Rich Boy

by Sharon Pomerantz

Robert Vishniak is the favored son of Oxford Circle, a working-class Jewish neighborhood in 1970s Philadelphia. Handsome and clever, Robert glides into the cloistered universities of New England, where scions of unimaginable wealth and influence stand shoulder to shoulder with scholarship paupers like himself who wash dishes for book money. The doors that open there lead Robert to the highest circles of Manhattan society during the heart of the Reagan boom where everything Robert has learned about women, through seduction and heartbreak, pays off. For a brief moment, he has it all-but the world in which he finds himself is not the world from which he comes, and a chance encounter with a beautiful girl from the old neighborhood-and the forgotten life she reawakens-threatens to unravel his carefully constructed new identity.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Jewish, Novels, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Adult Fiction

528 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Sharon Pomerantz's fiction has appeared in a variety of journals, including Ploughshares, the Missouri Review, and Prairie Schooner. In 2003, her story "Ghost Knife" was included in Best American Short Stories 2003. In 1998, her story "Shoes" was read on Selected Shorts at Symphony Space and broadcast nationally. Rich Boy is her first novel and will be out in August of 2010 from Twelve (Twelvebooks.com).

Reviews

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pure escapist fun without being trashy. The story's approach and focus reminds me a lot of Herman Wouk's Marjorie Morningstar, and more than a cut above Shaw's Rich Man, Poor Man. High-end chick lit, or in this case, lad-lit. But Pomerantz has a fertile sense of place and era that wafts of historical fiction. I visualized the sensual transformation of New York City from what it was in post-WW II through to the mid-1980's. No skimping on the details of the rise of modern Manhattan, such as TriBeCa and the Upper West Side. I felt when the air was tumescent or icy, and the clack and clatter of the streets was audible. She does the same with blue-collar Philadelphia, and you can fairly smell the asthma-provoking cleaning products of Stacia Vishniak, taste the knishes hot out of the oven, see the eyesore of one-step-above-tenement housing. The core of Robert Vishniak's ambition is tangible, primordial.

Robert Vishniak, lower-middle-class Jew from Philly, has his eye on the big fat cherry pie. He wants to get out of his humble straitjacket and into the movers-and-shakers world. His brother, Barry, is five years younger and admires Robert's physical attractiveness and the benefits that go with it. Robert attends Tufts in the late 60's, and then finds himself in NYC after graduation, driving a cab. His brother, the perpetual student selling drugs on the side, eventually moves in with him. His best friend from college, Tracey, teeters in a sexual identity crisis. Robert glides from one clique to another with ease, even though inside he continues to have the quiet roar of desperation. He falls in love with a wealthy but tragic woman when he is still young and unsophisticated in the ways of the world, and the outcome of that affects his future countenance and attitude toward love and marriage .

The primary men in this novel are fleshed out, and the reader will be rewarded with a contoured intimacy with Robert and Barry, and to a lesser extent, Tracey. The women are adequately portrayed, but not overly original. You read this book for its page-turning storytelling and the theme--a search for a sense of home, the striving to belong, and of course the whole class struggle. There's doom around every corner, and an existential angst in every home. The emotional punches are compelling, and of course there are touches of melodrama, but it isn't schmaltzy. OK, a few scenes border on schmaltz, but that's all part of the Woukishness.

A better than average beach read of a rags to riches fable. Don't aim to be transported to an exalted state of mind; this novel won't revolutionize literature. But it might just put a wiggle in your day!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suffered a little heartbreak last night as I turned the last page of this wonderful novel; for the first time, I had to fight the urge to go back to page one and begin again. I've enjoyed many other novels and memoirs that present some version of the story presented here: an American boy's (hmm, it's never a girl) rise from poverty into the upper socio-economic class by dint of hard work, education and a hefty dose of ambition (e.g., Tobias Wolff's "This Boy's Life," Tom Perotta's "Joe College," and Steven Millhauser's "Martin Dressler.") In this novel, Robert Vishniak is our hero, struggling to rise above his humble family origins and escape his Philadelphia working class community. With a keen intelligence, he sets off to a private New England college where he embraces his introduction into an upper class social circle. Soon, he is a successful New York lawyer, married to a wealthy woman, with a daughter he adores. And here it gets interesting, as the sacrifices and accommodations he's made to fit into this new social class contribute to his eventual undoing. Apparently it took Sharon Pomerantz ten years to complete this novel; I hope I won't have to wait that long for her next.

