Anything Can Happen

by George Papashvily, Helen Waite Papashvily

An ingenuous Russian immigrant attempts such enterprises as strike-breaking in Pittsburgh, feasting with the Navajos, farming in Pennsylvania, and operating a box-lunch business in San Francisco

Genres: Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, History, Autobiography, Biography, American

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1945

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this book this week. Heartbreakingly lovely and a reminder to stay honest and fair - no matter what others do. It's been many years since I have read this. My copy was published in 1945, I think.

[Amanda Tero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever wonder what an immigrant from the 1940’s went through when they arrived in America? In a way, the word “charming” comes to mind from this biography of Giorgi, a man from the country Georgia, as he comes to America and struggles to make ends meet and live a life in a new country, where he doesn’t understand the people, and the people don’t understand him. His was not an easy life, but it is not told in a “woe is me” fashion. Instead, humor is sprinkled through the pages as he recounts his adventures and mishaps.

There is some language in this book—primarily, God’s name taken in vain (quite frequently). Also, I cannot consider it a Christian book. It was morally clean with practically no romance.

[djkb djkb · Rating 5 out of 5]

ჯორჯ პაპაშვილი, გიორგი პაპაშვილი, ქართველი მწერალი, რომლის მიხედვითაც გადაღებულმა ფილმმა მოიპოვა ოქროს გლობუსი, თან გადაიღო ვინ ? ფარამაუნტ ფიქჩერსმა ... წიგნმა გამოშვებიდან მალევე მოიპოვა პოპულარულობა რადგან "ამერიკული ოცნების" მაძიებელ, აღმოსავლეთ ევროპელზე დაწერილი ისტორია საკმაოდ ემოციური და თბილი აღმოჩნდა. სხვათაშორის ეს წიგნი, ალბათ პირველი მცდელობაა, იმის რომ ამერიკელმა ადამიანმა დაინახოს, ვინც საბჭოთა კავშირიდან მოდის ყველა რუსი არაა, დიახ, დღესაც გაიცნობთ ამერიკაში ადამიანებს ვინც თვლიან რომ საქართველო სლავური ქვეყანაა, ამაში ჩემი გამოცდილებითაც დავრწმუნდი. წიგნი გაიყიდა მილიონ ეგზემპლარზე მეტი, ითარგმნა რამოდენიმე ენაზე, მათ შორის ქართულადაც 1965 წელს ... არ გირჩევთ ამ თარგმანს ... ცენზურა დამალვს ყველა იმ ფაქტს რაც სსრკ -ს დიად ნაგავს შეურაცხყოფდა.

წიგნი კი ასახავს ქართველი მიგრანტის ისტორიას რომელიც ჩადის ამერიკაში, ისე რომ არც ენა იცის არც არაფერი ამერიკის შესახებ, ის უბრალო დევნილია, აი რაც ამერიკაში ფეხის დადგმის მერე ხდება ეს უკვე ისტორიაა ... მოკლედ გირჩევთ და ვუწევ ამ წიგნს რეკომენდაციას, ქართველი ოქროს გლობუსელის წიგნს (რა საამაყოდ ჟღერს )

ისიც ფაქტია რომ წიგნის დაწერაში მონაწილეობა მიიღო მისმა მეუღლემ, რომელიც პროფესიით მწერალი გახლდათ, ჰელენ უეით პაპაშვილი (Helen Waite Papashvily)

[Cindy Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of George Papashvily, a Georgian immigrant to the United States. His story begins at Ellis Island and continues through one experience after another. The story is told with a sense of humor as Mr. Papashvily discovers that America may not exactly be the land flowing with milk and honey. This is a fun, short read.

[ElizabethTBH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been a favorite of mine for over a decade. I read it about once a year. This is one of the few books I own that have me laughing out loud consistently as I read. I have learned that I need to be careful where I read this book! He's sweet and honest and funny and kind. It's a wonderful book and following the colloquialism is half the fun.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is amazing. If anybody forgets why it is great to live in this country just read this book. I found it a random on my book shelf.

[Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

You wouldn't think I could find a book from my favorite super-specific niche genre (Short stories written in the mid-1940s by immigrants about the American experience in good humor and with good heart) in a tiny used bookstore in Yellow Springs, Ohio, but hey... anything can happen.

What's not to love about this? George Papashvily writes sincerely (in his unique Georgian dialect) about his travels across America, including tales of police run-ins, bad business ventures, and the simple joys of reuniting with your countrymen and finding a home. It's a bundled volume of wholesomeness. Even the backflap is something to behold, as it skips the author biography and instead implores its readers to buy war bonds in order to win the fight against fascism.

They just don't publish books like this anymore.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful autbiographic read of life in the 1940's as an immigrant to America. The perspective is insightful and humorous! I REALLY love the way this book is written in the immigrant's own broken English! It is quite a charming book! Perfect for reading aloud as a family.
Note: there are several usages of God's name in vain (I marked them out of our family copy).

[Karly Det ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

walking through the corridor of the university library when i saw this old book, i took it and started reading just standing there...., two pages and..... it got me.

[Gvantsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Georgian living in California, I found this book especially appealing and emotional. It got me to tears multiple times. George’s resilience to overcome obstacles while chasing his dreams and holding on to the Georgian culture, character, and spirit is so admirable. He made me feel so close to the place I’m so proud to call my home.

[Natalya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me giggle and smile and cry. A heart warming account of an immigrant's experience in the United States.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful! The message of the immigrant experience resonates today.

[Nadeem Gaikwad · Rating 5 out of 5]

All time fav. I can read this from any page just for some positivity whenever I look for it. Read again last week to begin 2022!

[Kathryn Judson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ran across a 1945 fourth edition of this book, one with a Buy War Bonds appeal on the back of the dust jacket. I wasn't familiar with it, so read a few pages, and was hooked. A delightful, lively, heartrending, funny, original, clean but not PC book, showcasing America, warts and all, from the perspective of an immigrant who lives life with zest, won't compromise on conscience, and readily laughs at himself. The author and I aren't in agreement on a few things, but it's his life, and his book, and it's very well done - and provides a good illustration of how much we've lost in the way of manners, morals, and freedom, since it was written. It's going on my 'reread someday' shelf.

[David Dickey]

I bought this at a book fair in 9th grade in 1971. It is one of my favorite books, and I have read it many times. My ragged paperback copy is a precious possession. Georgi is such a positive and attractive character. We should all have his attitude and approach to life. His stories of immigrant life in 1920s-30s America are hilarious yet gentle, not crude or mean-spirited as so much humor is today. I recommend this book to anyone.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in the 1940s. In short vivid vignettes the author recounts his experiences as a new immigrant from Georgia, and his assimilation into U.S. society. For good reason it was a best-seller in its day. Probably hard to find now, but the library still had the old edition. Heart-warming. Fast read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book, humorous and touching. I read it often forty years ago, and am pleased to find myself as charmed now as I was then. So often books you read as a child just aren't the same when you read them as an adult, but fortunately I've not outgrown this one. I highly recommend it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this little book, published in 1945. A Georgian (as in Russia) tells of his adventures as he came to America and found a place here. I laughed out loud sometimes, and grew to love this gentle and hard-working man. I also grew to love my country a bit more, too.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a pleasurable read! It's about a Georgian immigrant and his story of adopting to life in America, funny and moving. Be aware, descriptions of Georgian food can make you crave a good shashlyk.

[Leta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming story of an optimistic immigrant learning to fit in in his new country and sometimes fitting his new country to the old one. The last two chapters are not to be missed.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this book as funny and tear jerking.

[Adam Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books ever; heart warming, humorous, enjoyable for young and old.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, humorous, thoughtful... thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Jobiska (Cindy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hil. Arious.

"It's duff! duff, I tell you!"

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give it 4.5. One of those books that is fun and easy to read. I even laughed out loud a time or three. A Georgian immigrant's story told with honesty and humor.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this delightful little gem of a book gets reprinted soon. I got mine a library book sale.

[Sarah Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“‘Georgians, Russians, Greek, Latvian, Estonian, Irish.... it gives me hope when I see us sitting down so peaceful together, maybe whole world gonna learn how to do it, too. After all it’s only enjoyable way to live. So- for Home.’
‘I drink with pleasure,’ I said. ‘For Home. It’s floor is the earth; it’s roof is the sky.’”

My grandma sent me this old book from the 1930s-1940s that I had never heard of (overall it is not a well-known book, I believe it was quite popular in its day but it has died out). It was written by an immigrant from Georgia who came to America in the early 1900s and faced many struggles and ups and downs. The part I liked about the book was the sense of warmth and humor and the importance of friends in a strangers land. The building of a life and a home after stepping off a boat. Of course, one must acknowledge the millions who don’t make it. Who face prejudice or xenophobia or simply aren’t allowed in. This book is from a different time, though, and so I must allow for a different lens.

Written in somewhat broken English, which only makes it more endearing, I found this book powerful in ways I didn’t expect. I am glad I got to appreciate the lives of the author and his friends, of “Uncle John”, these people revived from death, becoming the warm, lively and completely real people they were, before the path of history and time and media rolls over their stories forever. It’s the quieter lives, the ones that don’t demand so much attention (especially in a time of such information overload), that have the most to say.

“I made excuse to leave the table and go outside just so I could catch it all in my heart to keep- the voices floating away through the trees, the feathers of smoke rising from the chimney, the roasting baking buttery smell sifting out of the kitchen door, the windows shining with golden light - people being happy in my house.”

It gives hope, a story a hundred years ago, to a world still fragmented by differences and greed and avarice. The power of a small little story of finding home within those who laugh and listen.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of George Papashvily, a Georgian immigrant to the United States. His story begins at Ellis Island and continues through one experience after another. It's not all roses, but the writing reminds me of O'Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. Definitely worth reading (and in my case keeping).

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming, fun-loving tale of the early years of a Georgian immigrant finding his way in America in the 1940's. The fact that it is written in broken English only adds to the charm and accentuates the role that communication, and the follies of miscommunication, plays in relationships.


Book club selection
Borrowed book from archive.org

[Chris Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of funniest, most inspiring, and uplifting books ever written. It will make you proud to be an american, and happy to be alive. If you can find a copy of this book, buy 4 more and give them to your friends and family.