Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and '' Barney's Version'' (1997). His 1970 novel ''

St. Urbain's Horseman ''St. Urbain's Horseman'' is the seventh novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler. First published in 1971 by McClelland & Stewart, it won the Governor General's Award for 1971. Plot and setting The novel is set in London and Montreal during th ...

'' and 1989 novel ''

Solomon Gursky Was Here ''Solomon Gursky Was Here'' is a novel by Canadians, Canadian author Mordecai Richler first published by Viking Canada in 1989 in literature, 1989. Summary The novel tells of several generations of the fictional Gursky family, who are connected t ...

''. He is also well known for the '' Jacob Two-Two'' fantasy series for children. In addition to his fiction, Richler wrote numerous essays about the Jewish community in Canada, and about

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

and

Quebec nationalism Quebec nationalism or Québécois nationalism is a feeling and a political doctrine that prioritizes cultural belonging to, the defence of the interests of, and the recognition of the political legitimacy of the Québécois nation. It has been ...

. Richler's '' Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!'' (1992), a collection of essays about nationalism and anti-Semitism, generated considerable controversy.

Biography

Early life and education

The son of Lily (née Rosenberg) and Moses Isaac Richler, a scrap metal dealer, Richler was born on January 27, 1931, in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Quebec, and raised on St. Urbain Street in that city's

Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...

area. He learned English, French and

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

, and graduated from

Baron Byng High School Baron Byng High School was an English-language public high school on Saint Urbain Street in Montreal, Quebec, opened by Governor General of Canada Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy in 1921. The school was attended largely by working-class J ...

. Richler enrolled in

Sir George Williams College Sir George Williams University was a university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It merged with Loyola College to create Concordia University on August 24, 1974. History In 1851, the first YMCA in North America was established on Sainte-Hélène ...

(now

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

) to study but did not complete his degree. Years later, Richler's mother published an autobiography, ''The Errand Runner: Memoirs of a Rabbi's Daughter'' (1981), which discusses Mordecai's birth and upbringing, and the sometimes difficult relationship between them. (Mordecai Richler's grandfather and Lily Richler's father was

Rabbi Yehudah Yudel Rosenberg Yehudah Yudel Rosenberg (, ; 24 December 1860 – 23 October 1935) was a rabbi, author, and Jewish communal leader in Poland and Canada. He is best known for his Hebrew translation of the '' Zohar'', and for popularizing the tale of the Golem of P ...

, a celebrated rabbi in both Poland and Canada and a prolific author of many religious texts, as well as religious fiction and non-fiction works on science and history geared for religious communities.) Richler moved to Paris at age nineteen, intent on following in the footsteps of a previous generation of literary exiles, the so-called

Lost Generation The Lost Generation was the social generational cohort in the Western world that was in early adulthood during World War I. "Lost" in this context refers to the "disoriented, wandering, directionless" spirit of many of the war's survivors in th ...

of the 1920s, many of whom were from the United States.

Career

Richler returned to Montreal in 1952, working briefly at the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

, then moved to London in 1954. He published seven of his ten novels, as well as considerable journalism, while living in London. Worrying "about being so long away from the roots of my discontent", Richler returned to Montreal in 1972. He wrote repeatedly about the Anglophone community of Montreal and especially about his former neighbourhood, portraying it in multiple novels.

Marriage and family

In England, in 1954, Richler married Catherine Boudreau, nine years his senior. On the eve of their wedding, he met and was smitten by Florence Mann (née Wood), then married to Richler's close friend, screenwriter

Stanley Mann Stanley Mann (August 8, 1928 – January 11, 2016) was a Canadian screenwriter. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he began his writing career in 1951 at CBC Radio, and was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the 1965 film '' The Collector'', based on ...

. Some years later Richler and Mann both divorced their prior spouses and married each other, and Richler adopted her son

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

. The couple had four other children together:

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

, Noah,

Martha Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness ...

and Emma. These events inspired his novel '' Barney's Version''. Richler died of cancer on July 3, 2001, in Montreal, aged 70. He was also a second cousin of novelist Nancy Richler.

