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Poor No More
Poor No More is a portrait of the American scene, in business, in the society of New York's feverish cocktail-night club life.Craig Price let nothing stand in his way and he sacrifices all he cares for in his quest for wealth and power.
820 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
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About the author
Robert Ruark
75 books81 followersRobert Ruark was an author and syndicated columnist.
Born Robert Chester Ruark, Jr., to Charlotte A. Ruark and Robert C. Ruark, a bookkeeper for a wholesale grocery, young Ruark attended local schools and graduated from New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. He graduated from high school at age 12 and entered the University of North Carolina at age 15. The Ruark family was deeply affected by the Depression, but despite his families' financial travails, he earned a journalism degree from the University of North 'Carolina at Chapel Hill.
During World War II Ruark was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy. Ruark served ten months as a gunnery officer on Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys.After the war Ruark joined the Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance. As the New York Times said, Ruark was "sometimes glad, sometimes sad, and often mad--but almost always provocative." Some of his columns were eventually collected into two books, I Didn't Know It Was Loaded (1948) and One for the Road (1949).As he grew in notoriety, Ruark began to write fiction; first for literary magazines, and then his first novel, Grenadine Etching in 1947.
After he began to gain success as a writer, Ruark decided that it was time to fulfill a lifelong dream to go on safari to Africa. Ruark took an entire year off and began a love affair with Africa.As a result of his first safari, Ruark wrote Horn of the Hunter, in which he detailed his hunt.
In 1953, Ruark began writing a column for Field & Stream magazine entitled ''The Old Man and the Boy''. Considered largely autobiographical (although technically fiction), this heartwarming series ran until late 1961.
Ruark's first bestselling novel was published in 1955. It was entitled Something of Value and was about the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya.
Sometimes belittled as “the poor man’s Hemingway,” Ruark has nevertheless retained a loyal following among fans of nature writing. Bland Simpson wrote that he produced “some of the best ‘portraiture in words’ of hunting, fishing and life in the field that we have.”
Ruark died in London on July 1, 1965 most likely as a result of alcoholism.
Robert Ruark is buried in Palamos, Spain.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_R...
Born Robert Chester Ruark, Jr., to Charlotte A. Ruark and Robert C. Ruark, a bookkeeper for a wholesale grocery, young Ruark attended local schools and graduated from New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. He graduated from high school at age 12 and entered the University of North Carolina at age 15. The Ruark family was deeply affected by the Depression, but despite his families' financial travails, he earned a journalism degree from the University of North 'Carolina at Chapel Hill.
During World War II Ruark was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy. Ruark served ten months as a gunnery officer on Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys.After the war Ruark joined the Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance. As the New York Times said, Ruark was "sometimes glad, sometimes sad, and often mad--but almost always provocative." Some of his columns were eventually collected into two books, I Didn't Know It Was Loaded (1948) and One for the Road (1949).As he grew in notoriety, Ruark began to write fiction; first for literary magazines, and then his first novel, Grenadine Etching in 1947.
After he began to gain success as a writer, Ruark decided that it was time to fulfill a lifelong dream to go on safari to Africa. Ruark took an entire year off and began a love affair with Africa.As a result of his first safari, Ruark wrote Horn of the Hunter, in which he detailed his hunt.
In 1953, Ruark began writing a column for Field & Stream magazine entitled ''The Old Man and the Boy''. Considered largely autobiographical (although technically fiction), this heartwarming series ran until late 1961.
Ruark's first bestselling novel was published in 1955. It was entitled Something of Value and was about the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya.
Sometimes belittled as “the poor man’s Hemingway,” Ruark has nevertheless retained a loyal following among fans of nature writing. Bland Simpson wrote that he produced “some of the best ‘portraiture in words’ of hunting, fishing and life in the field that we have.”
Ruark died in London on July 1, 1965 most likely as a result of alcoholism.
Robert Ruark is buried in Palamos, Spain.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_R...
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 8, 2011
I found my copy at a used bookstore going out of business, so it's an old one, the cover falling apart. I love Ruark's writing, though, so it was worth reading in print — it's a complete reading experience.
The main character is Craig Price, and the story begins with his childhood, follows through his life journey and successes, and ends with his downfall. At first, it's like a Horatio Alger story — he's from very poor circumstances, but he's bright and ambitious, eager to succeed. So he rises and rises until he's this huge tycoon. However, he has made some morally ambiguous moves in his rise to success, and many of them later bite him in the ass. He also loses some conscience in the end and does some despicable things, so after coming to love and admire him, you end up despising his character for the things he does.
