Просяк, крадец

Rich Man, Poor Man #2

by Irwin Shaw, Иванка Томова (Translator)

Продължението на бестселъра “Богат, беден”!
Драматичната сага на фамилия Джордах, обезсмъртена в шедьовъра на Ъруин Шоу “Богат, беден”, продължава сред най-красивите метрополии и най-луксозните курорти от двете страни на Атлантика!
На фона на съкрушителните събития, белязали живота на Рудолф, авторът проследява съдбите на двамата му своенравни племенници - Били и Уесли - третото поколение Джордах. Всеки от тях се противи по своему срещу печалната слава на фамилията, ала не намира сили да се откъсне от нея и от нейното всесилно богатство. Възходите, паденията и страстите на познатите герои се вплитат в едно изискано произведение, търсещо новия морал от края на 20. век.
Уесли, измъчван от убийството на баща си, започва странно и дълбоко лично пътешествие; Били се забърква с момиче, което ще му донесе неочаквани беди; Гретхен намира нови предизвикателства и преживява изненадващ обрат в живота си...
Прескачайки между Европа и Америка, "Просяк, крадец" рисува блестящо съдбата на едно семейство с неговите радости, тъги, успехи и падения.
Ъруин Шоу (1913-1984) е роден в Ню Йорк. Започва литературната си кариера с писане на разкази, радио и театрални пиеси. През Втората световна война служи в Северна Африка, Близкия Изток и Европа, а след края й постига широко признание с първия си роман „Младите лъвове”. Ъруин Шоу е автор на над десет романа, придобили световна популярност. По някои от книгите му са създадени филми и телевизионни сериали. Преведен е на двайсет езика.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Contemporary, The United States Of America, Family, Drama

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Shaw was born Irwin Gilbert Shamforoff in the South Bronx, New York City, to Russian Jewish immigrants. Shaw was a prolific American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies. He is best known for his novels, The Young Lions (1948) and Rich Man Poor Man (1970).

His parents were Rose and Will. His younger brother, David Shaw (died 2007), became a noted Hollywood producer. Shortly after Irwin's birth, the Shamforoffs moved to Brooklyn. Irwin changed his surname upon entering college. He spent most of his youth in Brooklyn, where he graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1934.

Shaw began screenwriting in 1935 at the age of 21, and scripted for several radio shows, including Dick Tracy, The Gumps and Studio One.

Shaw's first play, Bury the Dead (1936) was an expressionist drama about a group of soldiers killed in a battle who refuse to be buried. During the 1940s, Shaw wrote for a number of films, including Talk of the Town (a comedy about civil liberties), The Commandos Strike at Dawn (based on a C.S. Forester story about commandos in occupied Norway) and Easy Living (about a football player unable to enter the game due to a medical condition). Shaw married Marian Edwards. They had one son, Adam Shaw, born in 1950, himself a writer of magazine articles and non-fiction.

Shaw enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a warrant officer during World War II.He served with an Army documentary film unit. The Young Lions, Shaw's first novel, was published in 1949. Based on his experiences in Europe during the war, the novel was very successful and was adapted into a 1958 film.

Shaw's second novel, The Troubled Air, chronicling the rise of McCarthyism, was published in 1951. He was among those who signed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the John Howard Lawson and Dalton Trumbo convictions for contempt of Congress, resulting from hearings by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Falsely accused of being a communist by the Red Channels publication, Shaw was placed on the Hollywood blacklist by the movie studio bosses. In 1951 he left the United States and went to Europe, where he lived for 25 years, mostly in Paris and Switzerland. He later claimed that the blacklist "only glancingly bruised" his career. During the 1950s he wrote several more screenplays, including Desire Under the Elms (based on Eugene O'Neill's play) and Fire Down Below (about a tramp boat in the Caribbean).

While living in Europe, Shaw wrote more bestselling books, notably Lucy Crown (1956), Two Weeks in Another Town (1960), Rich Man, Poor Man (1970) (for which he would later write a less successful sequel entitled Beggarman, Thief) and Evening in Byzantium (made into a 1978 TV movie). Rich Man, Poor Man was adapted into a highly successful ABC television miniseries in 1976.

His novel Top of the Hill, about the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1980, was made into a TV movie, starring Wayne Rogers, Adrienne Barbeau, and Sonny Bono.

His last two novels were Bread Upon the Waters (1981) and Acceptable Losses (1982).

Shaw died in Davos, Switzerland on May 16, 1984, aged 71, after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

Reviews

[Viktor Stoyanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Продължението на класиката "Богат, беден" е общо взето едно продължение, което не е било задължително. Спокойно историята можеше да свърши с разпръскването на праха на Том като кулминация и най-силен момент.

Защо го казвам - ами, защото нищо от "Просяк, крадец" не е по-силно, по-запомнящо се, по смислено като послание. Нещо като скока на Стефка Костадинова - всичко след него са просто опити да се достигне. Безуспешни.

Продължението го усещам като един отглас, като ехо, което да ни напомни за величавата главна история. Но без да има енергията, възможностите или дори нагласата и претенцията да я надскочи. Мога да го опиша и като хляб, замесен от същото брашно, но с почти никаква от оригиналната мая. А маята ката хляба да шупне, да оживее. Тук по-скоро идеята е да си припомним вкуса на първоначалния хляб. Децата ще тръгнат по стъпките (буквално) на родителите си. Да разберат повече за тях и какво е тяхното собствено място в света. Но се преоткриват чрез незабравимите вече създадени образи в "Богат, беден".

Или нещо като хомеопатията - оригиналното активно вещество, само че разредено в чиста вода съотношение 1:1000. Само паметта на водата за онова - силно действащото вещество.

Все пак, дори и в такъв разред, хомеопатията действа, ако вярваш достатъчно в нея, а аз в Шоу вярвам :)

[Nina Draganova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Не знам защо им е нужно на такива големи автори , да се опитват да направят продължения на супер популярните си книги.
В повечето случаи това обикновено не е добра идея и няма подобно въздействие .
Така се е случило и с това продължение.
Буквално са изсмукани от пръстите всички случки .
Няма нещо важно , което може да се извлече.
Скалъпена история.

[Kalin Nikolov · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

[Mariya Mincheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Човешки роман, който оставя следа у мен. Историята вплита болезнени теми като бедността, самотата, любовта и отчаянието, за да покаже как духът може да оцелее дори при най-мрачните обстоятелства. Героите са реалистични и притежават психологическа дълбочина, а езикът на автора е едновременно суров и поетичен. Това не е просто разказ за оцеляване, а поглед към душата без грим и илюзии, през нея с надежда и копнеж зад озъбената, враждебна реалност. Препоръчвам на всеки, който търси нещо общовалидно, човешко и дяволски добре изпипано.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Продължение на ‘Богат, беден’. Книгата, за съжаление, не е така богата и интригуваща както предшестващата я. Стори ми се, че е някак набързо написана.

[Мая · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ако приемем, че първата книга "Богат, беден" е върхът на айсберга, то тогава продължението й е разкритият, цялостен образ на чудовището, което се крие под повърхността.
Обясненията за всичките ни въпроси от първата книга, се намират тук.

В историята за двете момчета, продълженията на рода Джордах, братовчедите, които почти до края на книгата не се познават, но накрая стават добри приятели, ние откриваме истината за цялото семейство, причините и следствията, които са довели до развръзката.

Обусловено от войната, от отчуждението, от липсата на всякаква комуникация и желание за такава, семейството ни се разкрива такова, каквото е, защото вече ножът е опрял до кокала. Няма за къде повече да се крият тайни, да се премълчава, да се увърта. Всичко е искрено до болка, с неповторимия изказ на Шоу, който разрязва с острия си като бръснач език всяка тема, до която се докосне. И същевременно, леката апатия, която прозира в текста е измамна, защото заключенията, до които стига авторът посочват, че всъщност нищо не му е толкова безразлично, колкото изглежда.
Дълбокомислието, което струи от книгата ни дава ясен знак за падението на една нация, за промяната на морала, с която хората трябва да свикват и да се приспособяват.

Дълбоко социална книга, всъщност и двете й части. Ставам фен на Шоу и със сигурност ще прочета и други негови творби.

