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Gentleman's Agreement
A landmark novel that ranked #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for five months straight, Gentleman’s Agreement speaks to the pervasive nature of prejudice after World War II—an issue just as relevant today as when the book was first published Journalist Philip Green has just moved to New York City from California when the Third Reich falls. To mark this moment in history, his editor at Smith’s Weekly Magazine assigns Phil a series of articles on anti-Semitism in America. In order to experience anti-Semitism firsthand, Phil, a Christian, decides to pose as a Jew. What he discovers about the rampant bigotry in America will change him forever.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1946
193 people are currently reading
1765 people want to read
About the author
Laura Z. Hobson
22 books25 followersLaura Z. Hobson (1900–1986) was an American novelist and short story writer. The daughter of Jewish immigrants, she is best known for her novels Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), which deals with anti-Semitism in postwar America, and Consenting Adult (1975), about a mother coming to terms with her son’s homosexuality, which was based upon her experiences with her own son. Hobson died in New York City in 1986.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
June 12, 2019
Have you read Gentleman's Agreement by Laura Zametkin Hobson No? Well, you should read it! Everyone should read it! Once upon a time, lots of people did - it spent five months at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List after it published in 1947 - but it has since fallen out of favor. I'd never heard of it until a friend picked it for our book club's February selection, spurring probably the best discussion we've ever had.
The novel's current lack of visibility might be due in part to its Amazon blurb: The plot of GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT concerns the experiences of a young Gentile writer who poses as a Jew in order to secure material on anti-Semitism for a series of magazine articles. A thesis novel concerning the social and economic aspects of anti-Semitism in American life.
No, really, it's good! I wrote all over my copy of the book, and then typed up my notes. And, yet, it was fun.
It's a quick read, easy, but not shallow (except a little right at the end). And it's non-threatening, too, for a book with such a point. The main character is an ally (not prone to some of the major prejudices of his day) which casts the reader into the same role and allows us to hear hard truths and appreciate them while thinking ourselves exempt or hidden.
This is one of those books that has stuck with me and I find myself using some of its figures of speech in my everyday life weeks after completing the read. Flick, tap.
The novel is about a California-based widower and writer who gets a job with a major weekly magazine in New York City and relocates his family. The first people he meets are his new editor - who gives him the assignment of writing a series on antisemitism - and the editor's niece - who inspired the idea for the assignment and becomes the love interest/second main character. The writer gets the idea that in order to write convincingly and interestingly about antisemitism, he must experience it first-hand. So he introduces himself to everyone he meets as Jewish and undergoes a rapid transformation.
The novel deals not only with antisemitism but also with other forms of prejudice, including racism and sexism. I especially enjoyed some of the nascent feminism, as the author gently drew us along with contemporary lines like, "I'm having people over tonight. A couple of girls and people." How great is that? The role of women's work in the running of a household provides an interesting background, as do the the characters' remarks about "womanish softness" of thought and "a vague resentment that it's a man's world."
But the parts that really stuck with me were about antisemitism and are equally relevant today, with our own various -isms. Prejudice comes in little "flicks" and "taps." “Rarely was the circumstance so arranged that you could fight back.” "They gave you at once the wound and the burden of proper behavior toward it.” There's a lot of discussion about “the complacence of essentially decent people about prejudice” and the question of whether it's gauche or required to make a scene and speak out against prejudice whenever you encounter it (even if it's at a formal dinner party with an important client).
All this unfolds as part of a love story between the writer and his editor's niece. She inspired the assignment and is passionately antisemitic . . . but perhaps she has a different understanding of what antisemitism is and means and how best to respond. What brought the couple together eventually drives a wedge between them.
If you read - or have read - this one, please let me know; I'd love to discuss it with you! And if it doesn't sound like something you're willing to read, the novel inspired a movie by the same name, starring Gregory Peck.
The novel's current lack of visibility might be due in part to its Amazon blurb: The plot of GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT concerns the experiences of a young Gentile writer who poses as a Jew in order to secure material on anti-Semitism for a series of magazine articles. A thesis novel concerning the social and economic aspects of anti-Semitism in American life.
No, really, it's good! I wrote all over my copy of the book, and then typed up my notes. And, yet, it was fun.
It's a quick read, easy, but not shallow (except a little right at the end). And it's non-threatening, too, for a book with such a point. The main character is an ally (not prone to some of the major prejudices of his day) which casts the reader into the same role and allows us to hear hard truths and appreciate them while thinking ourselves exempt or hidden.
This is one of those books that has stuck with me and I find myself using some of its figures of speech in my everyday life weeks after completing the read. Flick, tap.
The novel is about a California-based widower and writer who gets a job with a major weekly magazine in New York City and relocates his family. The first people he meets are his new editor - who gives him the assignment of writing a series on antisemitism - and the editor's niece - who inspired the idea for the assignment and becomes the love interest/second main character. The writer gets the idea that in order to write convincingly and interestingly about antisemitism, he must experience it first-hand. So he introduces himself to everyone he meets as Jewish and undergoes a rapid transformation.
The novel deals not only with antisemitism but also with other forms of prejudice, including racism and sexism. I especially enjoyed some of the nascent feminism, as the author gently drew us along with contemporary lines like, "I'm having people over tonight. A couple of girls and people." How great is that? The role of women's work in the running of a household provides an interesting background, as do the the characters' remarks about "womanish softness" of thought and "a vague resentment that it's a man's world."
But the parts that really stuck with me were about antisemitism and are equally relevant today, with our own various -isms. Prejudice comes in little "flicks" and "taps." “Rarely was the circumstance so arranged that you could fight back.” "They gave you at once the wound and the burden of proper behavior toward it.” There's a lot of discussion about “the complacence of essentially decent people about prejudice” and the question of whether it's gauche or required to make a scene and speak out against prejudice whenever you encounter it (even if it's at a formal dinner party with an important client).
All this unfolds as part of a love story between the writer and his editor's niece. She inspired the assignment and is passionately antisemitic . . . but perhaps she has a different understanding of what antisemitism is and means and how best to respond. What brought the couple together eventually drives a wedge between them.
If you read - or have read - this one, please let me know; I'd love to discuss it with you! And if it doesn't sound like something you're willing to read, the novel inspired a movie by the same name, starring Gregory Peck.
Read
August 25, 2015For those still recovering from their clear-eyed views of Atticus Finch: a balm. Hobson’s book was a runaway bestseller once, and received lots of critical acclaim–but that was in the late 1940s, and I’m just getting to it now. The gist is this: Schuyler Green arrives in New York to be a staff writer at a major liberal magazine, and his editor assigns him a series on anti-Semitism. Green is a method writer, though, and resolves to do something a little controversial: he’ll live for a while as a Jewish man, and write the series about prejudice as it is experienced. (This isn’t Dolezal territory, I promise. It’s a little squidgy, but it’s not letting anyone wiggle free from blame, even Schuyler Green.) What he ends up finding is that, while of course he’s offended by those who wear their bigotry on their sleeves, he has a far harder time dealing with the embarrassed complicity of the “nice” people who enjoy their privileges and don’t do much to change the status quo. Even today, these indictments of those who don’t preach prejudice, but who help it quietly along, ring true. And–though you should read the book first; the book is always better!–the secondary good news is that there’s a movie. A Gregory Peck one. So. Hobson for the win? — Michelle Anne Schingler
from The Best Books We Read In July: http://bookriot.com/2015/08/03/riot-r...
from The Best Books We Read In July: http://bookriot.com/2015/08/03/riot-r...
Read
February 17, 2022I've been wanting to read this ever since I watched the movie a few years ago, but I'm abandoning it at 16%. It's far too didactic, bordering on preachy. I'm all in favor of novels that address social justice issues, but I prefer that the message be subtly woven into the narrative in a natural way, not beaten like a dirty rug.
August 24, 2016
The banality of racism in post-WWII America is explored. Chilling stuff. The prose is clear but almost YA in tone and structure- and yet, there are parts that are nuanced, rich, and almost esoteric. I’m also finding hints of the female author building an ideal male lead. The sexism is understated, however, especially for something written in the 1940s. It is interesting to see it come through from the woman’s point of view but the double standard is still there and under its own ‘gentlemen’s agreement.’
An important work and i’m glad they made the movie so true to the book. It’s impressive, really, that they did so especially during the time period in which it came out. Of course, the fascinating thing to me is how the themes of this book apply to all prejudices. Literally, you could substitute almost any minority or group that receives prejudice for Jews in this book and it would be relevant. But, then, people will just gloss it over and make excuses just like Kathy and her friends in Darien because people compartmentalize.
Hobson does a great job of showing us the everyday life of the prejudicial meme. As the main character Phil works through his own experiences and discovered prejudices, we see what happens in the mundane life. The truly powerful stuff is the personal evolution that another character goes through because she’s a die-hard “i’m not antisemitic! How dare you!” kind of person who believes that merely playing lip-service to the idea that this stuff is, of course, unconscionable that it makes you not prejudice. That good people can say prejudiced and racist things whether they know it or not. And that by standing idly by, saying nothing and remaining to tacitly support the status quo, bigotry, unfairness, and interpersonal ugliness is perpetuated. The author gets at the heart of this inertia by explaining that people don’t want to stand up for this kind of thing and fight because they like the position they are in. they enjoy the comforts of being among the privileged cohort and do not want to lose those comforts.
This story does not show us prejudice in the context of huge marches, legislative battles, court cases, nasty hate crimes, or any other event of high profile. Sometimes i think we can lose the forest for the trees when we make everything an overt, epic struggle against an obvious enemy when, in fact, the battle occurs constantly in pat phrases you hear every day at work, school, in the grocery, etc. that is where the battle truly is and Hobson takes us right down in the trenches. She even distracts us somewhat from the main theme by giving us a romance to watch which is what a favorite author of mine calls “guerilla ontology.”
a powerful study of American values as applicable today as it was in the 1940s and ‘50s.
An important work and i’m glad they made the movie so true to the book. It’s impressive, really, that they did so especially during the time period in which it came out. Of course, the fascinating thing to me is how the themes of this book apply to all prejudices. Literally, you could substitute almost any minority or group that receives prejudice for Jews in this book and it would be relevant. But, then, people will just gloss it over and make excuses just like Kathy and her friends in Darien because people compartmentalize.
Hobson does a great job of showing us the everyday life of the prejudicial meme. As the main character Phil works through his own experiences and discovered prejudices, we see what happens in the mundane life. The truly powerful stuff is the personal evolution that another character goes through because she’s a die-hard “i’m not antisemitic! How dare you!” kind of person who believes that merely playing lip-service to the idea that this stuff is, of course, unconscionable that it makes you not prejudice. That good people can say prejudiced and racist things whether they know it or not. And that by standing idly by, saying nothing and remaining to tacitly support the status quo, bigotry, unfairness, and interpersonal ugliness is perpetuated. The author gets at the heart of this inertia by explaining that people don’t want to stand up for this kind of thing and fight because they like the position they are in. they enjoy the comforts of being among the privileged cohort and do not want to lose those comforts.
This story does not show us prejudice in the context of huge marches, legislative battles, court cases, nasty hate crimes, or any other event of high profile. Sometimes i think we can lose the forest for the trees when we make everything an overt, epic struggle against an obvious enemy when, in fact, the battle occurs constantly in pat phrases you hear every day at work, school, in the grocery, etc. that is where the battle truly is and Hobson takes us right down in the trenches. She even distracts us somewhat from the main theme by giving us a romance to watch which is what a favorite author of mine calls “guerilla ontology.”
a powerful study of American values as applicable today as it was in the 1940s and ‘50s.
May 12, 2020
Actually a 3.5 rating because I felt the book was dated. Philip Green is a journalist who has been given an assignment to investigate antisemitism in the United States immediately after the end of World War II. He decides to tell others he is Jewish to see what kind of reaction he would get. And boy, did he get reactions! At the same time, Philip is beginning a new relationship with Kathy. The investigating of antisemitism interferes with his growing romance with Kathy.
During this time period, there were agreements at businesses, colleges, hotels, and in real estate to limit the amount of Jews present or to prevent any Jew from being hired, accepted in college or allowed to purchase a house. There were insulting terms given to Jews which are used in the book. All this and more were exposed when Green starts his investigation.
I would have preferred that the story concentrated on the antisemitism instead of the love story, which I thought was weak. In addition, there were many references to events, politicians, books, etc. that are unknown today, so the book felt dated.
Although much of the overt discrimination has disappeared since 1946, there is a new rise of antisemitism in the United States and I wonder what it will lead to. Will the average citizen stand against this hatred or just shrug in apathy?
During this time period, there were agreements at businesses, colleges, hotels, and in real estate to limit the amount of Jews present or to prevent any Jew from being hired, accepted in college or allowed to purchase a house. There were insulting terms given to Jews which are used in the book. All this and more were exposed when Green starts his investigation.
I would have preferred that the story concentrated on the antisemitism instead of the love story, which I thought was weak. In addition, there were many references to events, politicians, books, etc. that are unknown today, so the book felt dated.
Although much of the overt discrimination has disappeared since 1946, there is a new rise of antisemitism in the United States and I wonder what it will lead to. Will the average citizen stand against this hatred or just shrug in apathy?
July 5, 2020
I had seen the movie at least five times, and finally have read the book. Brilliant idea (a Gentile writer poses as a Jewish man, and writes of his experiences with prejudice), and wonderful novel. Hobson explores the many facets of anti-Semitism; the issues are just as relevant today.
March 26, 2024
A newly migrated NY journalist is assigned a series on antisemitism following the fall of the Third Reich. To land an angle on his subject he pretends to be Jewish for 8 weeks. The ensuing conflicts and circumstances and pervasiveness open his eyes to a prejudice he thought he understood and changes his views forever.
This book is as timely today as it was in 1946.
I have an objection to the author's use of the word Christian; you aren't a Christian simply because you're not Jewish or Buddhist or Muslim. A Christian is someone whose behavior and heart reflects the Lord Jesus and belief in God's saving grace. The protagonist says he is Agnostic.
This book is as timely today as it was in 1946.
I have an objection to the author's use of the word Christian; you aren't a Christian simply because you're not Jewish or Buddhist or Muslim. A Christian is someone whose behavior and heart reflects the Lord Jesus and belief in God's saving grace. The protagonist says he is Agnostic.
August 14, 2014
This is an amazing book as relevant today as it was in 1947. Prejudice is alive and well today unfortunately but just may not be as obvious as it was in 1947. This should be required reading for everyone!! Particularly high school students and anyone who is not _____ (Fill in the blank with an ethnicity) in a relationship with someone who is. My boyfriend is Jewish and while I always thought that there was no prejudice in me I could see parts of me in Phil's girlfriend. (My boyfriend's name, by coincidence, is Phil!) I hope that I will never sit quietly again and not say anything when someone says something hurtful about another group of people. This book is well written and a just plain good read. I did also enjoy the movie but the book conveyed more subtle aspects of the challenges that Phil faced.
December 17, 2018
You know what? I didn't like this book. It was self-righteous, full of fallacies, and is an early example of political correctness--the bad kind. I didn't feel this way about Focus or Kingsblood Royal.
And in addition, it had at least two Jewish anti-Semites who weren't called on their anti-Semitism (along with one who was). This angers me.
I dislike Consenting Adult even more, and I'm not going to finish that one.
And in addition, it had at least two Jewish anti-Semites who weren't called on their anti-Semitism (along with one who was). This angers me.
I dislike Consenting Adult even more, and I'm not going to finish that one.
May 31, 2023
A new writer at a national magazine decides to go undercover to write about anti-Semitism. Not only does he see bigotry from strangers, his son is bulled at school, and his social climbing fiancee is ready to break off the relationship. The book was written 72 years ago. Had I read it 5 years ago, I would have thought that the material had become dated. Oddly, it is more relevant in 2019 than it was in 2014.
January 26, 2020
I had seen Gregory Peck and Dorthoy McGuire in the film version of Laura Z. Gibson's Gentleman's Agreement and loved the movie and wanted to see the differences in book verses screen. I did find the book giving more information about the story but in the end I preferred the classic movie. I love Dorthoy McGuire so I could not dislike Kathy too much but in the book only at the approaching end did I find her okay. In the movie I liked Philip because he was played by Gregory Peck and none of the annoying personality of Philip Green, both main characters in the book were tiresome but I really liked Anne and David. So in reading this which I find the premise and general story line wonderful but I had trouble swallowing some of the political ideas and thoughts espoused.
It has been over seventy years since this book was first published and then right after the Holocaust, so I am not certain on any statics but know in America and the world, antisemitism is on the rise. One just has to listen to news stories and see that. Will it ever end? I certainly hope so but I am doubtful since it has been going on since almost the beginning of time. All I know I think a person of any ideology, religion and race, should be judged by their actions to others and living the Golden Rule.
I was lucky growing up with parents that did not have prejudices that they displayed to their children, if there was anything, it was nothing I can remember. The first time I heard any derogatory remarks was in High School. I love classic books and have to take their prejudices with the times they lived and that is something that is not so blatant in modern books, thankfully.
I saw this book kind of personal because unlike Kathy worried about reactions, I had not looked at my husband when I first met him or even after as being Jewish but as the man I met and feel in love with. We have been married over thirty years and I had not felt that are life was any different than anyone else. I am not sure if and how many exclusive places are out there but that has not effected us.
I think my main problem with the novel that was not in the movie, it was the political angle and the polite nod to Communism. Also that if you are conservative, you are a bigot. That is annoying because prejudices knows no political or society that is excempt. Also all Jewish people are not all liberal.
One last thing prejudice towards the Jewish people is not a Christian problem as she stated in her book but an universal problem like all other prejudices.
"Through the drinks and the easy talking, one recurring notion sent bursts of feeling secretly through Phil. It had never been a Jewish problem, for the Jews alone could never solve it. It was a nonsectarian problem. And because of the simple thing of majority, it was mostly a Christian problem. He’d always known that. But now he was a different sort of Christian. Now he was one of the Christians able and ready to act. On whatever front the thing showed itself."
The story in short- Philip Green is a reporter new to New York and finds a unique way to uncover antisemitism in America.
The movie is pretty darn close to the book minus political aspect.
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢SPOILER ALERT 💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
I wonder if Anne had a fling with married man Dave? Who was the man she loves but could not have? Minify? Until I found out she did not just love Philip, I wanted him to love her.
Kathy seemed priggish and his first thoughts of not liking her but then being so in love with her, just was annoying.
The movie was pretty close except the political spin. Philip's mother being sick, I don't remember that in the movie. Extra news people and his sister Belle were not mentioned in the story.
