Rating: 
Summary: Page after page interest!
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: Strongly written book
Review: This book was one of the few I have read that seem to just flow. Trying to pay attention never was a problem and the story continued as necessary. The character development was incredible, as this was an emotionally endearing novel. The reader feels the pain of the Bober family and the anguish of Frank Alpine when he is humiliated time after time. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Malamud's best . A classic of American-Jewish Literature
Review: This is Bernard Malamud's best book. It is written with a kind of understated beauty . The story of Frankie Alpine the assistant who works in the grocery of Morris Bober , and connects himself in suffering with Jewish identity contains the heart of Malamud's 'universalization of his own Jewishness'. The book is a moving story, including the love story between Alpine and the elderly grocer's daughter. Malamud's tender and humane ironic tone informs his warm relation to his characters.
One of those rare books which seems to fully make concrete an abstract ideal of human goodness.
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