[Dario DallaLasta · Rating 5 out of 5]

After devouring "Rich Man, Poor Man," I just knew I had to read Irwin Shaw's sequel immediately; and I wasn't disappointed, by any means. A fantastic sequel, "Beggarman, Thief" continues the saga of the Jordache clan, an all-America family besieged by tragedy, violence, terrorists, and the Cannes film festival. Shaw really brings the family to life and continues the thread of history by concentrating on the offspring: mainly sister Gretchen Jordache's son Billy Abbott, a lazy army man in Brussels in the late sixties, taunted and played with by a mysterious terrorist; and the late brother Tom Jordache's son Wesley, who's thirst for revenge of his father's murderer brings them all back to France amidst his starring debut in Gretchen's first film as a director. I finished the book on the subway this morning and began looking (frantically) for the third book in this series. Alas, there isn't one. I can't believe I have to let go of the Jordaches - they're part of my own DNA by now.

[Rafo Zarbabyan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Գիրքը չի կարելի դիտարկել որպես առանձին ստեղծագործություն: Սա Իրվին Շոուի հանրահայտ Богач, бедняк շարունակությունն է և առանձին չի կարող գոյություն ունենալ: Եթե չեք կարդացել նախորդը, սրա ուղղությամբ կարող եք չնայել անգամ:
Իրվին Շոուի համար բավական թույլ գործ էր: Տպավորությունն էնպիսին էր, որ գրել էր պարզապես նախորդ պատմությունն ավարտին հասցնելու համար, քանի որ այն ոչ միանշանակ ավարտվեց: Իմ կարծիքով՝ ավելի լավ է այդպես էլ մնար:
Եթե կարդացել եք Ջորդախների պատմությունը, ապա այս գրքում Շոուն պատմում է Ջորդախների հաջորդ սերնդի, ավելի կոնրկետ՝ Գրեթխենի և Թոմասի զավակների մասին:

[Victoria Evangelina Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the first book of the series we met complex and interesting characters, who, like people in everyday life, contained positive and negative features and desires. In Beggarman, Thief all is too dull, to set up, too predictable. I did not like the book at all, though I read it till the last page and am glad the characters found their positive way... more or less. It could have been a great short story, but not a full-size novel, in my opinion...

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Нищий, вор" нужно читать после романа "Богач, бедняк", иначе многое будет не понятно. Одна книга - продолжение другой, сложная история сложной семьи, написанная простым, неперегруженным языком.

Романы Ирвина Шоу современны. Понравятся тем, кто не выносит многостраничную философию, а больше любит раскрытие темы через динамичный сюжет. Главная проблема в этих романах гораздо глубже, чем просто вопрос богатства и бедности. Я бы обозначила её как выбор между честолюбием и человечностью, который неоднократно на протяжении всей жизни приходится делать каждому. Эта тема раскрывается через тщательно прописанных персонажей: они не кристально хорошие или плохие, отношение к ним меняется от главы к главе. В конце концов, на их поступки и на их мысли становится невозможно смотреть с точки зрения "правильности" или "рациональности". Эти романы учат понимать в других и в себе то, что порой невозможно или не хочется принять.

[Allexiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Завърших "Просяк, крадец" точно преди минути. Мнението ми е много високо. Цялата история за семейство Джордах е разказана от Ъруин Шоу по възможно най-добрият начин, който би могъл да съществува. На лице са много добре описани обр��зи, история , която е обвита и в тъга, и във веселие , а картините на семейна обич,закрила и семейството , като изконна ценност, са много добре поднесени. Идеята на книгата и ценностите, които се съдържат във всяка една страница от нея, могат само да говорят за майсторството на автора. Историята е изградена на базата на диалози, което наподобява сериал. За мен това е най- добре изградената история за семейството,обичта и безрезервната подкрепа и топлина! :)

[Ilze Paegle-Mkrtčjana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turpinājums laikam vienmēr ir bīstama padarīšana. Šajā gadījumā arī nepārprotama neveiksme, jo atklāti un diezgan neprasmīgi ekspluatē savulaik veiksmīgus atradumus. Diemžēl.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book very interesting. Not having read Rich Man Poor Man and not having seen the TV miniseries, this book was very agreeable. Off course it eliminated any reason for comparison, which was the negative aspect of most of the critics. But, not having that, I had a great pleasure reading it.

[Adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequel to Rich Man, Poor Man, "Beggarman, Thief" follows the lives of the second generation of the Jordache family. Wesley, the son of Tom, goes on a quest to discover the man, who destroyed his life. Billy, the son of Gretchen, gets involved with a dangerous organization in Europe, and is desperately looking for a way to escape.
What I really liked about this book was the fact, that we got a closure for some of the characters, who did not get one in the original novel. Especially Teddy Boylan and Janos Danovic. I felt their stories were not properly finalized in the end of "Rich Man, Poor Man", and it was nice to see what happens to them.
Rudolph is still my favorite character, ever though I found him less charming here. In the original novel he had to be creative, to struggle, to find his way in the world. In "Beggarman, Thief" he seems to be more static and less inspirational. It was nice to see him as a mentor and a fatherly figure to both Wesley and Billy, but I missed the old Rudolph.
The settings of the book were also less captivating than in "Rich Man, Poor Man". The action still takes place between Europe and America, however in the first novel a reader could really feel the vibes of these places and see how they shape the characters. In this novel the settings seemed to be less glamorous, less lively and less important to the overall story.
Overall, the book is not bad, however it would have worked a lot better as a standalone novel, instead as a sequel to a classic. The constant comparisons, which are inevitably made between the two, are definitely not in favor of "Beggarman, Thief".

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often times you finish a book and wish that it weren't over or that there was a sequel. This book shows that you have to be careful of what you wish for. It picks up literally where the end of the first book left off.

However, this book focuses on the second generation - Wesley Jordache and Billy Abbott. They are two sons who have been raised differently. Billy, raised in private schools and with all the money but neglected by his parents. Wesley, raised in semi-poverty but full of love. Billy chooses to live a life of idleness while Wesley is driven.

It was a book full of action and things happening, but little emotion. You would learn that a character didn't like another character, but never really why. They would dissolve into weeping fits or angry outbursts without an explanation.

But it was nice to get some closure on some of the threads from the first book. I liked the first generation characters from the first book. I didn't enjoy getting into the next group but I understood why Shaw chose to focus on the next group.

Definitely don't read this if you haven't read the first. And if you'll really love the first book, take caution before reading this one. It's not quite satisfactory.

[Eirini Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I stepped into Shakespeare and Company in Paris, I wandered among the bookshelves, hoping to find a novel that wouldn't drain my wallet simply because I was buying a classic from the first all-English bookshop in Europe. Just when I thought my search was in vain, a book seemed to magically appear on the second-hand shelf. It felt like fate, as I hadn't even known of its existence until that moment. The title ringed a bell -2 adjectives separated by a comma- reminding me of "Rich Man, Poor Man". Indeed, it really was Irwin Shaw coming through with a sequel to an almost five star. I said to myself "I knew there should have been a sequel to set straight the rushed ending of the first book". Needless to say, I bought the book...
No need to summarize the book; countless reviews have already done that. The first time I reviewed Irwin Shaw, I recognized the advantage of being a writer who also works in the movie industry. There's no denying he can craft a page-turner with likeable characters. What I don't understand is why he didn't stick with the multiple character perspectives in each chapter. He kind of did it anyway e.x. Billy's letters, but not as clearly as in the first book. Anyway, I enjoyed Billy's letters, but they didn't convincingly demonstrate why he should pursue a career in writing. There was a presumed talent implied, but no concrete proof of it- maybe I didn't see it. Moreover, it is evident that the book is written by a privileged white man to a point where I’m surprised other reviews haven’t mentioned it. Throughout the book, there are scenes of casual sexism. The way he portrays women always first admiring their looks and describing their figures then their seductiveness, charm, chatinness, and only later their opinions and views, gets tiresome and uneasy after a while. He has mastered the art of crafting male protagonists who are irresistible to women due to their chivalry and youthful charm, while female characters tend to attract men mainly through their appearance. Additionally, the events in the book often seem to reflect Irwin Shaw’s own life experiences. As he mentioned in a 1980 interview, "I am a product of my times," suggesting that his books serve as a form of memoir. Nevertheless, 4 stars earned for his ease of style, interesting plot, and atmospheric setup. Travelling around Europe and America showcased the skill of the writer to adjust his writing to different cultures.
Still, I can't help but feel that Irwin left space for a third book in the series and waited for the audience's reaction to the sequel. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the critics' responses were negative, leading to a rather abrupt conclusion to the story. Given that the main theme revolves around money and how it serves those who possess it, the sudden ending feels quite fitting.