It has been over seventy years since this book was first published and then right after the Holocaust, so I am not certain on any statics but know in America and the world, antisemitism is on the rise. One just has to listen to news stories and see that. Will it ever end? I certainly hope so but I am doubtful since it has been going on since almost the beginning of time. All I know I think a person of any ideology, religion and race, should be judged by their actions to others and living the Golden Rule.
I was lucky growing up with parents that did not have prejudices that they displayed to their children, if there was anything, it was nothing I can remember. The first time I heard any derogatory remarks was in High School. I love classic books and have to take their prejudices with the times they lived and that is something that is not so blatant in modern books, thankfully.
I saw this book kind of personal because unlike Kathy worried about reactions, I had not looked at my husband when I first met him or even after as being Jewish but as the man I met and feel in love with. We have been married over thirty years and I had not felt that are life was any different than anyone else. I am not sure if and how many exclusive places are out there but that has not effected us.
I think my main problem with the novel that was not in the movie, it was the political angle and the polite nod to Communism. Also that if you are conservative, you are a bigot. That is annoying because prejudices knows no political or society that is excempt. Also all Jewish people are not all liberal.
One last thing prejudice towards the Jewish people is not a Christian problem as she stated in her book but an universal problem like all other prejudices.
"Through the drinks and the easy talking, one recurring notion sent bursts of feeling secretly through Phil. It had never been a Jewish problem, for the Jews alone could never solve it. It was a nonsectarian problem. And because of the simple thing of majority, it was mostly a Christian problem. He’d always known that. But now he was a different sort of Christian. Now he was one of the Christians able and ready to act. On whatever front the thing showed itself."
The story in short- Philip Green is a reporter new to New York and finds a unique way to uncover antisemitism in America.
The movie is pretty darn close to the book minus political aspect.
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢SPOILER ALERT 💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
I wonder if Anne had a fling with married man Dave? Who was the man she loves but could not have? Minify? Until I found out she did not just love Philip, I wanted him to love her.
Kathy seemed priggish and his first thoughts of not liking her but then being so in love with her, just was annoying.
The movie was pretty close except the political spin. Philip's mother being sick, I don't remember that in the movie. Extra news people and his sister Belle were not mentioned in the story.
October 15, 2014
Gentleman's Agreement
It's always wrong to watch the movie first. (I watched Gentleman's Agreement again 3 weeks ago.) The book is usually so much better. In this case, the movie is really great, The book is so similar, it seems to be a copy. (I read the book because it was on my Kindle.). The book is beautifully adapted and was on the best seller list for months. The movie starring Gregory Peck only won three of the eight Oscar's it was nominated for, including Best Picture.
The "gentleman" in this novel quietly accept and promulgate racist words and deeds because it aides their financial well being. The "gentlemen" keep Jews out of their clubs, hotels, workplaces, etc. so that they don't have to compete with them. These same "gentlemen" spout racial slurs against people of color to deny them humanity and equal pay. Their agreement is that "gentile" is "gentle". They don't want to set up concentration camps, though they weren't too upset when Hitler did.
Green, the journalist, main character of this novel, easily transforms himself from Christian to Jewish to get a firsthand view of the " other". It doesn't take him long to see that the prejudice is pervasive and practiced by both gentle Gentiles and Jews. The novel takes place right after WWII in NYC.
Interestingly, about 10 years later, a white man, Sterling, really disguised himself as a black man and wrote about his experiences in Black Like Me. Acquaintance of both colors did not recognize the "changed man" man.
Is Barak Obama half black or half white?. Does it matter? it sure does matter in polls, newspapers and the hearts of many. The problem is, no matter what we Americans , tell ourselves, we're still racist and sexist. Though the Gentleman's Agreement is fiction pretending to be journalism, it's the reality with a love story added.
It's always wrong to watch the movie first. (I watched Gentleman's Agreement again 3 weeks ago.) The book is usually so much better. In this case, the movie is really great, The book is so similar, it seems to be a copy. (I read the book because it was on my Kindle.). The book is beautifully adapted and was on the best seller list for months. The movie starring Gregory Peck only won three of the eight Oscar's it was nominated for, including Best Picture.
The "gentleman" in this novel quietly accept and promulgate racist words and deeds because it aides their financial well being. The "gentlemen" keep Jews out of their clubs, hotels, workplaces, etc. so that they don't have to compete with them. These same "gentlemen" spout racial slurs against people of color to deny them humanity and equal pay. Their agreement is that "gentile" is "gentle". They don't want to set up concentration camps, though they weren't too upset when Hitler did.
Green, the journalist, main character of this novel, easily transforms himself from Christian to Jewish to get a firsthand view of the " other". It doesn't take him long to see that the prejudice is pervasive and practiced by both gentle Gentiles and Jews. The novel takes place right after WWII in NYC.
Interestingly, about 10 years later, a white man, Sterling, really disguised himself as a black man and wrote about his experiences in Black Like Me. Acquaintance of both colors did not recognize the "changed man" man.
Is Barak Obama half black or half white?. Does it matter? it sure does matter in polls, newspapers and the hearts of many. The problem is, no matter what we Americans , tell ourselves, we're still racist and sexist. Though the Gentleman's Agreement is fiction pretending to be journalism, it's the reality with a love story added.
March 15, 2023
4.5 This was a riveting and thought-provoking read. Even though we've changed a lot as a society since this book was written (just after WWII), antisemitism is still with us, but transformed from the subtle ways pointed out here to a far more overt and ugly form in contemporary hate groups. The overriding theme was woven into Phil Green's personal story, very effectively highlighting the subconscious viewpoints of the "nice people" of the time. Now I need to see the movie.
November 30, 2007
Anti-semitism is still with us, sadly, so this book, written many years ago has a very fresh ring to it. A journalist decides to pretend he's Jewish in order to see how he's treated by society, and the results are devastating in more ways than he expected.
July 20, 2016
It really makes one question one's own covert prejudices.
April 22, 2025
This reads like one of those forties/fifties films that are a moral wrapped in a storyline (I got some ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ vibes) and, despite the subject matter, it feels as if it has a certain innocence for that (it did also become a 1947 film with Gregory Peck). That said it’s not an ‘innocent’ read. It’s depressing enough to think that the only way of getting any message across about prejudice then was for the protagonist to pretend to be Jewish and report on what happens as a result, but putting that aside it offers an interesting and quite frankly rather shocking (if not always particularly nuanced) view of anti-semitism in the US just after the World War Two and, most importantly, just after the horrors of the holocaust have been exposed. What is particularly uncomfortable in 2025 is the way it highlights ‘polite society’ and ‘good’ people who do not speak up in order not to ‘make a scene’ or make their own position difficult in social situations, or who still exhibit underlying prejudices through thoughtless words or actions that they don’t recognise as such. This is a book very much focused on anti-semitism in the US in the 1940s but most of the messages about prejudice here are pretty universal and sadly too much still feels too relevant today.
November 20, 2025
This book was published in 1947. It is about Phil, a man in NYC, who pretends to be Jewish for 8 weeks so he can write a magazine article about the experience.
I read this for my book club. Fun Fact: Apparently, the movie based on this book won the Best Picture Oscar in the late 1940's and starred Gregory Peck. I never heard of any of this until I started this book.
At first, for me, it felt slow and old fashioned. It takes Phil like 3 weeks of day and night considering the topic to come up with the idea of telling people that he is Jewish even though he did a similar thing with other articles (he went under coal miner and as an Okie going to California).
Then I kind of got into the old fashioned language and "see here now" mannerisms of it all
By the end, I really wanted to see how it wrapped up. I liked how much the characters liked to stay out late and drink at bars. They whooped it up way more than I would have suspected people did in the 1940's.
I read this for my book club. Fun Fact: Apparently, the movie based on this book won the Best Picture Oscar in the late 1940's and starred Gregory Peck. I never heard of any of this until I started this book.
At first, for me, it felt slow and old fashioned. It takes Phil like 3 weeks of day and night considering the topic to come up with the idea of telling people that he is Jewish even though he did a similar thing with other articles (he went under coal miner and as an Okie going to California).
Then I kind of got into the old fashioned language and "see here now" mannerisms of it all
By the end, I really wanted to see how it wrapped up. I liked how much the characters liked to stay out late and drink at bars. They whooped it up way more than I would have suspected people did in the 1940's.
May 23, 2017
I am on a mission to read all of our older editions and read GA just after finishing Sinclair Lewis's Kingsblood Royal. Lewis's book is much better written, but both have a lot in common. They both have main characters who try to put themselves into another's shoes to learn about racism. Of course, neither can really know what it's like to be Jewish or Black in 1940's America, but Lewis's protagonist comes far closer than Hobson's. Jewish for a few weeks? Come on. At least Hobson does expose the quieter side of anti-semitism--when we stand by and say nothing about it. If you haven't caught on, I recommend Kingsblood Royal if you were disappointed with Gentleman's Agreement...and even if you weren't!
November 2, 2019
There was a lot in this book to make a person think and really examine herself and the way she looks at and thinks about other people, but there were some frustrating parts too. There was a lot more focus on the romantic relationship than I expected, and the writing wasn't always clear or understandable. In addition, the subject matter (racism) is so complex that it is really difficult to adequately explore it in depth in a book of this length. However, it does bring up some important points and it is a good read.
May 7, 2019
A journalist in post-WW2 tasked with writing about anti-semitism in America decides that the only way to write the articles is to live as a Jewish man for eight weeks. It was incredible how timely this book still is. We still have a lot of work to do. Racism isn’t just about the worst of people, but also the never ending subtle jabs and slights. It isn’t enough to not be racist ourselves; we have to actively fight against it wherever we find it.
An enjoyable read and there is a movie out also. I found the romantic relationship a bit lacking in chemistry in the book, but the author excelled at his main plot of journalism & racism.
Warning: the book contains racist terms for Jewish people as one might expect in a book dedicated to shedding a light on anti-semitism.
An enjoyable read and there is a movie out also. I found the romantic relationship a bit lacking in chemistry in the book, but the author excelled at his main plot of journalism & racism.
Warning: the book contains racist terms for Jewish people as one might expect in a book dedicated to shedding a light on anti-semitism.
November 3, 2023
The subject is an important and interesting one, and the book has its moments. The author's style is not my cup of tea, however. I've never seen the movie and it will be interesting to see how the two compare.
Read
January 9, 2024So Very Prescient
I purposely did not look up the copyright date, reading this in 2024. Thank you, Open Media, for revisiting important books like this deeply moving examination from the mid-1940s.
While writing in the immediate aftermath of WWII with its horrific revelations about the Holocaust, Hobson takes an incisive pen to enumerating the foundations for today's continued fear-based discrimination against "those people" (Jews, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, etc.).
I purposely did not look up the copyright date, reading this in 2024. Thank you, Open Media, for revisiting important books like this deeply moving examination from the mid-1940s.
While writing in the immediate aftermath of WWII with its horrific revelations about the Holocaust, Hobson takes an incisive pen to enumerating the foundations for today's continued fear-based discrimination against "those people" (Jews, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, etc.).
November 10, 2025
This book has once again become relevant sadly with the rise in antisemitism and the refusal of too many to call it out for what it is
July 25, 2025
This is another book I’m just discovering though I’ve seen the movie several times. Here we are in 2025 in this country, and it still feels relevant. Why does that make me so profoundly sad? And will we ever come back from where we are in this crazy moment in history?
January 8, 2018
I read this immediately after watching the movie. That's fine for some books. Some books deepen the story, expand the world with additional characters and events, provide further insight into what we saw on the screen. Or sometimes the book is so well-written that the prose themselves make it worth the read.
I'm not sure any of that applies here. A couple more characters get names and Phil has a couple sisters that aren't mentioned in the movie (only one really comes into play at all). Otherwise, what was put on the screen is almost verbatim what was in the book. The book isn't even particularly well-written. It's not bad. It's a quick, easy read, but this book's strength is its content, not its style. The one edge the book has over the movie is a little more insight into Kathy and her train of thought. Throughout the movie I found it difficult to like her. The book made it a little easier (although I'm still not completely won over).
But, it's the content, the dissecting of prejudice (specifically antisemitism) and the ways well-intentioned people help it along, that makes this book worth reading. The story is a good one, that applies as much today as it did then, and to any sort of prejudice, not just antisemitism. There's a lot of food for thought. Good job to Ms. Hobson for having the guts, and the tenacity to write it and get it published.
And also good job to the filmmakers. They made a very good, very faithful adaptation of the book. So good and so faithful, choosing just one is enough. In this case I'd go with the movie.
[Check out my movie review on Letterboxd.]
I'm not sure any of that applies here. A couple more characters get names and Phil has a couple sisters that aren't mentioned in the movie (only one really comes into play at all). Otherwise, what was put on the screen is almost verbatim what was in the book. The book isn't even particularly well-written. It's not bad. It's a quick, easy read, but this book's strength is its content, not its style. The one edge the book has over the movie is a little more insight into Kathy and her train of thought. Throughout the movie I found it difficult to like her. The book made it a little easier (although I'm still not completely won over).
But, it's the content, the dissecting of prejudice (specifically antisemitism) and the ways well-intentioned people help it along, that makes this book worth reading. The story is a good one, that applies as much today as it did then, and to any sort of prejudice, not just antisemitism. There's a lot of food for thought. Good job to Ms. Hobson for having the guts, and the tenacity to write it and get it published.
And also good job to the filmmakers. They made a very good, very faithful adaptation of the book. So good and so faithful, choosing just one is enough. In this case I'd go with the movie.
[Check out my movie review on Letterboxd.]
March 15, 2012
A very interesting and well-done period piece that places us into the shoes of a 1940's (Gentile) national magazine writer who is given the task of writing a series of articles about Antisemitism in the late 1940's in America. Through his thoughts and struggles about how to approach the topic, through his personal life as a single father (widower) in Manhattan, and through the various characters around him, we see how a simple issue of unfairness becomes complicated. The author never tries to justify or explain Antisemitism, but instead takes us on a slow journey of understanding and lets the frustration and, at times, rage build within the narrator and us. We experience both subtle flicks and outright discrimination, see the pain of name-calling and hear how the ones who do feel justified in their assumptions.
The tone of the book was refreshing in a throw-back way, much like "Mad Men" on TV must feel (I haven't seen it) and although it was clearly set in the late 40's, it felt almost modern. The book also explores the role of women at the time, and touches upon discrimination of other ethnic groups. It satisfyingly puts to bed the myth of a Jewish "race" and although it rarely comes out and discusses the horror of Third Reich, it doesn't have to - the fact that anti-Jewish sentiments exist at all after WWII says it all.
The tone of the book was refreshing in a throw-back way, much like "Mad Men" on TV must feel (I haven't seen it) and although it was clearly set in the late 40's, it felt almost modern. The book also explores the role of women at the time, and touches upon discrimination of other ethnic groups. It satisfyingly puts to bed the myth of a Jewish "race" and although it rarely comes out and discusses the horror of Third Reich, it doesn't have to - the fact that anti-Jewish sentiments exist at all after WWII says it all.
April 10, 2022
If you've seen the 1947 Best Picture winner, you're quite familiar with the novel. It was very much a straight-to-the-script treatment, with superb acting.
After watching the film and reading a little about Laura Hobson, I decided to read the novel. The pieces that add context are all about what "polite" antisemitism feels like. Hobson takes this on from many perspectives, moving between narrators.
What does it feel like to sit at a dinner party, knowing you would never discriminate against someone, yet not react when the one person in the room, "who everyone dislikes," goes on a discriminatory rant? How would this affect your relationship with your fiance, who is pretending to be Jewish in order to experience first-hand a serious societal issue? And, in his head, experiencing this kind of discrimination for the first time as an adult, no real build-up or warning.
It's the internal evolution of these thoughts that make this novel, in my mind, so important. With all the angles Hobson writes about, you can take that journey along with the characters and challenge your own perspectives. I think this is particularly relevant today given the recent obsession the media culture has with identity these days.
After watching the film and reading a little about Laura Hobson, I decided to read the novel. The pieces that add context are all about what "polite" antisemitism feels like. Hobson takes this on from many perspectives, moving between narrators.
What does it feel like to sit at a dinner party, knowing you would never discriminate against someone, yet not react when the one person in the room, "who everyone dislikes," goes on a discriminatory rant? How would this affect your relationship with your fiance, who is pretending to be Jewish in order to experience first-hand a serious societal issue? And, in his head, experiencing this kind of discrimination for the first time as an adult, no real build-up or warning.
It's the internal evolution of these thoughts that make this novel, in my mind, so important. With all the angles Hobson writes about, you can take that journey along with the characters and challenge your own perspectives. I think this is particularly relevant today given the recent obsession the media culture has with identity these days.
October 22, 2019
Overall, I found it to be a dull read.
So much focus was on the main character and his relationship/ warped engagement rather than the anti semitism, which is supposed to be the angle of this book.
It would have been more interesting to have Phil Green, as a journalist, be more involved with the Jewish community. At least try to interact with them or learn about their experiences and daily life. Instead, its all about him and his experience.
I also find it odd that other than a nudge and wink from the author that Dave is Jewish, there seems to be no Jewish voice in the novel, which is supposed to be a story about bigotry and racism in America.
Maybe it would have been a more interesting narrative if the main character was Jewish himself. I recommend visiting the Jewish Book Council for a better variety.
So much focus was on the main character and his relationship/ warped engagement rather than the anti semitism, which is supposed to be the angle of this book.
It would have been more interesting to have Phil Green, as a journalist, be more involved with the Jewish community. At least try to interact with them or learn about their experiences and daily life. Instead, its all about him and his experience.
I also find it odd that other than a nudge and wink from the author that Dave is Jewish, there seems to be no Jewish voice in the novel, which is supposed to be a story about bigotry and racism in America.
Maybe it would have been a more interesting narrative if the main character was Jewish himself. I recommend visiting the Jewish Book Council for a better variety.
March 16, 2015
I had seen the movie made of this book, starring Gregory Peck, many years ago, and it always stayed with me. It's based very closely on the book, which concerns antisemitism. Written in 1947, it's a little dated now, but it's not difficult to see how the behavior of people who believe they're not prejudiced, as well as those who are openly anti-Semitic, could apply to any groups of minorities today. It was a sensation at the time, because it revealed that Darien and New Canaan, CT were 'restricted' towns, where is was considered anti-social to sell or rent housing to Jews. It's worth a read even now.
December 14, 2014
I don't think I can "review" this mid-century novel; I'm almost compelled to do research and write a paper on it. I'd like to know more about its reception with its initial publication in 1946, so soon after World War II and the Holocaust. This certainly makes you think about the prejudices that people who claim to be free of such still harbor. And especially why we let others get by with their hateful, hurtful remarks and actions. While this book is pointedly about anti-Semitism, it surely resonates with the world around us with shootings and Ferguson, MO, and guards along our borders.
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