
Recommended for those who perhaps led a somewhat
sheltered...more
Shaw, the one-time lefty playwright wunderkind, had descended to writing commercial fiction by the time he produced this novel, but it's pretty good commercial fiction. Two brothers, profoundly unalike (one is a brawler with an honorable streak and the other is an ambitious most-likely-to-succeed type) pass from youth to middle age with various adventures and social ups and downs. The TV miniseries based on this propelled a young Nick Nolte to stardom. He played the brawler (surprise, surprise)....more
I read this book a long time ago, about 10 years ago actually. I don't remember the details very well but i do remember the impression it left on me like i read it yesterday. If i come across another copy not only will i read it all over again but i will also buy it. That i can still remember how this book made me feel about it after all this time is proof enough that it is a fantastic book. I have not read anything else by Mr Shaw but i think its time i started looking for his other books.
The book is true, hard and cruel. It has no happy ending, but it's okay, because as hard to believe, human's life doesn't end happily. American dream that came true, French dream that came true. Poor are often unhappy and miserable, but wealth can't buy happiness as well. Money change people, either in a good or a bad way. How is it, to be a part of a difficult family? Characters change during the book, and a reader changes with them. It's true saga, worth of reading.
Pertamanya ga suka sama tokoh Tom di buku ini, he is just a badass yg bikin keadaan keluarga mereka makin terpuruk.
Tapi lama-kelamaan malah jadi nonsense sama Rudy, ko kesannya dia materialistis dan workaholic banget gitu.
Terus jadi respect banget sama Tom karena kisah hidupnya yg suram malah bikin dia jadi seseorang yg memahami dan menghargai arti hidup.
Dan errr .. aku kaget banget sama endingnya. Dan beberapa saat setelah beres baca bukunya pun aku tetep shock :o
Tapi lama-kelamaan malah jadi nonsense sama Rudy, ko kesannya dia materialistis dan workaholic banget gitu.
Terus jadi respect banget sama Tom karena kisah hidupnya yg suram malah bikin dia jadi seseorang yg memahami dan menghargai arti hidup.
Dan errr .. aku kaget banget sama endingnya. Dan beberapa saat setelah beres baca bukunya pun aku tetep shock :o
May 04, 2009
K.D. Oliveros
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to K.D. by:
Aska
I read this in high school. Aska brought home a copy from Baguio in the late 70’s. I did not know that this was a successful TV series as we did not have TV or even at some point, radio in the province. One theme that I like in this novel is the attempt of the children to break away from the kind of life lived by their parents. I said attempt because, unfortunately, they – in various degrees – all failed in the end.
I read this book close to 20 years ago. hard to give an accurate review now. I remember being fascinated with the "tom" character who was a fighter. I remember the mini series on tv in the 70s. I noticed how the tv show combined several characters including the sister and the wife of the older brother. I am thinking of rereading the book. The impressions from my last read as a teenager and now are interesting to me.
Apr 17, 2012
Amanda Spacaj-Gorham
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
drama,
to-re-read
I read this one and its sequel back in high school (back in the 80's) and I'm surprised how much I remember from the book. It was probably the raciest book I'd read at the time, perhaps the shock that my mom had books like this(taken from the family book shelf) helped the rest of the novel stay fresh in my mind...perhaps it was all Shaw's talent which preserved passages so well. I really should re-read it and see how it strikes me now.
I can't say objectively if it's me today giving it 5 stars f...more
I can't say objectively if it's me today giving it 5 stars f...more
This was the first novel I read when I was about 15 or 16 years old. I couldn't put it down, and I beleive this book is where my love of stories about families and theiry history, love, betrayal, regret and forgiveness all began. Shortly after this book was turned into a TV mini series staring Nick Nolte as Tommy Jordash and Ed Asner as the father. Loved it.
Много обемна книга, с много страници, много диалози и много герои и истории. Романът проследява живота на три поколения от едно семейство. Има силен социален подтекст и неочаквани обрати. За съжаление моят любим герой умря накрая. Морал, решения, размисли и възмездие, или как хората разбират, че семейството и отношенията с околните са по-ценни от случайните познанства, парите и общественото положение.
Wonderfull book. Read it a couple times now. It captures man's nature very good. The rich man, Rudy who is a cold minded successfull man and the poor man,Tommy, who is a loner since childhood, and cant seem to find its place in the world. And along with it, both man's older sister Grethchen's life going on.
Definetly reconmmendable.
Definetly reconmmendable.
Fiction set in 1950’s-1960’s - trials and tribulation of siblings Rudolph (financial success), Gretchen, Thomas (fighter), as they grew up. Children of Axel (from Germany. baker) and Mary Jordache. Long book, not deep yet captivating and personal. Appears influenced by Hemingway with all the drinking scenes. Well worth reading again.
From a classic novel (1970) to a classic award-winning TV mini-series (1976). The turbulent lives of the Jordache family evolving around the contrasting natures and lifestyles of its sibling brothers covers a 20-year period from the end of Word War II throught to the late sixties. Explosive family epic!
Nov 13, 2012
David Roma Palou
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lectura-de-mi-juventud
¿Porque me gustó Los Pilares de la Tierra? ... por la eterna trama de quién cae en la miseria para después resurgir cual ave fénix de sus cenizas y brillar enorme ante los demás. En "Hombre Rico, hombre pobre" gozé por primera vez de este tipo de dramas.
Роман о людях, выбирающих разные дороги, о неоднозначности суждений и представлений о счастье. Кому "американская мечта", кому берег Франции. А ещё о настоящих поступках, которые могут искупить всё, так же, как неблаговидные поступки могут всё перечеркнуть.
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Shaw was born Irwin Gilbert Shamforoff in the South Bronx, New York City, to Russian Jewish immigrants. Shaw was a prolific American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies. He is best known for his novels, The Young Lions (1948) and Rich Man Poor Man (1970).
His parents were Rose and Will. His younger brother, David Shaw...more
More about Irwin Shaw...
His parents were Rose and Will. His younger brother, David Shaw...more
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Jan 29, 2008 07:59am