Potatoes Are Cheaper

by Max Shulman

It's the middle of the Great Depression, and Morris Katz and his cousin, Albert, are broke. But that's all about to change when they head off to college on a mission from Morris' mother to find rich, unattractive Jewish girls to marry. The boys arrive on campus armed with a secret weapon: the poetry of Morris' cousin, Crip. Within a day Morris is courting Celeste Zimmerman, the frumpy heir to a movie theater franchise.

But then an Irish Catholic beauty falls under the spell of Crip's verse and goes gaga over Morris. She thinks he's a Jewish Communist revolutionary poet, and who is he to tell her otherwise? But is it happiness Morris truly wants - or money? And what will Mama Katz say?

Listening Length: 5 hours and 4 minutes

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Jewish

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm usually a fan of Shulman's work, but this just didn't do it for me. I would read a few pages, put it down, read something else, then try to pick it up again. Finally, when I started cringing when it was time to go back to it, I decided to pack it in. A shame--a real shame.

[Andrea Homier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Garrison Keillor featured Max Shulman on his Writer's Almanac, saying that he wrote hilarious material. This was funny, but not THAT funny for me -- young Jewish men schtuping in the 1930s. I don't really appreciate satire enough, though. Someone who really likes satire would probably give this its due credit. If you like satire, I would recommend it. It's not deep; just funny. I continually read portions of this book to my husband and he doubled up laughing EVERY TIME. Boys and schtuping . . .

The "potatoes are cheaper" line, by the way, comes from a song in the 1930s that took a positive view of the severe depression . . . at least potatoes are cheaper [now:] . . .

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for everyone

I overlooked a lot to give this rating. If you are younger than 50 and have never lived in the Twin Cities, this book is probably not for you. I can't say it has aged well, but I am old as dinosaurs and enjoyed revisiting Selby Dale long before anyone thought it would be nice to drop an interstate highway through it.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

All I knew about Max Shulman was that he created Dobie Gillis and wrote a hilarious short story called "Love Is a Fallacy," which I used when I taught persuasive writing. I read this book in a couple of hours, and while it had some very funny lines, the main character was too sexist, racist, and homophobic to be worth even the little time I spent on it.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh the Jewishness!

[Lynne Constantine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read years ago and we passed it around our family. Still remember it. Very funny book.

[Chelsea Sawyers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I just didn't get the humor? Maybe I'm too young to understand some of the references or jokes, or maybe because I didn't grow up in the city I just don't get it? I listened to it on Audiobook while working one day and it just didn't make me laugh. I'm sure others will find it funny, maybe those who lived during the depression. Just wasn't for me.

[Frank Salvatini · Rating 3 out of 5]

potatoes are cheaper by Max Shulman.

Showman’s earlier novels are quite hilarious. This one is not. It reads like an Archie comic, and the humor is a bit bland. It is amusing, and I read through the whole thing, but I felt I was let down. It was definitely not Dobie Gillis and Maynard Krebs

[Kevin Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shulman Strikes Again

I was only recently introduced to Max Shulman’s books, and they are a breath of fresh hilarity! If you’re looking for deep insights, take your shovel somewhere else. He’s a humorous storyteller extraordinaire. He comes out swinging on the first page and keeps punching hard to the last. Great stuff!

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 1972. Comedic book I don't remember.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as an audiobook before bed. We both enjoyed Shulman's romantic comedy of a "fortune hunter" nearly lured away by a goyim girl.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Classic

I BELIEVE THAT I FIRST READ THIS BOOK IN THE 1960'S, and I think this is about the 5th or 6th time that I've read it. I absolutely love it and I will probably read it again, this hilarious book will only appeal to a very small portion of the population. I doubt if there is anybody that could write a book like this in today's atmosphere.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember this as quite hilarious...

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Returned for refund. Just too vulgar for me.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great literature this is not. But it is at times quite funny.