The Street

by Mordecai Richler

In this beguiling collection of short stories and memoirs, first published in 1969, Mordecai Richler looks back on his childhood in Montreal, recapturing the lively panorama of St. Urbain the refugees from Europe with their unexpected sophistication and snobbery; the catastrophic day when there was an article about St. Urbain Street in Time; Tansky’s Cigar and Soda with its “beat-up brown phonebooth” used for “private calls”; and tips on sex from Duddy Kravitz.Overflowing with humour, nostalgia, and wisdom, The Street is a brilliant introduction to Richler’s lifelong love-affair with St. Urbain Street and its inhabitants.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Canada, Canadian Literature, Jewish, Humor, Roman

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Working-class Jewish background based novels, which include The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959) and Saint Urbain's Horseman (1971), of Canadian writer Mordecai Richler.

People best know Barney's Version (1997) among works of this author, screenwriter, and essayist; people shortlisted his novel Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989) for the Man Booker Prize in 1990. He was also well known for the Jacob Two-two stories of children.

A scrap yard dealer reared this son on street in the mile end area of Montréal. He learned Yiddish and English and graduated from Baron Byng High School. Richler enrolled in Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University) to study English but dropped before completing his degree.

Years later, Leah Rosenberg, mother of Richler, published an autobiography, The Errand Runner: Memoirs of a Rabbi's Daughter (1981), which discusses birth and upbringing of Mordecai and the sometime difficult relationship.

Richler, intent on following in the footsteps of many of a previous "lost generation" of literary exiles of the 1920s from the United States, moved to Paris at age of 19 years in 1950.

Richler returned to Montréal in 1952, worked briefly at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and then moved to London in 1954. He, living in London meanwhile, published seven of his ten novels as well as considerable journalism.

Worrying "about being so long away from the roots of my discontent", Richler returned to Montréal in 1972. He wrote repeatedly about the Jewish community of Montréal and especially portraying his former neighborhood in multiple novels.

In England in 1954, Richler married Catherine Boudreau, a French-Canadian divorcée nine years his senior. On the eve of their wedding, he met Florence Wood Mann, a young married woman, who smited him.

Some years later, Richler and Mann divorced and married each other. He adopted Daniel Mann, her son. The couple had five children together: Daniel, Jacob, Noah, Martha and Emma. These events inspired his novel Barney's Version.

Richler died of cancer.

Reviews

[Alon Emanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Mordecai Richler book I've read, and I know there are going to be many more.
Funny short stories that have such a sincerity to them, you feel for the people in the stories.
A great storyteller that has a talent for making you feel nostalgic, even for places and times you haven't lived in.

[Audree R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un recueil de petits textes, basés sur des récits ou des souvenirs de l’auteur. On y parle des environs de la rue St-Urbain dans le Montréal des années 40, du point de vue d’un jeune homme juif. J’ai trouvé ça assez intéressant et plutôt léger à lire.
J’ai bien aimé les quelques courts passages illustrant les différences culturelles et sociales des anglos protestants, juifs et francophones de l’époque, mais c’était souvent abordé rapidement et de façon superficielle. J’en aurais pris plus. Sinon je note une misogynie latente au long des pages, mais cela me semble fidèle à l’époque des histoires.
À quelques reprises, j’ai senti que je manquais de connaissances ou de repères pour bien comprendre les liens ou les clins d’œil entre toutes les expressions et références à la culture ou à la communauté juive de Montréal. La traduction française n’est pas extra, les faux amis abondent.

[Adèle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 - Belle introduction à Mordecai Richler. J’ai trouvé vraiment intéressant de découvrir une perspective différente de Montréal. J’aurais par contre préféré le lire en anglais pour être plus en phase avec du livre. Prochaine fois!

[Izabella · Rating 1 out of 5]

okay -- I didn't really finish it. I couldn't. It was just too painful.

[Elettra · Rating 3 out of 5]

È il primo libro che leggo di questo scrittore canadese di origine ebraica, e ho trovato questa sua autobiografia vivace, forse più ironica e colorita rispetto ad altri lavori di argomento simile come quelli di Henry Roth o di Michael Gold che dipingono in modo dettagliato e a volte anche drammatico la vita delle comunità ebraiche nelle grandi metropoli americane e qui canadesi di inizio secolo. C’è nell’affresco di questo quartiere di Montreal una riflessione sulla vita di una comunità che cerca di integrarsi pur rimanendo radicata nelle sue tradizioni, nei suoi valori o nella ricchezza della sua cultura. Richler affronta dunque temi come l’identità, il cambiamento sociale utilizzando una ironia affilata, un linguaggio colorito e senza cadere nel sentimentalismo o nella retorica. Un’importante testimonianza di uno scrittore di valore che cercherò di conoscere meglio!