[theda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will someone please read this fantastic book so I can talk to them about it?? Something of a modern Gatsby though I hate to compare anything to that perfect American classic. Pomerantz mentions Min Jin Lee being very helpful during the editing process (or writing?) and I can see similiarities to Free Food for Millionaires, which was also great. I couldn't wait to find out what happened but at the same didn't want it to end.

[Jaqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Vishniak, the main protagonist, was born after WW11 in a lower middle-class Jewish family and raised in Philadelphia. His parents raised him and his younger brother, Barry, with a strong hand and did without to guide the boys in the upward direction in all ways. They were raised to be hard workers and hard thinkers. Robert manages to get into a Boston college in the mid-sixties, where he becomes fast friends with his very wealthy roommate, Tracey. He experiences people who come from great wealth of "old money" and lives through wonderful adventures and developes many long lasting relationships. The latter years of the 1960's for Robert deal with the Vietnam War and his draft status. Robert strikes up a relationship with a wealthy young woman, falls in love, and is devastated when the romance ends. He spends too many years next running away from memories. He finally realizes, in his late 20's, that the world is passing him by and that he needs to jump back into society and live. He enters NYU Law School and chooses real-estate law as his profession. This story is gripping, compelling and believable and written with dry humor and great informed intelligence. It was a total pleasure to read.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the type of novel I couldn't get enough of about 30 years ago. The saga of a self made man who manages to rise to the top of whatever pinnacle he aspires to provided much enjoyment, and in the right hands, insight. The progression of coming of age, discovery of worlds beyond the hero's early life, his means of accomplishing success (and it was always "he"), provided escapism and at least in some cases, voyeuristic fun. But there was always some payoff, and while this is a well written novel, it is ultimately unsatisfying and, for me, wasn't worth the effort. If I hadn't had to read it for review, I doubt i would have finished it. Just felt it had all been done before and better. Pomerantz is a good technician, but the book is emotionally cold. The characters do not hold develop, and since the book is told strictly from the point of view of Robert Vishniak, does not advance beyond his experience leaving it remarkably one dimensional. The story also suffers from lack of a personal history of the era. For those who actually lived then and still have fresh memories of those decades, the detailing is unfortunately flat.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long book has to contain enough plot and hook to keep you interested. This book started out being promising, although I had to say, it seemed like she was trying very hard to be like John Irving. A young boy grows up in a Jewish household. He goes to college, gets married and deals with a bunch of stuff along the way. The book didn't have a huge amount that happened, and the last 100 pages really really dragged. When I started this book, I thought for sure, this is my first 5 star of the year, then it went down to 4 and by the end, I was okay with the three star rating. I didn't particularly care for the main character, I felt he was kind of a jerk.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel that follows the life of a lower middle class protagonist who eventually finds himself rich - through hard work and social connections, this novel is a great character and societal study. The comment on how the class system of American society works is somewhat cynical but necessarily so, I think. Essentially, Robert is able to find his way out of Oxford Circle because he is blessed with good intelligence and very good looks. Are those the keys to the kingdom? Because, even his intelligence only gets him so far. At its core, this is about a man who stuggles to forge his identity in a social system that is very controlled. He has a hard time fitting in with the very wealthy and eventually learns that freedom (as in personal autonomy) is not something that can be bought. So does that mean personal freedom and autonomy is unattainable - a part of the American Dream that does not really exist? There lies the cynicism. Things do turn out okay for Robert, in the end, as he learns to accept the situation he is in as opposed to forcing his hopes for his own situation on a society that is unwilling to change. I liked the character - despite his personal flaws. I liked that this novel did not have a lot of action but, rather, was the story of a man's life. For me, it made the message more plausable. Another NPR "Great Read" that I agree with. And, best of all, there was no romanticizing of the poor. I hate it when authors do that. Set in New York City, which does play an important role in and of itself, the novel is well worth the read.

[Rebecca Sandham Mathwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written page turner. Very entertaining-one of those "I couldn't put it down" sort of books. The novel follows the "trials and tribulations" of a young man from a working class family who achieves financial success and enters into the world of the very wealthy. I'd put it in the class of fiction I call High Brow Soap Opera (well written with good use of vocabulary but soap opera-esque in terms of narrative...the kind of fiction that I tend to enjoy the most!). I liked that the story "spanned the decades" from the 1950's to the 1980's as I tend to enjoy books that are set in the relatively recent past. The interweaving of historical events throughout the plot was done in a natural way and really added to the novel. I found the description of the 1969 Vietnam draft lottery disturbingly intriguing and ended up looking it up on "Google" (what a surreal event that was...the draft was actually televised). While the main character is not a particularly likeable person (actually, most of the characters aren't very likeable), the quickly paced narrative and astute depiction of time and place made it a very enjoyable read.

[Karen Bergreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Marjorie Morningstar and Free Food for Millionaires gave birth, it would be Rich Boy. I read this book in a day, a dreary rainy day. The best day I have had in months. If you like escapist epic family sagas, this is great. The book is incredibly readable, fun characters. I felt Robert had less depth than I would have liked, but the plot needed to move. Fun fun fun

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it! Bildungsroman for Richard Vishniak, boomer and scion of Jewish working class Philadelphia, who was conditioned since he was young to “make it big” in the financial world. He ends up as a real estate lawyer in New York, married into the nouveau riche Jewish community. Taking place from the early ‘60s to the late ‘80s.

The beginning was a little slow. We’re tracing Richard’s life from roughly 14 to 40, but the main action, and important connections he makes start in college. And I think I’m becoming a crabby old feminist myself, with regards to having to read Rothian characters like the harridan mother, and the son defined by his sexual appetites and his self-involvement. That being said, maybe I should cut the mother (Stacia) and the son (Robert) a little slack. Stacia’s thriftiness and obsession for financial security made her into a character, and someone who obviously influenced her sons (her youngest, Barry, is a drug dealer-cum broker) throughout their lives.

Robert…well, come on, he’s not a monster, self. :P Most of us are self-interested, especially if we want to “make it” in a capitalist society. He had some interesting twists and turns in his life, though some definitely made more of a lasting impression than others. Like in college he did drugs and attended counter cultural events. Even at the time the latter was barely of interest to him (and those around him) and the former, though perhaps getting him through a semester or two of school, didn’t have long term physical or psychological effects. For a brief period in the late ‘60s, he was obsessed, understandably, with whether or not he’d get drafted to serve in Vietnam. And then there’s his relationship with Gwendolyn, his first love (understood to be the first woman he’d want to screw more than once,) who cast a very long shadow over his life.

I’m not sure Pomerantz succeeded in making Gwendolyn a character in her own right, or if Robert’s obsession with her is more evidence for my pile that he’s self-involved more than anything. He built her up to be this sort of fairy princess. When he lost her, he went into an interesting sort of depression—driving a cab for years, kind of vaguely thinking about life—until he wakes himself out of it and decides to become a lawyer.

Robert’s other two lady loves are more interesting. There’s Crea, his wife, who he met briefly in college through his roommate, and then again by chance when he was interviewing to work for her father. Crea is ok. I mean, she knows architecture and has been taught to be gracious and charitable, being the first in her family to grow up in extreme wealth. Part of me wants a spinoff, so we could see how she spends her days and her relationship with her Judaism (more on the Jewish angle later.) Sally, Robert’s sorta mistress, is even better. I’m not sure I buy what the back cover is selling, that she “reawakens” Robert’s old Philly identity just because she’s from his hometown. I think she challenges Robert because she doesn’t take his patronizing, flirtatious bullshit, and that’s refreshing. I also like that Sally expresses her own desires for life and fears about the future, completely independent of Robert.

The male storylines work much better. Particularly with the roommate, Trace, who is closeted and in love with Robert. He’s later involved with one of Robert’s colleagues, Mario, a man who contracts AIDS. None of this is melodramatic or hits us over the head with Issues. In fact, although Pomerantz makes reference to some current events as the 500-page book trundles along, it’s a mostly insular story about relationships, Robert’s career and desires.

Finally…well, the Judaism is interesting. Almost as secular as a Roth book, with each generation of Vishniaks becoming less observant (Robert’s grandparents kept a kosher kitchen, Robert’s mother volunteered for Jewish causes, and Robert is hardly Jewish at all…) Except that he apparently wants to celebrate some holidays. Or at least live in a home without a Christmas tree, whereas his Jewish in-laws did the whole “embracing secular Christmas” thing. Sometimes Pomerantz hints that Robert and Crea feel relatively strongly about their positions, but the narrative didn’t really go there much. Still, the whole idea of Jewish expression, particularly when trying to make it big in a WASP-y world, is a compelling one.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Family sagas have long been a staple among American best-sellers; the examples are wide and vast, The very predictability of the family saga genre promises an absorbing yet familiar reading experience: the once-poor yet highly attractive and charismatic main character who overcomes all kinds of adversities, goes through heartbreak and scandal, and then emerges older, wiser, and in most cases, wealthier than before (or at the very least, with enough knowledge to BECOME wealthier).

Sharon Pomerantz mines this territory once more with Rich Boy, a novel infused with a heavy dose of melodrama combined with the realism of growing up American and Jewish in the pivotal years of the 60s through the 80s.

Robert Vishniak is a character on the rise. We meet him when he is a pre-teen, pickpocketing his rich relative’s wallet so that his father will not have to experience the shame of losing at a card game. The stage is set: we know he is resourceful and will do whatever it takes to succeed.

In the years ahead, Robert will show his resourcefulness in many ways: with his well-heeled college roommate who harbors a “shameful” (in some eyes) secret, with his unprecedented rise in his chosen law firm, with his choice of stunning women (all of whom are inevitably drop-dead gorgeous, sexually aggressive, and somewhat manipulative). He will also experience adversity with his first true love – Gwendolyn, an extremely fragile, socially conscious, vulnerable, and yes, gorgeous and doomed young woman.

Sharon Pomerantz is at her best when she delves into an exploration of Jewish-American life in the 1960s-1980s: the one-time outsiders assimilating and taking their deserved place within the social hierarchy. The clash between the impoverished and frugal world that Robert shares with his birth family and the opportunities that are opening themselves for him is crisply done. Here is Robert, reflecting on the privileged life he shares with his moneyed wife and their young daughter: “Why now, when his daughter never needed to step inside a subway, and every major possession they owned came with insurance and an alarm, why now did he feel so nervous, as if he had woken up in the wrong life – a life lived from car windows and behind locked doors?”

The paranoia of the Nixon years, the real estate and commodities boom and bust, the drug culture and over-the-top parties of the affluent, the wheeling-dealing of law firms – all this is handled with aplomb. Less successfully done is the focus on his Robert’s many relationships. The women are mostly caricatures: the self-destructive and forever-remembered first love, the cold and moneyed wife, the young-and-genuine actress on the cusp of discovery…as readers, we’ve met these women before.

Still, this is a particularly American story – a Jewish-American story – of the class divides between rich and poor, rich and obscenely rich. It’s a story of “a family built for the 1970s.” Those who like straightforward, old-fashioned, rags-to-riches sagas will likely enjoy Rich Boy a great deal.

[Danna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich Boy is a coming-of-age story, and it is wonderfully done. Robert grows up to poor, immigrant, penny-pinching, Jewish parents in Oxford Circle, Philadelphia. His mother Stacia is stern and stingy, his father Vishniak is an overworked postal carrier. Robert is handsome and charismatic and begins enchanting girls from a young age. Much of his story revolves around his relationships with women. Robert vows to leave his parents' home and his neighborhood, wanting to escape the polarized community. He studies hard and earns himself a full scholarship to Tufts, where he rooms with an extremely wealthy young man named Tracey. Robert quickly recognizes the chasm between his world and Tracey's and becomes desperate to belong. The novel continues through Robert becoming an adult, marrying, having a child, and comes full circle at the end with the loss of his parents.
I loved Pomerantz's style, found it entertaining and believable. I loved the characters and truly enjoyed this book. I thought the ending was a little weak, didn't do much to tie it all up, just kind of ended. But it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.
Pomerantz created a lovable protagonist in Robert, because even when he was acting inconsiderate and irresponsible, I found myself taking his side and hoping for the best for him. Stacia, the mother was also a much-loved character. I felt Pomerantz captured the frugal, immigrant woman to a T.
On a personal side note, my father recommended this book to me at the same time he recommended Gringolandia. He gave rave reviews for both. It's interesting to me how much I didn't care for Gringolandia and how much I loved this.

[Nette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I slogged through 300 pages and gave up. This is one of the most old-fashioned books I've read in years, and I don't mean "good old-fashioned" like Austen or Hemingway but "clunky old-fashioned," like something written in about 1965 and later shrunk down into a Reader's Digest Condensed Book. It reminded me a lot of Irwin Shaw or Herman Wouk -- sprawling narratives, rags to riches stories, a complete absence of humor or self-awareness. It also has ridiculous dialogue. Today a curious coworker grabbed it off my desk and read from a random page: "'Cates is a philistine,'" Pascal said quietly, "'But he does have one advantage...His sister. A real stunner. Women! They're a beautiful mystery, aren't they?'" Thank you, episode of "Dallas" ca. 1978.

[Randi Reisfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved most about this been-told-before story of a Jewish boy from humble beginnings who reaches rarified heights via his brains, looks, determination -- and a wealth wife -- was the depiction of the protagonist's humble beginnings. He grew up in a brick row house with seemingly the exact same layout as the one I spent formative years in. The mishegonah cast of characters -- family, neighbors, relatives, friends, rivals and girls -- was so very familiar and fully realized. The book was way too long, and if points were trying to be made re: the shame of homosexuality and AIDs in the 1980s, they were a "bissel" lost in the meandering story. I'm glad I read it, but it won't stay with me. 3.5 stars

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this wonderful novel enormously. Robert Vishniak is born & raised in the northeast of Philadelphia, in the 50s & 60s, in a milieu not completely unlike what my husband grew up in. We follow him as he goes out into the world (i.e., Boston, New York, &c.) The author subtly captures details of different lives & different decades, without being obvious about it. Warm & humanly appealing.

[Stephanie (aka WW) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was awfully glad to turn the last page of this book. Not because it was so good, but because I was so bored with it. The writing was good enough. And if you like a rags to riches story, with an historic bent toward the Vietnam draft and the stock market crash of '87, it's an interesting study. But I just didn't care for the characters, either to like them or dislike them. I'm sure I'll forget this book in a month's time.

[Becky Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really excellent first novel, which follows the main character out of his lower-class 1960's Jewish neighborhood, to college wherein he becomes entangled with a group of friends that, unlike him, are all very wealthy. The book is basically a character study, and it is fast-paced and pleasant to follow the main character into his 40s while he makes both wise and poor decisions.

[Nikki Keating · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to like this book, but the main character was a jerk, and I kept putting it down and it took me forever to finish it. I just wasn’t that interested after awhile. I actually give it 2.5 stars - don’t recommend.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Pomerantz's first novel, "Rich Boy" is quite a tour-de-force. I was captivated from the beginning. Her good writing encompasses excellent characterizations and an interesting plot.

Pomerantz's protagonist, Robert Vishniak, was born after WW2 to lower middle-class Jewish parents and raised in a working class area of Philadelphia. His parents - and his mother in particular - are upward-strivers, who live a life of coupon-clipping and doing-without. Robert and his younger brother are encouraged - nay, forced - to work after school jobs at an early age to help support the family. (Barry, the younger brother is actually treated somewhat more leniently by his parents than Robert). Robert and Barry are also encouraged in their academic pursuits by their parents and Robert ends up at Tufts University in the mid-1960's. He is a poor-boy who matched with a very rich young man as a roommate. They become friends and stay involved in each other's lives til the end of the book. Through "Tracey", Robert's wealthy and dissolute friend, Robert is introduced to other old-wealth people at Tufts and Harvard. Robert is enchanted with his new friends and their lifestyle - so different from his parsimonious relatives. The novel is a very good look at the differences in religion and wealth that are fairly divisive in today's America.

The latter years of the 1960's for Robert are taken up with dealing with current events, in the form of the Vietnam War and his draft status. Pomerantz does an excellent job taking the reader back to this time, and her depiction of the first draft lottery is right-on-target, from what I remember. Robert takes up with a wealthy British young woman, falls in love, and is devastated as the romance ends. His next few years are spent running away from his memories until he finally realises, in his late 20's, that the world is passing him by and he cannot spend the rest of his life in hiding from society. He shaves his beard, cuts his hair, and enters NYU Law School. He soon settles on real-estate law as his chosen profession and Pomerantz brings the reader forward with the next 10 or so years of Robert's life and career.

All of Pomerantz's characters are interesting. All of them. The reader might not like some of them, but I think most readers will want to know "what happens next". "Rich Boy" - which is actually an ironic title for the book - is a deeply satisfying read. Buy it and enjoy it.

[Lorri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich Boy, by Sharon Pomerantz, is a wothwhile ead, and the reader is cognizant that success is a primary concern for the protagonist, Robert Vishniak, as he aspires to gain favors that will allow him to move up in the societal stratum.

Vishniak is from a working class Jewish family who live in Philadelphia. Money is a primary concern for the Vishniaks, and it is apparant from the frugal life they lead. Vishniak is self-indulgent, and with a handsomeness, charm, and superficial exterior. His mother, Stacia has continually hammered into him the fact that he needs to make money in order to become a respected person, and in order to move up in society’s ladder.

Pomerantz’s prose is spot on, direct and strong, and she adeptly manages to convey the working class Jewish American experience brilliantly. As a woman, she depicted the men in the story quite well, and they seem to be as authentic as real-life individuals are. She masterfully portrays the characters, and this reader felt that they were realized in every aspect. The wealthy and powerful background of some of them, doesn’t help them succeed as far as their emotional intelligence is concerned.

Rich Boy is an excellent coming of age story, and a novel that emphasizes the journey of one Jewish American man to find identity and acceptance on his own, in a world of social status and extreme wealth. I applaud Sharon Pomerantz for this well-written, poignant and insightful story.
~~~~~~

[Chandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

it took me a little bit to get my thoughts together about this book. i definitely was engaged in it when i was reading it, and looked at it as more "real" literature rather than just fiction pleasure reading. i mean, you're dealing with big topics here. the writing is overall really strong. however, at the end of the book, i was left feeling a little adrift about the whole thing. maybe that is how i was supposed to feel? i also will mention that i literally had to walk away from the book for several days when the shoe shine girl came on the scene. ugh. and let's not even talk about his teenage "education" from his girlfriend's sister. seriously? i find any teenagers that slick to be unbelievable. but maybe that's just me. actually, i'm now wondering whether there were any positive female portrayals in the whole book. i'll have to think about that one.

i don't know... worth a read, but i'm not giving it my wholehearted endorsement. i wish i could love it more.

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 2 out of 5]

A coming-of-age story set in New York spanning 1980-1990. Many times I wondered the point of the discussion, such as the erotia art that Stacia(the mother) had hanging all over the house. Gwendolyn seemed to be the Greek chorus or the social conscience, and would explain people and events that Robert could not understand, then like a chorus she fades. I felt that the beginning of the story seemed like early 20th century, and I had a difficult time adjusting to the Viet Nam Era that seemed to arrive suddenly. The story explained the draft process, and the feelings of young men and their families as they waited to hear the numbers revealed. The description of setting and people is done well. Some of the topics such as drugs, suicide, and homosexuality are mentioned, but the topic is not developed. The book was interesting, but not a book that will be remembered.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. I could not relate to the characters except for references to their Jewish Culture. I was annoyed at them in Part I, at the relationships, at the choices they made, but was more excited by Part II. Some it was predictable in the sense that as the story unfolded I said to myself "yeah, I knew that, or I thought so." Part III was even more intense and engaging. I ended up really enjoying this book, found it very interesting, in spite of myself! I would recommend this book. Good Read.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

While working as a bookseller at Borders, I picked up this book because the cover was interesting. I am so glad I did! It was an excellent story with crisp, interesting characters. I would highly recommend it. The story is basically about Robert Vishniak, a Jewish guy, from birth until middle-age. The author deftly wove in the history of the day as Robert grew up. Robert came from very humble beginnings but wanted more. He got it...but did he hold onto it? I won't reveal the ending, but it is a really good book that I could hardly put down!!!

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good choice to read during the Thanksgiving week-end ---(a delicious dessert), more enjoyable than listen to my own 'little voice' about the holiday's --and the 2 weddings I had to attend this month (and my thoughts about them)

Its easy to get swept along reading RICH BOY, watching the complications of desire, success, wealth, unfold! ......Its THAT type of book! (grab your favorite snuggle-blankie).

I loved it!

elyse

[Pmcdnld2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert grows up in a working class Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia- he is bright, good looking and ambitious. He does everything he can to get out of that life: college, marries money, spends most of his time trying to be what he is not. A meeting with a young woman from the old neighborhood forces him to reevaluate his choices.

[Carole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book. It wasn't bad exactly just a lot of Jewish angst about everything, not going anywhere fast. It said it took the author 5 years to finish. I thought it might take me that long to finish so I gave up after 245 pages.

[Jm2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun story. Reads like a soap opera,but was so engaging it was hard to put down.Tells the story of a Jewish male growing up during the 50's & 60's, and his transformation in the 70's & 80's to a lawyer in NYC.Not Shakespeare but alot of fun.

[Marty Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the understanding of the characters that I got from reading this book. Living in a resort town this was enlightening and a good story. Wish I knew how the main character lived his next chapter in life but the author made me imagine that part.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of an ambiguous ending, but I truly enjoyed this fast-paced story about a very handsome young Jewish man from humble beginnings who is able to navigate through the "waspy" social stronghold of Ivy League Universities and New York society from the 1960s through the 1980s.