netaf's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mattlaw290's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cluckingbell's review against another edition
3.0
A well-written slog through a luckless family's seemingly endless miseries. While the resolution to the novel was interesting and thought-provoking, it was a long haul to get there. I definitely admire Malamud, but I am unlikely to seek out more of his work.
robhughes's review against another edition
4.0
A book full of wisdom, compassion and an inescapable sense of reality, woven through with familiar themes concerning our innate stubbornness, discipline versus short-term reward, dreams of something more and despite all the evidence preceding it a surprisingly uplifting ending.
guilhermepetkovic's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
carlandlouise's review against another edition
3.0
why is this book so crazy popular in italy? half the reviews i see on goodreads are in italian. one of life's little mysteries.
blevins's review against another edition
5.0
This 1957 book is about as good as it gets. Sure, it's kind of a downer about an on the fringe guy who starts working for a Jewish family in their barely surviving grocery but the writing is top notch. Malamud writes with clean, simple style and is so honest and direct it's like a jolt to read. I wish more writing today was this straight forward but sadly it is not. 50 years old and this book's message on family, love, faith and survival is still alive and well. Probably the best pure novel I read all year!
cpeterman101's review against another edition
4.0
The Assistant, though it began with a slow start, was a great character focused story. The author, Bernard Malamud, expertly built each character into a believable and ultimately human piece of the story. Morris Bober is a stubborn yet honest man who does anything he can to change as little as possible about his life. Frank Alpine is an emotionally stunted yet thoughtful man with little control over his impulses. Morris’ daughter Helen is a self-pitying young woman who begins to believe her fate is not too different from her father’s; stuck in an uninspired existence starved of any creativity or passion. When these characters begin to entangle their lives, a thoughtful and pointed story about change over time, and persistence over an even longer period of time begins to unfold. This story has a little bit of everything: Drama, Action, Romance, but what it’s really brimming with is Heart.
feedmesmores's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful novel written with the brevity of a short story. Hard to put down as the words flow easily into each other. Though the plot is simple it is laden with deeper themes: redemption, prejudice, the American Dream and Jewish guilt. Almost seems like Malamud's answer to the age old questions: Why do the righteous suffer?
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I'd discovered Malamud when I was younger - I would have loved his blend of misery and angst in my late teens/early twenties. I still loved it now, but I have to admit there were times when I wished that I could hurry up and get to the end so I could read something more cheerful!