Under the Ribs of Death

by John Marlyn, Neil Bissoondath (Afterword)

Set in the immigrant community of Winnipeg’s North End , Under the Ribs of Death follows the progress of young Sandor Hunyadi as he struggles to cast off his Hungarian background and become a “real Canadian.” Embittered by poverty and social humiliation, Sandor rejects his father’s impractical idealism and devotes himself single-mindedly to becoming a successful businessman. Equipped with a new name and a hardened heart, he is close to realizing his ambition when fortune’s wheel takes an unexpected – and possibly redemptive – turn.

Combining social realism and moral parable, Under the Ribs of Death is John Marlyn’s ironic portrayal of the immigrant experience in the years leading up to the Great Depression. As a commentary on the problems of cultural assimilation, this novel is as relevant today as it was when first published in 1957.

Genres: Canada, Canadian Literature, Fiction, Classics

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Zico · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel will appeal to immigrants and to Canadians interested in the topic of immigration in Canada, be it politically or just as a social phenomenon. It held my interest throughout, but I might be biased: I am a current / future immigrant, so I read it more like a textbook :)

On a more serious note, some reviewers bash this book because they can’t relate to the main character. Don’t get me wrong; he is execrable. Only real estate brokers and perhaps some MBA students will find their alter-ego herein, but I don't think that's the readership the writer had in mind. The progression of the character is compelling and relatable. Alex Hunter reminds me of people I know. His mindset and his obsessions are those of many immigrants who equate acquiring a Canadian identity with uprooting themselves and obsessing about social status.

There is more to the book than the rise and fall of Sandor Hunyadi / Alex Hunter, however. I read this for a Canadian Literature class and I look forward to hearing my professor’s take and analysis of the themes of belonging, individualism, generational dissonance, nostalgia, the development of one's identity in relation to family and peer pressure, and other interesting topics that this book explores.

Also, I like Marlyn’s style. His prose manages to be blunt and business-like in one paragraph, then moving and almost philosophical in the next as the protagonist’s mood changes. A couple passages made it into my little private quotes library.

“And what’s wrong with buying and selling?”
... “Nothing. In its place, nothing at all. A simple and necessary thing. But only a small thing in a man’s life - not his whole existence - not an end in itself - not a way of life or a source of one’s beliefs. And this is what it has become. A tragic joke, to make a religion of it... This is spiritual death. Where is there room here for what is good and beautiful, for time to re-formulate the eternal questions, for study of man’s conduct? A savage who worships a tree lives a richer life.”

Overall, an interesting and enriching read that I recommend to anyone interested in the main themes of the novel.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love the story, but it's a MUCH more realistic portrayal of an immigrant's experience in Canada than most stories. The narrator here wants to change his name to assimilate into Canadian culture and make it big in business. However, to do so is to forsake his name and family.

Most Canadian lit would make the old-stock Canadians evil and the narrator a beacon of hope for future immigrants by letting him have his cake and eat it too. In Under the Ribs of Death, it's not so simple. It's much more realistic. To get, you have to sacrifice.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's difficult for me to pin down exactly what the appeal of this book was for me. If I had to guess, I would say it was the harsh, realistic portrayal of poverty in Depression-era Manitoba. The main character was compelling, and as a reader, I really felt for him.

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical fiction. The main appeal of this book, for me, is that it is set in Winnipeg. The main character is a Hungarian immigrant who grows up on Henry Avenue. Later, he eventually becomes a successful businessman and a reasonable human being (he is somewhat despicable as a young adult). I now teach in River Heights and drive past the houses that Sandor/Alex stared at in wonder. I loved this book in high school but rereading it now left me disappointed. The first half is quite compelling while the second half left me cold. For the most part, I think students today would struggle to identify with Sandor and fail to find the events terribly compelling.

[Vionna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great story set in Winnipeg in the early 1920s about a family of Hungarian immigrants. The son goes on to be a success, only to lose it all once the Depression sets in. The story is told from various points of view on what an immigrant’s life was like during this time period.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bleak look at immigrant life in Depression-era Winnipeg. The characters are a bit wooden, but given their circumstances, one can forgive them for being solemn. Read for a Canadian Literature class, and will be further examining this book, its style and its historical context for a dissertation.

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. A great story of growth and learning as an immigrant to a new country.

[Richard Zaric · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two parts to the novel. I much preferred the first part. I loved the detail the author used to capture of the era. The second part seemed to drag and was less enjoyable.

[Andy Pandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an older novel and feels dated. Still, a worthwhile look at the early 20th century Canadian and Winnipeg immigrant experience. A heck of a lot of real people did as Sandor and changed their name to something more "Canadian" sounding.
Everyone says it is a novel of the North End, and it might as well be. A fun trivia fact is that where the character lives is not quite the North End- got to be on the north side of the massive railyards to qualify for that distinction. He is off Logan Avenue, just across to the south. The definitive wrong-side-of-the-tracks that is there, all of it, really.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. Even the thrill of reading a novel set in my hometown couldn't overcome the oppressive sense of futility in this story. The main character was thoroughly unlikable.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

dfs

[Colin Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. The central character, Sandor, is a flawed young man, similar to Duddy Kravitz, and one who aims to re-invent himself, like Gatsby. You may not always like him, but it's easy to understand his anger, his ambition, and his flawed moral reasoning, given the difficult world he faces on Henry Ave.

Moreover, if you want to understand Canada in the first half of the 20th century, UTROD is hard to beat. There is no multiculturalism and tolerance on the mean streets of Winnipeg before the Depression. You are either "English" or nothing, but Sandor - a poor Hungarian immigrant - aims to be something.

[Isabella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for school! Blah

[kie · Rating 3 out of 5]

was a read for uni, but i’d give it a 3.5 :)

[Marie Gravelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read a Canadian immigrant story from the depression in Winnipeg instead of the usual Eastern-canadian dramas in Montréal and Toronto. Marlyn depicted the tensions between his father's Hugarian roots and the son's eagerness to abandon all things Hungarian ( including surname, first name, language) and embrace the Canadian way ( speaking only English and changing name, etc) was very well-done

[Kaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

5/6 books I read for Canadian literature against my will

I’m sorry I just didn’t like this one

[Nancy Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my lord, I'd blessedly forgotten this novel till an unrelated book review reminded me. On the other hand, I will never forget the title. Like others here, I read it in high school, but that's SO long ago, it's not as if I can write a proper review. I can only share a strong memory of my first time reading in its entirety a book I truly loathed. It was so utterly bleak, with such an unsympathetic protagonist that, also for the first time, I remember I had the courage to speak up in class and trash the heck out of the thing.

[Steph · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book a zero I would. This was utter crap. I don't care if "historical" or "Canadian" it was garbage. The ideals and themes set in this book are disgusting. Throwing away your heritage and just making up a new one? Really? And the writing? Holy crap. Boring. Just boring. Please avoid this book. I only read cuz I had to for one of my students and even then we were so bored. I tried reading it for leisure but hell no. God awful.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad novel. It was pretty interesting to read about how the main character Alex grew up and following him right into the great depression. I generally liked the characters and the way Marlyn told the story. It's a pretty short book so it shouldn't take too long to read (I was reading two other things at the same time so it took me forever). It's a good story, and it keeps you hooked.

[Vivian Zenari · Rating 2 out of 5]

This coming of age story features a young son of Hungarian immigrants who imagines that will happy and acceptable to society only when he becomes wealthy. The writing lacked the verve that I needed to like the book. Its style reminds me of early American urban realist novels. I have read other novels on this theme, and this one didn't compate well with them.

[Ibis3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another novel about a young, unsympathetic boy becoming a grown up asshole. Okay, maybe I'm a little tired of the trope in mid-twentieth century Canadian lit, and honestly there were parts that I liked. Sort of.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This miserable book gave me surprising insight into my mother's childhood.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book for looking at Canadian history through a literary lens.

[Emily Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very depressing. Nothing ever goes quite right for Shandor.