Journalism career

Throughout his career, Richler wrote journalistic commentary, and contributed to ''

The Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', '' Look'', ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', ''

The American Spectator ''The American Spectator'' is a conservative American magazine covering news and politics, edited by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. and published by the non-profit American Spectator Foundation. It was founded in 1967 by Tyrrell, who remains its editor- ...

'', and other magazines. In his later years, Richler was a newspaper columnist for ''

The National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Mo ...

'' and Montreal's ''

The Gazette The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

''. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he authored a monthly book review for ''

Gentlemen's Quarterly ''GQ'' (formerly ''Gentlemen's Quarterly'' and ''Apparel Arts'') is an American international monthly men's magazine based in New York City and founded in 1931. The publication focuses on fashion, style, and culture for men, though articles on ...

''. Richler was often critical of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

but of

Canadian federalism Canadian federalism () involves the current nature and historical development of the federal system in Canada. Canada is a federation with eleven components: the national Government of Canada and ten provincial governments. All eleven ...

as well. Another favourite Richler target was the government-subsidized Canadian literary movement of the 1970s and 1980s. Journalism constituted an important part of his career, bringing him income between novels and films.

''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz''

Richler published his fourth novel, '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'', in 1959. The book featured a frequent Richler theme: Jewish life in the 1930s and 40s in the neighbourhood of Montreal east of Mount Royal Park on and about St. Urbain Street and

Saint Laurent Boulevard Saint Laurent Boulevard, also known as Saint Lawrence Boulevard (officially in french: boulevard Saint-Laurent), is a major street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A commercial artery and cultural heritage site, the street runs north–south through ...

(known colloquially as "The Main"). Richler wrote of the neighbourhood and its people, chronicling the hardships and disabilities they faced as a Jewish minority. Following the publication of ''Duddy Kravitz'', according to ''The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature'', Richler became "one of the foremost writers of his generation".

Reception

Many critics distinguished Richler the author from Richler the polemicist. Richler frequently said his goal was to be an honest witness to his time and place, and to write at least one book that would be read after his death. His work was championed by journalists Robert Fulford and

Peter Gzowski Peter John Gzowski (July 13, 1934 – January 24, 2002), known colloquially as "Mr. Canada", or "Captain Canada",Mary Gazze Canadian Press via The ''Toronto Star'', August 23, 2010. Retrieved 2016-06-27. was a Canadian broadcaster, write ...

, among others. Admirers praised Richler for daring to tell uncomfortable truths; Michael Posner's oral biography of Richler is titled ''The Last Honest Man'' (2004). Critics cited his repeated themes, including incorporating elements of his journalism into later novels. Richler's ambivalent attitude toward Montreal's Jewish community was captured in ''Mordecai and Me'' (2003), a book by

Joel Yanofsky Joel Yanofsky (26 September 1955 – 23 December 2020) was a Canadian novelist and literary columnist. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he grew up in the Laval suburb of Chomedey, where his parents had moved from the Montreal Jewish neighbourhood aroun ...

. ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' has been performed on film and in several live theatre productions in Canada and the United States.

Controversy

Richler's most frequent conflicts were with members of the Quebec nationalist movement. In articles published between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s, Richler criticized Quebec's restrictive language laws and the rise of

sovereigntism Sovereigntism, sovereignism or souverainism (from french: souverainisme, , meaning the ideology of sovereignty) is the notion of having control over one's conditions of existence, whether at the level of the self, social group, region, nation o ...

. Critics took particular exception to Richler's well-founded allegations of a long history of anti-Semitism in Quebec. Soon after the first election of the Parti Québécois (PQ) in 1976, Richler published "Oh Canada! Lament for a divided country" in the '' Atlantic Monthly'' to considerable controversy. In it, he claimed the PQ had borrowed the

Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...

song "

Tomorrow Belongs to Me "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" is a song from the 1966 Broadway musical ''Cabaret'', and the 1972 film of the same name. It was written and composed by two Jewish musicians – John Kander and Fred Ebb – as part of an avowedly anti-fascist work; t ...

" from ''Cabaret'' for their anthem "À partir d'aujourd'hui, demain nous appartient", though he later acknowledged his error on the song, blaming himself for having "cribbed" the information from an article by

Irwin Cotler Irwin Cotler, PC, OC, OQ (born May 8, 1940) is a retired Canadian politician who was Member of Parliament for Mount Royal from 1999 to 2015. He served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal gov ...

and

Ruth Wisse Ruth Wisse (surname pronounced ) (Yiddish: רות װײַס; Roskies; born May 13, 1936) is a Canadian academic and is the Martin Peretz Professor of Yiddish Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University ''emerita''. ...

published in the American magazine, ''

Commentary Commentary or commentaries may refer to: Publications * ''Commentary'' (magazine), a U.S. public affairs journal, founded in 1945 and formerly published by the American Jewish Committee * Caesar's Commentaries (disambiguation), a number of works ...

''. Cotler eventually issued a written apology to Lévesque of the PQ. Richler also apologized for the incident and called it an "embarrassing gaffe". In 1992 Richler published '' Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!: Requiem for a Divided Country'', which parodied Quebec's language laws. He commented approvingly on

Esther Delisle Esther Delisle (born 1954) is a French Canadian historian and author of historical works from Quebec. Biography Born and raised in Quebec City, she completed her BA and MA in political science at Université Laval in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Sainte ...

's '' The Traitor and the Jew: Anti-Semitism and the Delirium of Extremist Right-Wing Nationalism in French Canada from 1929–1939'' (1992), about French-Canadian anti-Semitism in the decade before the start of World War II. ''Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!'' was criticized by the Quebec sovereigntist movement and to a lesser degree by other

anglophone Canadians Canada comprises that part of the population within Canada, whether of British origin or otherwise, that speaks English. The term ''English Canada'' can also be used for one of the following: #Describing all the provinces of Canada that ...

. His detractors claimed that Richler had an outdated and stereotyped view of Quebec society, and fearmongered that he risked polarizing relations between francophone and anglophone Quebecers. Sovereigntist

Pierrette Venne Pierrette Venne (born 8 August 1945 in Beauharnois, Quebec) was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2003. By career, she is a lawyer. Venne was elected in the Saint-Hubert electoral district as a member of the Progressiv ...

, later elected as a Bloc Québécois MP, called for the book to be banned. Daniel Latouche compared the book to '' Mein Kampf''. Nadia Khouri believes that there was a discriminatory undertone in the reaction to Richler, noting that some of his critics characterized him as "not one of us" or that he was not a "real Quebecer". She found that some critics had misquoted his work; for instance, in reference to the mantra of the entwined church and state coaxing females to procreate as vastly as possible, a section in which he said that Quebec women were treated like "sows" was misinterpreted to suggest that Richler thought they were sows. Québécois writers who thought critics had overreacted included Jean-Hugues Roy, Étienne Gignac, Serge-Henri Vicière, and Dorval Brunelle. His defenders asserted that Mordecai Richler may have been wrong on certain specific points, but was certainly not racist nor anti-Québécois. Nadia Khouri acclaimed Richler for his courage and for attacking the orthodoxies of Quebec society.Khouri, Nadia. ''Qui a peur de Mordecai Richler.'' Montréal: Éditions Balzac, 1995. He has been described as "the most prominent defender of the rights of Quebec's anglophones". Some commentators were alarmed about the strong controversy over Richler's book, saying that it underlines and acknowledges the persistence of anti-Semitism among sections of the Quebec population. Richler received death threats; an anti-Semitic Francophone journalist yelled at one of his sons, " your father was here, I'd make him relive the Holocaust right now!" An editorial cartoon in ''

L'actualité ''L'actualité'' is a Canadian French-language news and general interest magazine published in Montreal by Rogers Communications until 2016, then by Mishmash (XPND Capital). The magazine has over a million readers, according to Canada's Print Measu ...

'' compared him to Hitler. One critic controversially claimed that Richler had been paid by Jewish groups to write his critical essay on Quebec. His defenders believed this was evoking old stereotypes of Jews. When leaders of the Jewish community were asked to dissociate themselves from Richler, the journalist Frances Kraft said that indicated that they did not consider Richler as part of the Quebec "tribe" because he was Anglo-speaking and Jewish. About the same time, Richler announced he had founded the "Impure Wool Society," to grant the ''Prix Parizeau'' to a distinguished non-Francophone writer of Quebec. The group's name plays on the expression ''Québécois pure laine'', typically used to refer to Quebecker with extensive French-Canadian multi-generational ancestry (or "pure wool"). The prize (with an award of $3000) was granted twice: to Benet Davetian in 1996 for ''The Seventh Circle'', and

David Manicom David Alton Manicom (born July 19, 1960) is a Canadian diplomat, civil servant, poet and novelist. Biography Manicom was born in Ingersoll, Ontario, and lived there until he attended the University of Toronto and McGill University in Montreal. ...

in 1997 for ''Ice in Dark Water''. In 2010, Montreal city councillor

Marvin Rotrand Marvin Rotrand (born 1951) is a former Canadian politician, last sitting as an independent. He previously served as a member of Montreal City Council, representing the district of Snowdon. Rotrand served on Montreal city council from 1982 until ...

presented a 4,000-signature petition calling on the city to honour Richler on the 10th anniversary of his death with the renaming of a street, park or building in Richler's old Mile End neighbourhood. The council initially denied an honour to Richler, saying it would sacrifice the heritage of their neighbourhood. In response to the controversy, the City of Montreal announced it was to renovate and rename a gazebo in his honour. For various reasons, the project stalled for several years but was completed in 2016.

Representation in other media

* ''St. Urbain's Horseman'' (1971) was made into a CBC television drama. * In 1973 ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' was adapted into a film of the same name starring Richard Dreyfuss as Duddy. * ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' has repeatedly been adapted as a musical play, i.e. in 1984 (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), 1987 (Philadelphia), and 2015 (Montreal). * The animator

Caroline Leaf Caroline Leaf (born August 12, 1946 in Seattle, Washington) is a Canadian-American filmmaker, animator, director, tutor and artist. She has produced numerous short animated films and her work has been recognized worldwide. She is best known a ...

created ''

The Street The Street may refer to: Geographical *Wall Street in New York City's Financial District * The Street, Lawshall, Suffolk, England * The Street (Heath Charnock), a building and bridleway in Rivington, Lancashire, England Film and television * ''The ...

'' (1976), based on Richler's 1969 short story of the same name. It was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in animation. * In 1978 ''Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang'' was adapted into a theatrical film as ''Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang'' (1978 film). * In 1999 ''Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang'' was adapted into a television film as ''Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang'' (1999 film). * In 1985 ''Joshua Then and Now'' (1980) was adapted into a film of the same name. * In 2003 Jacob Two-Two was adapted into an animated series of the same name loosely based on the titular character of the book series. * In 2009 '' Barney's Version'' was adapted for radio by the CBC. * In 2010 ''Barney's Version'' (1997) was adapted into a film of the same name.

Awards and recognition

* 1969

Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual List of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. Th ...

for ''Cocksure'' and ''Hunting Tigers Under Glass''. * 1972 Governor General's Award for ''St. Urbain's Horseman''. * 1975 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy for screenplay of ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz''. * 1976 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award: ''Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang''. * 1976 Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award for ''Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang''. * 1990

Commonwealth Writers Prize Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...

for ''Solomon Gursky was Here'' * 1995 Mr. Christie's Book Award (for the best English book age 8 to 11) for ''Jacob Two-Two's First Spy Case''. * 1997 The

Giller Prize The Giller Prize (sponsored as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competitio ...

for ''Barney's Version''. * 1998 Canadian Booksellers Associations "Author of the Year" award. * 1998 Stephen Leacock Award for Humour for ''Barney's Version'' * 1998 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (Canada & Caribbean region) for ''Barney's Version'' * 1998 The QSPELL Award for ''Barney's Version''. * 2000 Honorary Doctorate of Letters,

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

, Montreal, Quebec. * 2000 Honorary Doctorate,

Bishop's University Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Bishop of Quebec, George Mountain, w ...

, Lennoxville, Quebec. * 2001

Companion of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

* 2004 Number 98 on the CBC's television show about great Canadians, ''

The Greatest Canadian ''The Greatest Canadian'' is a 2004 television series consisting of 13 episodes produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, according to those who watched and p ...

'' * 2004 '' Barney's Version'' was chosen for inclusion in Canada Reads 2004, championed by author

Zsuzsi Gartner Zsuzsi Gartner is a Canadian author and journalist. Biography Gartner was born in Winnipeg and moved to Calgary in early childhood. She earned a BA in political science at the University of Calgary, later receiving an honours degree in journali ...

. * 2006 ''

Cocksure ''Cocksure'' is a novel by Mordecai Richler. It was first published in 1968 by McClelland and Stewart. A satirical work, the novel centres on Mortimer Griffin, a middle-class Anglican from Caribou, Ontario who has built a successful career as ...

'' was chosen for inclusion in Canada Reads 2006, championed by actor and author Scott Thompson * 2011 Richler posthumously received a star on

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame (french: link=no, Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a ...

and was inducted at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. * 2011 In the same month he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame, the City of Montreal announced that a

gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands. Etymology The etymology given by Oxford Dictionaries is "Mid 18th c ...

in Mount Royal Park would be refurbished and named in his honour. The structure overlooks

Jeanne-Mance Park Jeanne Mance Park (french: Parc Jeanne-Mance), formerly known as Fletcher's Field (french: Champ de Fletcher), is an urban park in the Plateau Mont-Royal borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Named after the co-founder of Montreal, Jeanne Mance ...

, where Richler played in his youth. * 2015 Richler was given his due as a "citizen of honour" in the city of Montreal. The Mile End Library, in the neighbourhood he portrayed in ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'', was given his name.

Published works

Novels

* ''The Acrobats'' (1954) (also published as ''Wicked We Love'', July 1955) * ''

Son of a Smaller Hero ''Son of a Smaller Hero'' is a novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler, first published in 1955 by André Deutsch. One of Richler's earliest works, it displays an earnest and gritty realism in comparison to his somewhat more satirical later novel ...

'' (1955) * '' A Choice of Enemies'' (1957) * '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) * ''

The Incomparable Atuk ''The Incomparable Atuk'' is a satirical novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler. It was first published in 1963, by McClelland and Stewart. The novel was published as ''Stick Your Neck Out'' in the United States. ''The Incomparable Atuk'' tell ...

'' (1963) * ''

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1971) * ''

Joshua Then and Now ''Joshua Then and Now'' is a Canadian novel written by Mordecai Richler, published in 1980 by McClelland and Stewart. A semi-autobiographical novel, the book is based his life on his neighborhood growing up in Montreal, Quebec, and tells of the l ...

'' (1980) * ''

'' (1989) * '' Barney's Version'' (1997)

Short story collection

* ''

'' (1969)

Fiction for children

; Jacob Two-Two series * ''Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang'' (

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

, 1975), illustrated by

Fritz Wegner Fritz Wegner (15 September 1924 – 15 March 2015) was an Austrian-born illustrator, resident in the United Kingdom from 1938. Early life and exile Fritz Wegner was born in Vienna on 15 September 1924 into a family of assimilated Jews. Following ...

* ''Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur'' (1987) * ''Jacob Two-Two's First Spy Case'' (1995)

Travel

* ''Images of Spain'' (1977) * ''This Year in Jerusalem'' (1994)

Essays

* ''Hunting Tigers Under Glass: Essays and Reports'' (1968) * ''Shovelling Trouble'' (1972) * ''Notes on an Endangered Species and Others'' (1974) * ''The Great Comic Book Heroes and Other Essays'' (1978) * ''Home Sweet Home: My Canadian Album'' (1984) * ''Broadsides'' (1991) * ''Belling the Cat'' (1998) * '' Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! Requiem for a Divided Country'' (1992) * ''Dispatches from the Sporting Life'' (2002)

Nonfiction

* ''On Snooker: The Game and the Characters Who Play It'' (2001)

Anthologies

* ''Canadian Writing Today'' (1970) * ''The Best of Modern Humour'' (1986) (U.S. title: ''The Best of Modern Humor'') * ''Writers on World War II'' (1991)

Film scripts

* ''

Insomnia Is Good for You ''Insomnia is Good for You'' is a 1957 UK, British short film, short comedy film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Peter Sellers as Hector Dimwittie. It was produced and released by Park Lane Films, and written by Lewis Griefer and Mordecai R ...

'' (1957) (co-written with

Lewis Griefer Lewis Greifer (19 December 1915 – 18 March 2003) was an English writer for television, film, and radio. Greifer was born in London, England. After wartime service in the Royal Air Force (RAF), he pursued a career in journalism and joined the Lon ...

) * ''Dearth of a Salesman'' (1957, starring

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

) (co-written with

) * ''

No Love for Johnnie ''No Love for Johnnie'' is a 1961 British drama film in CinemaScope directed by Ralph Thomas. It was based on the 1959 book of the same title by the Labour Member of Parliament Wilfred Fienburgh, and stars Peter Finch. It depicts the disill ...

'' (1962) (co-written with Nicholas Phipps, based on the novel by

Wilfred Fienburgh Wilfred Fienburgh MBE (4 November 1919 – 3 February 1958) was a British Labour Party politician. Early life Though born in Ilford, he was brought up in the Belle Vue area of Bradford, Yorkshire, where he attended primary and secondary ...

) * ''

Life at the Top ''Life At The Top'' is the third novel by the English author John Braine, first published in the UK by Eyre & Spottiswoode Eyre & Spottiswoode was the London-based printing firm that was the King's Printer, and subsequently, a publisher prior ...

'' (1965) (screenplay from novel by

John Braine John Gerard Braine (13 April 1922 – 28 October 1986) was an English novelist. Braine is usually listed among the angry young men, a loosely defined group of English writers who emerged on the literary scene in the 1950s. Biography John Brain ...

) * '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1974) (Screenwriters Guild Award and Oscar screenplay nomination) * ''

'' (1976) (Oscar nomination) * '' Fun with Dick and Jane'' (1977, with David Giler & Jerry Belson, from a story by Gerald Gaiser) * ''

The Wordsmith ''The Wordsmith'' is a 1979 Canadian television film directed by Claude Jutra. It is an autobiographical piece, which brings to life the wondrous wizardy of master wordsmith Vandna Lakhanpal. Based on a screenplay by Mordecai Richler, the film st ...

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1985) * '' Barney's Version'' (2010, screenplay by

Michael Konyves Michael Konyves is a Canadian film and television screenwriter. He is best known for his screenplay for the comedy-drama film '' Barney's Version'' (2010), which earned him a Genie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy of Canadian Cinema & ...

, based on Richler's novel of the same name; Richler wrote an early draft)

References

External links

* *
Yiddish phrases & cultural references in ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz''

by Robert Fulford *
Walk in Montreal commemorating Mordecai Richler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richler, Mordecai 1931 births 2001 deaths People from Le Plateau-Mont-Royal Canadian male novelists Canadian fantasy writers Jewish novelists Jewish Canadian artists Companions of the Order of Canada Writers from Montreal Governor General's Award-winning fiction writers Governor General's Award-winning non-fiction writers Deaths from cancer in Quebec Deaths from kidney cancer Anglophone Quebec people Canadian people of Austrian-Jewish descent Canadian people of Polish-Jewish descent Canadian social commentators Stephen Leacock Award winners Sir George Williams University alumni Montreal Gazette people 20th-century Canadian novelists Canadian socialists Canadian male screenwriters

Mordecai Mordecai (; also Mordechai; , IPA: ) is one of the main personalities in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. He is described as being the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin. He was promoted to Vizier after Haman was killed. Biblical acco ...

20th-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian screenwriters Burials at Mount Royal Cemetery Jewish Canadian journalists