[Duncan McCurdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of vignettes about growing up in St. Urbain street in Montréal. A very enjoyable, easily readable book about a Montréal that no longer exists. This was my introduction to Richler but I will be reading more of his books.

[Tyson Bears · Rating 3 out of 5]

trying my hardest to decide if this deserves a 3 or a 4 and ultimately I think it’s a 3… I would describe it as good but kind of a nothing burger? intriguing content. st urbain is a street I know and love and it was great to learn more about her storied past.

this book kind of reads like it was written by john mellencamp except he’s your Jewish grandfather and he’s sexist and he hates quebecers and you have to listen to his stories because he gave you 200$ for your birthday 6 months ago and despite feeling a bit obligated to participate by the end you actually feel that you’ve learned a lesson or at least some interesting factoids and are richer for the experience. it’s very old boys “here tutz whaddaya say I buy you an all beef hot dog and a root beer and we can sit next to each other on that bench over there”. if you can get down with that then you’ll probably glean some light enjoyment from reading it! I did :)

I liked this book because it painted what I found to be a very vivid picture of life on da plateau in the 40s and I’m obsessed with this kind of exposé. I don’t think it’s particularly well written, the characters aren’t super well developed and the pacing is pretty inconsistent. I feel like there were lots of missed opportunities to make it a more interesting book. therefore : 3 stars.

next time don’t refer to quebecers as pea soups and maybe you’ll get bumped to 4…

[char ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Regardless of his controversial language politics within Quebec or how he talks down on “French Canadians” (which is clearly apparent in this book) this was a hard read for me and I just don’t think I’m the target audience. It was difficult for me to really understand the dynamics of the Jewish community in Montreal since I pretty much have 0 background, and I felt like a lot of references just went over my head. I was hoping to get extensive descriptions of the streets he mentions, of the neighborhood and overall just the scenery, but unfortunately it fell flat and just felt like a whole lot of yap. Undeniably he writes well, but for some reason I just couldn’t immerse myself in his writing style. The way he writes about women could also be slightly uncomfortable at times. I can see the appeal for a certain demographic, I just don’t happen to be a part of it.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kristýna Marková · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Read this for my Canadian Multicultural Literature class and it was a nice read that I probably wouldn't pick up on my own.

[Alessandra Gennaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

libro molto datato e molto per pochi e, ahimè, stavolta non sono fra quelli. All'autore de La Versione di Barney si perdona tutto, comunque- e per onestà ci sono stati capitoli godibilissimi e risate di pancia. Ma il vero Mordecai Richter è solo a sprazzi, purtroppo.

[Scott Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

really liked the last 2 stories in this book! Some of the shorter ones’ endings were a bit too abrupt but I like Richler’s writing style and I like that he’s descriptive without being boring

[Tom Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her books, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities", "Cities and the Wealth of Nations" and others, the urban theorist jane Jacobs makes the point that cities are always changing and that is their strength. Cities take in waves of newcomers, acclimatize them and mix them into tehri populations. That is teh situation that Richler describes in these books. A wave of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe arrived in Montreal and and created a neighborhood in a few blocks around St. Urbain St. They set up their lives and their livelihoods there and prospered. They educated their children who began their own lives and moved away from the neighborhood. As the people aged, the area changed and n newer immigrants arrived to make their own neighborhood. It is the memory of the few decades of this neighborhood and his youth in it that Richler describes in the stories in this book.

[Amino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only known Montreal through Mavis Gallant's writing and it's a delight to explore it from another writer's perspective. This collection of stories has not only shown me another Montreal I was only vaguely aware of before but it restored a bit of the love I once had for short stories. I mean, it helps that there are some consistent themes throughout such as childhood, family drama, the insulating yet nurturing and comforting potential of culture, and societal expectations. I've shied away from Richler in the past because he's always seemed too much of a literary giant to approach without high expectations but this was an approachable and charming set of stories and the perfect place, I think, to start.

[Jacob David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written memoir of a very specific time and place. The boyhood coming of age stories paint a vivid picture of life in Jewish Montreal around WWII. I thoroughly enjoyed the mischief of the young boys set against the larger problems of the world, especially from a Jewish angle. Their class, religion, and culture create a different perspective on the priorities of this group of Canadians and the insight of Richler is valuable both from an historical angle as well as a sociological look into an ethnic neighborhood sometimes conflicted by the local, national, and international politics that is influencing their lives.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look at the life of a kid on St. Urbain Street in Montreal, Canada. The author has done a great job with this short memoir. It is a snapshot of time, during the early years of WWII, that shows life in the Jewish neighborhood where everyone had to make do and stuck together. Family took care of family but he shows the child's perspective on how that usually turns out. One person in the family takes care of the elders. Fun read. Short chapters make it a fast read as well.

[Bobparr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tralla-lì, tralla-lero. Si balla di nuovo, con queste vite sgangherate di ebrei canadesi, dove i dialoghi sono dialoghi e non giustapposizioni di frasi, dove le tappezzerie odorano di cibo, e sciami di scapestrate picoole canaglie fanno vite di strada invidiabili. Nota a pedale, la guerra aldilà dell'Oceano, la consapevolezza e l'alterigia della propria 'diversità', un sogno di vita ancora tutto da costruire.

[Sophie Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

read half of this book before giving it to amanda for christmas and just stole it back from her to finish it. as someone who firmly believes in the power of a city or of a neighbourhood as a character this was an awesome read. it’s also awesome to learn about the men behind iconic landmarks of jewish mtl such as wilensky & segal thru stories about richler’s beloved st urbain. also, richler is funny as hell. all in all rly loved this and will be reading duddy kravitz next

[Rick Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jewish life in mid-20th-century Montreal. Has some interesting cultural detail, and describes the community's daily experiences. Richler's dry humour is evident, and there are larger-than-life characters. However, for me it lacked deep character development, and I found it challenging to connect personally with the stories. While the book provides an interesting cultural perspective at times, it wasn’t for me.​

[Mary Oxendale Spensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mordecai Richler, but would have appreciated more stories and fewer essays in this collection. Montreal in the 1950s is long gone. Yet Richler describes how his old neighborhood has become abandoned and dusty, something that no longer holds true today.

The few short stories here retain the atmosphere of long ago. The lively characters and themes remain relevant. The family members and neighbors might gripe a lot, but they are vivid and real. They don't knock themselves out to impress others, and they enjoy themselves thoroughly. In a story, the neighbourhood women relax by the water, in their bras and bloomers, eating, yelling, laughing, I loved them. But their teenage boys scramble up and over to the expensive resort where a sign states "Gentiles Only." On that beach, the umbrellas are more colourful, hair is styled, fashionable bathing suits are worn, but no one is having actual fun.

Anti-Semitism is still very much with us. People seem to lose their vibrancy as they strive to move into upwardly bound roles. Despair still wipes out the most vulnerable. These happenings for me, are best shown in stories.

[marcel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of stories! I picked this up from the Mordecai Richler Library and read it over two afternoons spent wandering the Mile End and Outremont. Often I would be sat reading a story and something would happen exactly where I was sitting, or within a couple streets, but just eighty or so years ago. I found the stories got better in the second half of the collection. My favourites were "Benny, the War in Europe, and Myerson's Daughter Bella", and "Some Grist for Mervyn's Mill".

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories with vivid portraits of personalities and neighbourhoods around the 20th century Montreal area "The Main". Richler's animated dialogue is peppered with the vernacular of the people of the day. He captures with empathy and some sarcasm the social position of Jewish immigrants, war refugees, the Anglos and of course the eternal nemeses of the neighbourhood kids, the "pea soupers". My favourite is "Benny, the War in Europe, and Myerson's daughter Bella"...

[Naomi Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful slice of life around St. Urbain street in Montreal where he grew up, this novel paints a picture of his life as a boy growing into a young man. It beautifully depicts life in the forties fifties in the Jewish quarter through authentic dialogue and description of real places. I loved revisiting this place through the author’s eyes.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of interesting. I'd call it a cross between Neil Simon and a little bit of Phillip Roth. But, it isn't fair to judge an author on their short works (unless that's their forte). I should read a novel.

[incipit mania]

Incipit
«Perché vuoi andare all’università?» domanda il consigliere scolastico.
Le meraviglie di St. Urbain Street Incipitmania

[Frabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richler racconta - già qui (1969) con la schiettezza e l'umorismo caratteristici della più nota produzione successiva - la sua vita di bambino-ragazzo-giovane uomo ebreo negli anni '30-'40-'50, in St. Urbain Street e dintorni, Montreal, Canada.

[Nora Lamontagne · Rating 2 out of 5]

J’ai pas assez de références yiddish ou du Montréal des années 40 pour avoir apprécié.

[Gabriel Rojas Hruška · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having the fortune to have, on several occasions, inhaled some of the air about Montréal proper, I know this to be true.

[Samuel Eli Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

We live in a very, very different culture today.

[Tarah Jakubiak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for any Montrealer. A historical per to being Jewish in the forties in the city.