[Alexander Krastev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Никога нищо не трябва да бъде правено само заради самото правене на нещото... Ако ви се е сторило неясно, за мен е неясно защо е било нужно да се появи "Просяк, крадец". Историята много трудно може да се чете като самостоятелна и това е сериозен минус, който трудно се балансира от по-дълбокото изграждане на героите спрямо "Богат, беден".
Иначе книгата сякаш опита да навакса част от недостатъците (ако можем изобщо да говорим за такива) в първата част - повече и по-силно изградени женски персонажи, по-детайлно навлизане в конкретни сюжетни линии. Общо взето, "Просяк, крадец" е застигната от проклятието на втория роман: авторът знае какво точно трябва да направи, но очакванията са в пъти по-високи от силата на книгата.
П.П. Слушах я на 1,75, защото скоростта на Даниел Цочев ми се струваше изкуствено намалена, вероятно по чисто технически причини.

[Nadyusha · Rating 5 out of 5]

И когато си мислиш, че "Богат, беден" не може да има добро продължение, идва това произведение на изкуството! Четеш и ревеш или четеш и после си казваш, че трябва да я препрочетеш веднага, защото не искаш да свършва! Липсват ми героите. Никога не съм се примързвала към някой герой дотолкова, че да ми липсва. Е, тук всички герой са ми ценни. Дори и "лошите" бих искала да видя отново как съдбата им го връща и т.н...

[John R. Goyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made it a bit over half way before stopping. There were good bits, but mostly it seemed to just ramble along from one meaningless life to another. I'd just become reconciled to one person when the story would shift to someone else I didn't really care about. Not bad, but dull and not engaging for me.

[Zoe Saadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not half as good as the "Rich Man, Poor Man". Upon rereading this old-times favorite, I was surprised and excited to find out there was a sequel to the story (the Kindle copy I read this time even had a quite generous preview of several chapters).
Well, I did read it to the end thanks to the author's skillful writing, but this novel never measured to its preceding book, or other novels I read by Irwin Shaw. There was actually no story there, no real plot - just a continuation of the characters' lives, some absolutely unnecessary and actually often out of character. The only one who has his story-line with some promise was Billy Abbott, but even his story never actually took off, never turned into something worthwhile. It just dragged with the danger looming but noting happening. As for Wesley, he was endearing, but not consistent and at the end of the book it doesn't clear at all what was that all about, what did he want out of life, what was all the fuss he had made through the story, to what end - he didn't seem to learn or grow or develop, just dragged over plenty of pages, showing how much his father's son he was. There is no need to write a whole new novel for such a closure...
As for the rest of the original characters, the first generation of Jordaches I enjoyed and liked so much in "Rich Man, Poor Man", they are not even worthy of mentioning in this review - nothing happened to them, nothing changed, their stories were told in the previous book.
Overall, disappointing...

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sequel to Rich Man, Poor Man is not as engaging. The characters are already well developed in the first and following them through in this sequel is just not to interesting for me. There were almost no other interesting characters introduced in this. The only difference is that some of the main characters moved from Europe to America and it provides a bit relief from an already becoming boring plot. At times, the story has the tendency to be too coincidental and I had a feeling that it was actually written with the TV miniseries in mind. On the other hand, the two novels will always be associated with the era of disco and funky music of the 70’s and part of my growing up.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second part of Rich Man, Poor Man by Irwin Shaw. Next generation of Jordachs is growing up - Wesley, Tom's son, after bar fight has to leave France for USA, Billy, Gretchen's son, is in the army and staying in Brussels and Enid, Rudolf's daughter (the youngest Jordach).