It's a very long, almost epic story about the life of Craig Price — not the sort of thing you see in fiction these days — but the writing is beautiful, the character development great. It's a great journey of a read, and the descriptions of people, places, and things are simply unlike any other. Ruark is always very lyrical that way.
Loved the book.
The main character is Craig Price, and the story begins with his childhood, follows through his life journey and successes, and ends with his downfall. At first, it's like a Horatio Alger story — he's from very poor circumstances, but he's bright and ambitious, eager to succeed. So he rises and rises until he's this huge tycoon. However, he has made some morally ambiguous moves in his rise to success, and many of them later bite him in the ass. He also loses some conscience in the end and does some despicable things, so after coming to love and admire him, you end up despising his character for the things he does.
It's a very long, almost epic story about the life of Craig Price — not the sort of thing you see in fiction these days — but the writing is beautiful, the character development great. It's a great journey of a read, and the descriptions of people, places, and things are simply unlike any other. Ruark is always very lyrical that way.
Loved the book.
March 10, 2010
A epic rags to riches story that seeps with descriptions of southern culture and lifestyle, economic success and calamity, love and betrayal. It es an easy read and the prose is great. This book would make a great movie or TV series.
February 8, 2016
Poor No More by Robert Ruark (Henry Holt & Co. 1959) (Fiction). This is a long out-of-print novel that begins with a business tycoon and then explains how he grew from humble rural beginnings into his present role. My rating: 7/10, finished 1984.
March 19, 2021
A mixed bag. Ruark can tell a compelling story & it was fun to read about places I know, having lived in NC for 16 years. However, the writing holds a LOT of misogyny, even more than the casual racism (which hasn't changed much in that part of the state) . I always try to read books in the context of the time of authorship, but I know plenty of people who were alive when the author was, who don't display an open loathing for women & who don't regard them as either an unpleasant necessity for making dinner or typing letters or objects to be described & assessed merely by their busts & legs. It got old in a hurry & I couldn't decide who I disliked more - the author or the main character.
I also found what the main character claimed drove his desperate motivation of greed to be a bit unconvincing - he seemed to enjoy his early childhood in the woods & had diverse relationships in his community. He was already beginning to make money for himself by the time he was 15 & was tasting wealth by the time he was 19-20. It seemed to me that instead, he was just a selfish jerk, whose attempts to own the trait came off as disingenuous at best.
I did keep reading, not even sure why I wanted to know what happened. A good description that someone else wrote is "compellingly repellent."
I also found what the main character claimed drove his desperate motivation of greed to be a bit unconvincing - he seemed to enjoy his early childhood in the woods & had diverse relationships in his community. He was already beginning to make money for himself by the time he was 15 & was tasting wealth by the time he was 19-20. It seemed to me that instead, he was just a selfish jerk, whose attempts to own the trait came off as disingenuous at best.
I did keep reading, not even sure why I wanted to know what happened. A good description that someone else wrote is "compellingly repellent."
October 25, 2017
A little tedious at times. I was always wanting him to get back to the story. 4 or 5 pages describing something I considered to be trivial was enough to make me stop reading and set aside for a time. It is over 800 pages and divided into 4 books.
The overt racism was also challenging for me. I don't remember that era being that bad, but then again I'm not from the south. It also came across as the opinion of the author and not vital for the story. I feel Ruark would not be someone that I would want to be friends with.
I've started to read this book many times over the years but could never get past a few pages. Getting ready to donate much of my library and picked this to read before boxing it up. I gave a rating of 2 stars and I feel that is being generous. If I were selling this at a garage sale I would feel I was over charging at $0.25.
The overt racism was also challenging for me. I don't remember that era being that bad, but then again I'm not from the south. It also came across as the opinion of the author and not vital for the story. I feel Ruark would not be someone that I would want to be friends with.
I've started to read this book many times over the years but could never get past a few pages. Getting ready to donate much of my library and picked this to read before boxing it up. I gave a rating of 2 stars and I feel that is being generous. If I were selling this at a garage sale I would feel I was over charging at $0.25.
September 3, 2025
Read this novel 1963 whilst in the merchant navy on the way to U S A . Great story .
January 8, 2009
You just can't beat Ruark--he dies too young.
April 1, 2012
Terrific writing. A story about a poor boy who grows up to have it all, or seems to, and what happens to him.
February 4, 2019
And again in 1971.
December 30, 2021
Very good read indeed but the ending was anti-climax
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews