∎ Read Rich Man Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw Irwin IRWIN SHAW 9780450029554 Books

Rich Man Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw Irwin IRWIN SHAW 9780450029554 Books

Download As PDF : Rich Man Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw Irwin IRWIN SHAW 9780450029554 Books

Rich Man Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw Irwin IRWIN SHAW 9780450029554 Books

What is offered here is !n an intriguing story of two boys and a girl as they make their way through life. We encounter them first as teenagers already bearing the scars of their parents' actions and attitudes. Gretchen and Tom act out their teenage anger in self destructive behavior while brother Rudolph stays above the fray by keeping his nose to the grindstone of academic demands. His parents, the baker father and resentful mother see Rudolph as the most likely to succeed.

Succeed he does, becoming the family fixer who is generous with the money he earns through his business and personal skills. We follow the family from the post WWII era to the tumultuous time of the Vietnam War. B1y the time we exit the 500 plus page book, we have lived through many years of the trial and error, taxing lives of the three siblings.

As the book fades into its sequel, Beggarman, Thief, both parents are dead as is one of the siblings. The novel left this reader with a need to start the sequel because the author's outstanding storytelling skills have so enmeshed me in the lives of this family -there are grandchildren at the end-that leaving this saga unfinished is inthinkable.

The author's ability to "keep three story lines in the air" without faltering is remarkable as is his talent for intertwining his characters into the different societies in which they live. A book for the ages? Perhaps not, but an honest portrayal of life as it is lived in a rapidly changing society by believable struggling, characters.


Tags : Rich Man, Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw, Irwin [IRWIN SHAW] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Rich Man, Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw, Irwin,IRWIN SHAW,Rich Man, Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw, Irwin,DELL,0450029557

Rich Man Poor Man [Paperback] by Shaw Irwin IRWIN SHAW 9780450029554 Books Reviews

Book condition was much better than I expected or hoped for in an original paperback copy from the 1970s. This copy doesn't look like it was ever read. No creases on the spine, and only minor wear on the cover. The pages are somewhat fragile because of the age, but that was to be expected. I didn't mind handling the book gingerly while I read.

The novel itself is magnificent. I read it when I was a teenager and loved it, and wondered if the story still held up after all these years. It's better than I remembered. I'm so glad I bought it.
Reread it after a decade or more from the first reading, and the book is still wonderfully engaging, relevant, and as well-written as I remembered it was.
I first read this book about 30 years ago, and for some reason decided to revisit it. While it's not one of the greatest stories I've ever read, I did enjoy the characters and the evolution of them throughout the story over a span of 20+ years. One starts out rooting for Rudy as the good guy; and finding Thomas loathsome and reprehensible. Over time, it is Tom who becomes the more sympathetic character and probably makes the most changes.
Gretchen is not particularly sympathetic, nor unlikeable. The father Axel is a dreadful tyrant and the mother is a ruined woman, who eventually becomes a bit more likeable and one can understand that life with this tyrannical husband truly affected the woman she was. I would recommend this story.
I saw the mini-series in the 1970s and liked it, but had never read the book. Liked Strauss, Nolte and Blakely and bought the DVD package and viewed it again this summer (2013) and noticed how it seemed a little dated in the dialogue, but still enjoyed it.

Then I read the book on and really liked the book much better than the series. The series had changed the characters and did a switch on some of them and the situations in their lives. I didn't like the ending, thought it was a bit abrupt and left some things hanging, until I realized that Beggar Man, Thief was actually a continuation of Rich Man, Poor Man. And I'm enjoying Beggar Man, but I'm only halfway through it.

I like Shaw's writing style. Simple. I'm a fan of Raymond Carver & Hemingway and really like their concise, crisp simple styles, so if you're a fan of someone like Steinbeck, you may like Shaw less.

I recommend Rich Man, Poor Man and, so far, Beggar Man Thief.
There's no real plot here since Rich Man, Poor Man tells the story of two brothers and a sister that begins with them as teenagers and what happens in their adult lives after the end of World War II. This is--to put it as plainly and as strongly as I can--a tremendous story that engrosses the reader. It is full of interesting, complicated characters that seem real and the writing style is...whew, yeah, so GOOD. I can't say enough about the quality of writing.

And CANNOT WAIT to read the sequel "Beggerman, Thief".
I actually read both books (Rich Man, Poor Man and Beggar-man, Thief) in hard back many years ago before the 2 books were made into a TV mini-series. I totally enjoyed the books (far better than the mini-series) and when I saw them in E-books I jumped on the chance to add them to my E-Library. They are the Story of a family's ups and downs in the pursuit of fortune. Mr. Shaw has the ability to take what sounds dull and turn it into a very enjoyable read. His characters are real and believable and you either love and root for them or you hate them and hope the get what they deserve. You must read the books in sequence, if you are old enough to remember the mini-series you must divorce it from you mind while reading these books.
I read this book the first time some 30+ years ago and recently decided to take it on again. I'm not disappointed. The story follows the three Jordache children beginning in the 40s when they are all teens and taking them well into adulthood through the 60s. While some parts of the story seem contrived and slightly unbelievable, overall it is a captivating tale. Each main character gets to tell parts of the story in his or her own voice, which is a style I like, and Irwin Shaw certainly makes his mark with this book. Grab a copy and while away the remainder of the cold pre-spring days with this page-turner. I believe this was also made into a TV mini-series with its sequel, Beggarman, Thief...I may have to see if that is available somewhere...summer is often a long time coming here in the Pacific Northwest!
What is offered here is !n an intriguing story of two boys and a girl as they make their way through life. We encounter them first as teenagers already bearing the scars of their parents' actions and attitudes. Gretchen and Tom act out their teenage anger in self destructive behavior while brother Rudolph stays above the fray by keeping his nose to the grindstone of academic demands. His parents, the baker father and resentful mother see Rudolph as the most likely to succeed.

Succeed he does, becoming the family fixer who is generous with the money he earns through his business and personal skills. We follow the family from the post WWII era to the tumultuous time of the Vietnam War. B1y the time we exit the 500 plus page book, we have lived through many years of the trial and error, taxing lives of the three siblings.

As the book fades into its sequel, Beggarman, Thief, both parents are dead as is one of the siblings. The novel left this reader with a need to start the sequel because the author's outstanding storytelling skills have so enmeshed me in the lives of this family -there are grandchildren at the end-that leaving this saga unfinished is inthinkable.

The author's ability to "keep three story lines in the air" without faltering is remarkable as is his talent for intertwining his characters into the different societies in which they live. A book for the ages? Perhaps not, but an honest portrayal of life as it is lived in a rapidly changing society by believable struggling, characters.