[Robert Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sequel to Rich Man, Poor Man. As sequels go-this one is okay. It doesn't try to duplicate the original book which is fantastic but it is more of a continuation of the story. There were a couple of continuity errors that the author mixed up from the TV versions of the stories and were not in his books at all. Kind of took me out of the story so it loses points for that. All in all-not bad but we would have been fine if this was not done and all we remembered was the original book.

[Steve Coscia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to Rich Man Poor Man. Great book.

[Apbugs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun book. About a very interesting and exciting family with so many things happening throughout. I thought the point of view of the book was really interesting. It started with Billy, the cousin and son of Gretchen the director, who seemed not to be part of the family at all and then ended with him as well, but now very much part of the family.

His arc was the most interesting (or confusing) because he began as someone who just seemed to be going with the wind and doing whatever was easiest to then suddenly becoming much more decisive. He was also the horniest character and that kind of led his life along. My favorite moment of his was when he finally reported Monika's activities because it showed that he wasn't completely spineless even though I did think it was cool that he became a partisan.

Rudolph the rich uncle was honestly the best character. He seemed to make the most sense and it's ironic that at the end he takes the most drastic measures - to hire an assassin to kill his brother's Tom's killer. I like the Jordache side of the family much more and his new democratic girlfriend so I didn't care very much when he kind of forgot about his ex-wife and daughter, they never really fit into the fun part of the story they were just kind of lame.

Wesley was just an immature kid the entire time. Even though he kept his feelings in that is what was motivating him and running the show which I think is the entire point. An unstable immature kid who is looking for closure.

Two things at the end kind of confuse me. First, I don't what it means for Tom's killer to already be dead even when Wesley went after him. And second, I don't know what it means for Billy to go the party of the girl in Chicago. For the second one, maybe it's just to show that luck is actually on the Jordache's side (the running theme is that the families luck is awful) and so he's not scared of Monika and her thugs. Both of these might just be closure as well, for everyone. Tom's killer was a symbol of pain in the family so now that he's dead they can just be one happy family? Not sure but I thought it was pretty powerful and a great ending, especially with Billy going to the party. Something so small but significant (because he is getting out again) is the perfect ending to a story like this.

So much interesting stuff happens in the book and the pacing is pretty great as well. I became really attached to these characters and they seemed to be real people in my mind even though crazy stuff was happening. I became very attached to this book not really sure why. Maybe because much it was more interesting than my life at the time of reading it.

In the end my favorite part was Billy leaving Belgium and going to Spain. I also really liked Rudolph's long island adventures. Something about this book was just very touching - an alternate shrunk down real world with lots of alcoholics and beautifully complex people.

Really well written by Irwin Shaw and captivating

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not remember much of Rich Man, Poor Man, the novel which precedes Beggarman, Thief, but Beggarman, Thief stands alone quite well. It opens with the Tom Jordache's siblings (Gretchen
and Rudolph) partner (Bunny Dwyer), and nephew (Wesley) and his wife (Kate) of 5 days spreading his ashes at sea from his yacht. Clothilde. The reader learns that Tom, who was known for his temper and aggressiveness was beaten to death on the deck. Wesley, who has been attending a private school in Paris, hasn't been around his father for most of his life, but in the short time that he does know him he has developed a love and a bond for him. Unfortunately his biological mother, a born again Christian who now lives in Indianapolis and knows the family is quite rich shows up and demands custody of him. In Indianapolis Wesley takes a job as a delivery person for a local grocery store and has an affair with an older woman. When the neighbors become suspicious of his long stays at her house, gossip begins. Wesley's mother kicks him out. Since Wesley wants to know his father better, he embarks on a quest with a list of names that Rudolph gives him to find those who knew him from his youth. That search takes him many places and introduces him to many people in his father's past. Some visits are helpful, but too many people unhappily remember Tom as the fighter he was. Wesley returns to the South of France determined to kill the Czechoslovakian that killed his father. Shaw weaves many characters' lives into this story that center around the Jordache family. Thinking about all of the novels I have read during my lifetime and after finishing this book, I decided that I really like the style of the writers of the 70s.

[Dianeparente62gmail.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well told sale

Having finished Rich Man, Poor Man, I was delighted to be able to follow it up with Beggarman,Thief and equally saddened when the sequel came to a sudden halt --and this time the story had really ended. After two somewhat lengthy chronicles of a family of diverse characters, this reader would have liked to follow their story at least to the end of the second generation.

The second generation was the focus of this novel that revolved around two young men trying to "find themselves," a process with outward rippling effects on the generation that shaped them ("the sins of the parents") They are a wandering bunch-- from the hometown on the Hudson, to Brussels, to Spain, to the south of France. The young men--Wesley and Billy--searching for purpose and love encounter some success but seem to lack "the luck" needed to hang on.

Their Uncle Rudolph, the self appointed self -sacrificing "family fixer," is trying to recover his youthful success destroyed by an alcoholic wife. Fortunately he has hung on to his money which enables his family fixing ventures. Although the first book featured outstanding story telling, and character development, the sequel focuses more on self discovery by the characters in this highly dysfunctional family. Still and all, it is an adventure -filled, enjoyable novel.

[Marcia DeCruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. This book reminded me of why I fell in love with reading.
The story is about the Jordaches. The father, Axel Jordache, an immigrant from Germany who came to the US by dubious means. He was not a particularly loving father. He was a penny pincher. His favorite son was Rudy or Rudolph, who he sees as having the best chance to make something of himself.
Rudy was also his mother's favorite, Mary Pease Jordache, who was raised in an orphanage by nuns. She had a nieve view on marriage and was disappointed with her life when she realized what marriage was all about. Gretchen, the oldest and the only girl, was beautiful and wanted more from her life. She was a secretary as well as a volunteer nurse as the story was set in 1945, nearing the end of ww2. She started an affair with, who she found out was the riches guy in town, Teddy Boylan, who was much older than she was. Teddy gave her the courage to finally live the life she wanted to live and eventually get away from her family. Teddy asked her to marry him, but she refused and moved to NYC.
Thomas or Tom was the youngest and a bit of a rebel. He would pick fight with bigger tougher guys.
And would win those fights.
Finally, Rudy, who is essentially the main character, who is smart, and the pride of both parents.
These are the main characters in a book started in 1945 - 1968.
I highly recommend.

[Svilena Slavev · Rating 4 out of 5]

След завладяващата ми втора среща с "Богат, беден", нямаше как да пропусна да не си припомня в детайли и продължението "Просяк, крадец". Историята проследява живота на семейство Джордах. Този път на фокус са житейските съдби на Били и Уесли, двамата братовчеди, представящи следващата генерация на рода Джордах. Увличаща и интригуваща е сюжетната линия, въпреки че не предоставя красива детайлна мозайка, подобно на първата част "Богат, беден". Образът на Гретхен е съвсем оскъден, макар да преживява значителен възход в кариерата си. Героят на Рудолф също претърпява сериозни сътресения, но и той остава някак настрана от повествованието. За сметка на това се появява Моника, към която честно казано не можа да ми се породи интерес до края на книгата. Някак сюжетната нишка, развиваща се между Били и Моника, ми стоеше като натрапена и без да има нищо общо с основната история. Уесли пък остана сладникаво очарователен ... с две думи, първата част от историята на семейство Джордах е далеч по-интересна и завладяваща. Продължението се усеща точно като такова, написано повече като че ли да задоволи породен пресилен читателски интерес, отколкото нужда на автора да разкаже още малко за рода Джордах.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a sequel to Rich Man, Poor Man which I've read twice. The story picks up with the younger generation and focuses on the two male cousins, Billy & Wes. They are both wild in their own ways. Wes gets to know his father Tom Jordache after many years of separation. Tom Jordache is captain of a yacht on the French Riviera. Wes joins him for a few years before his father is murdered. Billy is the black sheep and lives in Europe with not much contact with his divorced parents. Billy's mother was a sister of Rudy and Tom Jordache. Rudy is the patriarch who keeps the family moving forward. The book follows the two young men for about ten years. I enjoyed the book ... not a lot of deep meaning, but it certainly keeps your interest. From murders, to love affairs, from extreme wealth to poverty.