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The Rent Collector
A bevy of colorful characters cross paths with each other in this novel about Montreal's garment district and its Orthodox Jewish community. If there is one thing Gershon Stein, the rent collector, knows it's that life is rented and everyone has a debt to pay: to their landlord, their family, their community, and—most of all—to their soul.
228 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 29, 2016
A hilarious debut novel in the spirit of Mordechai Richler.
I just finished The Rent Collector. My friend Sikeena Karmali passed it to me several years back. She correctly said it was right up my alley and yet I didn't start it until 2 weeks ago. Just an excellent book, full of colourful characters and lots of laughs.
She and I attended McGill together in the early 90s and I lived right next door to the Hasidic community in Outremount which fascinated me.
I also lived on St. Urbain for a while, and gobbled up one Richler novel after another at this time.
Your book provides all the detail I never got from Richler about the Orthodox Jewish community, humanizing them in a poignant and lovely way.
Weird the way things line-up sometimes. I've been going through a spiritual shifting the last few weeks and this book kept me company, minute by minute, hour by hour. Dare I say I used it for self-help.
I just finished The Rent Collector. My friend Sikeena Karmali passed it to me several years back. She correctly said it was right up my alley and yet I didn't start it until 2 weeks ago. Just an excellent book, full of colourful characters and lots of laughs.
She and I attended McGill together in the early 90s and I lived right next door to the Hasidic community in Outremount which fascinated me.
I also lived on St. Urbain for a while, and gobbled up one Richler novel after another at this time.
Your book provides all the detail I never got from Richler about the Orthodox Jewish community, humanizing them in a poignant and lovely way.
Weird the way things line-up sometimes. I've been going through a spiritual shifting the last few weeks and this book kept me company, minute by minute, hour by hour. Dare I say I used it for self-help.
March 19, 2013
The Rent Collector is a thoroughly enjoyable read - a tender story, wise and funny, with vividly articulated characters and great Montreal flavour.
April 19, 2021
I just finished reading The Rent Collector, and I would heartily recommend it. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The writing is very nearly flawless, the characters are interesting, colorful and very well-drawn, and the underlying message of the book (including the “twist” at the end) is quite powerful. What also came through in this novel is the author's love of Montreal; among it's other attributes, the book is a something of a love song to the city of Montreal. Hard to believe that this was a debut novel; it's incredibly good for a first novel.
September 6, 2018
Rent Collector
I picked the wrong book. I thought this book took place in the slums of India. It took place in the garment district in Montreal and the owners of the building were Hasidic Jews. I learned from the book and did keep reading it
I picked the wrong book. I thought this book took place in the slums of India. It took place in the garment district in Montreal and the owners of the building were Hasidic Jews. I learned from the book and did keep reading it
July 3, 2025
I enjoyed the history of the garment industry in Montreal. Also learned quite a bit about Jewish culture.
Very nicely written.
Very nicely written.
February 3, 2016
I found the book interesting but was very disappointed in an abrupt ending.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews