- Hardcover: 246 pages
- Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre / Not Applicable (Jun 1 1990)
- ISBN-10: 0374106444
- ISBN-13: 978-0374106447
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 626 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This new specialty-interest audio publisher is launching its line with two strong titles in addition to this one: Betrothed by S.Y. Agnon, read by Peter Waldren, and Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives by Susan Dworkin, read by Bess Myerson and Adam Grupper. Known especially for the craft of his short stories, Malamud (The Fixer; The Natural) published this novel in 1957. Frank Alpine is an Italian-American drifter who lands a job working for a humble Jewish grocer in Brooklyn. When he falls in love with the storekeeper's daughter, he is forced to reexamine his moral and spiritual beliefs. Guidall, one of audio's finest narrators, extracts a strong sense of atmosphere from Malamud's richly descriptive language. He throws himself into the many charged dialogue scenesAcomplete with the ethnic accents requiredAexpressing pathos and humility without overdramatizing.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"George Guidall, a veteran narrator for Books on Tape, turns in a sensitive, emotionally affecting performance for this intriguing tale of a poor Jewish grocer and the mysterious young man who comes to work for him. Frank Alpine is a complex young man who thinks he's an honest and decent person but again and again finds himself involved in dishonest schemes. Afterward, he feels guilty and promises to do better. Morris Bober is a poor, elderly Jew, who, like Frank, has had a hard life filled with bad luck. But unlike Frank's, Morris' conscience is clear. When their paths cross, a chain of events is set in motion that will change both of their lives forever. Guidall deftly brings the characters to life, voicing Morris with just a hint of the distinctive Yiddish/Eastern European Jewish singsong cadence without ever veering toward parody. Frank talks quickly, always trying to convince others and himself that he is a better person than he appears. This is a complex yet satisfying audio listen." -- Billboard Magazine, 9/25/99
"Not one false moment mars George Guidall's resonant interpretation of the Pulitzer Prize winner's 1957 novel. With surprising lyricism and characteristic irony, the author writes of Frank, a young, Gentile nogoodnik, who comes to work for a Jewish ma-and-pa grocery in return for room and board. The family owners don't know that Frank was one of the thieves who previously robbed the place and clubbed Morris, the paterfamilias. For his part, Frank is at war with himself, ever vacillating between his good and brutal instincts. Guidall is totally in synch with this group, vividly portraying the inner life of each. He delivers the narrative with equal aplomb, making every moment seem effortlessly riveting." -- AudioFile, Dec99/Jan00 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Not one false moment mars George Guidall's resonant interpretation of the Pulitzer Prize winner's 1957 novel. With surprising lyricism and characteristic irony, the author writes of Frank, a young, Gentile nogoodnik, who comes to work for a Jewish ma-and-pa grocery in return for room and board. The family owners don't know that Frank was one of the thieves who previously robbed the place and clubbed Morris, the paterfamilias. For his part, Frank is at war with himself, ever vacillating between his good and brutal instincts. Guidall is totally in synch with this group, vividly portraying the inner life of each. He delivers the narrative with equal aplomb, making every moment seem effortlessly riveting." -- AudioFile, Dec99/Jan00 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books!,
By
This review is from: Assistant (Paperback)
I read this book for a class in high school. That was over 10 years ago and it is still one of my favorites. I read the whole thing in 2 days!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Page after page interest!,
By (Rizzo) Rizzuto (Denver) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Assistant (Paperback)
If ever there was a verbally-tight book, it is this. Every page is interesting, every word, and there is never a dull page. In true Melamud style, the stories are short but powerful. The superb writing of the plot moves consistently. However, I did get the feeling toward the end that a number of dramatic sequences seemed crammed at the end, and without the minute attention paid to the earlier part of the story.The plot evolves in post-war, a neighborhood in New York among an aging Jewish grocer whose deli/food store business struggles amidst modernism and greedy competition. The main characters, Morris, his stoic wife Ida and a grown daughter Helen live above the store and work long hours to keep it alive. Daughter Helen yearns to have a loving man and an education. Enter Frank Alpine, a young Italian man who after a criminal act upon Morris, and unbeknown to Morris, Frank lands a job in the store to pay his debt. Here, he continuously fends off his demons while attempting to follow a morally correct life and in his command, the store goes through economic and physical changes that fluctuate greatly, not always good or bad. And, as expected, he falls in love with the daughter and their relationship takes turns and twists too. Immediately, Melamud gives us a distinct picture of the desperation the family endures. You can grasp with ease the images and separation of personalities. This is done with precision applied by the finest authors. We get more than we anticipate, when Melamud provides extensive insight into his character descriptions, and most important, to their thoughts. Above that, he provides us with questions and answers we might need to further develop the characters thoughts and actions. After absorption into the story, I still had questions and I'm sure you will too and maybe it takes another read. Overall, the short classic is excellent. ........MzRizz
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE ASSISTANT ENDURES,
By Kent Braithwaite (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Assistant (Paperback)
As an author with my debut novel in its initial release, I hope my work endures as well as the work of Bernard Malamud. THE ASSISTANT is a simple novel that captures perfectly its time and place. It is also a morality tale. It features a street thrug named Frank Alpine who thinks he might want to turn his life around. He takes a job at a Mom and Pop grocery store to privately atone for a crime against that store (as well as other crimes elsewhere). He agrees to work for room-and-board. There is ethnic tension between the Jewish grocery store owners and the Italian criminal. These tensions grow more severe when a romance develops between Frank and the grocer's daughter. This novel comes as close to being perfect as any I've read in recent years.
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