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Mordecai Richler, writer (b at Montréal 27 Jan 1931; d at Montréal 3 July 2001). One of Canada's foremost novelists, a controversial and prolific journalist, and an occasional scriptwriter, Richler was educated at Sir George Williams Coll, Montréal. After a 2-year stay in Paris and Spain (1951-52), he took up residence in England in 1954, returning to live in Montréal in 1972. Richler securely established himself as an accomplished novelist with the publication of THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ (1959). A scintillating portrait of a young Montréal-Jewish entrepreneur, the novel is characterized by an energizing authorial ambivalence and a contrast between the comic and the pathetic, by rich dramatic scenes, by a lively narrative pace, and by a comprehensive depiction of the protagonist as Montréaler, Jew and individual. Richler's earlier novels, The Acrobats (1954), Son of a Smaller Hero (1955) and A Choice of Enemies (1957), are essentially apprenticeship pieces portraying young, intense protagonists absorbed with finding proper values in a corrupt world.
Richler's considerable talent for the comic is displayed in The Incomparable Atuk (1963), a zany piece on Canadian nationalism, and in Cocksure (1968), a comical-satirical account of the difficulty of adhering to traditional values in a world gone mad. St Urbain's Horseman (1971) and Joshua Then and Now (1980) are ambitiously conceived novels that incorporate and go beyond the settings, characters and concerns of the preceding novels. St Urbain's Horseman examines the personal, professional and ethnic experiences of a 37-year-old man subjected to intense, contradictory feelings, who, Richler has stated, is "closer to me than anybody else."Joshua Then and Now employs a complex pattern of flashbacks to explore the possessive nature of the past, the ironical inversions caused by the passage of time, and the sad aspects of mutability. These themes are also pursued in Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989) and Barney's Version (1997; Giller Prize winner). Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1975) and Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur (1987), 2 racy, hilarious children's novels, tell of the difficulties experienced by the young child in an adult world. Richler has published over 300 journalistic pieces in a wide range of publications in Canada, the US and Britain. He published selections in Hunting Tigers Under Glass (1968), The Street (1969), Shovelling Trouble (1972), Notes on an Endangered Species (1974) and Home Sweet Home: My Canadian Album (1984). Other non-fiction books include Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! (1992). His periodic ventures into scriptwriting have produced such scripts as Life at the Top (1965), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), and Joshua Then and Now (1985). His last book was On Snooker (2001), a loving look at the game and the characters associated with it. His many awards include 2 Governor General's Awards (1968, 1971), a Screenwriters Guild of America Award (1974) and a Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award (1976).
 Richler, Mordecai(photo by Martha Kaplan)
Author
VICTOR RAMRAJ
Links to Other Sites
Mordecai Richler Was Here
Controversial and much beloved Canadian author Mordecai Richler talks about his life, his work and his country. A CBC multimedia website.
Mordecai Richler
A profile of acclaimed Canadian author Mordecai Richler from Random House of Canada. Also features synopses of some of his works.
Scenario Productions
This site offers an extensive selection of audio clips from classic CBC radio plays and other popular programs.
Face to Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall
Face to Face presents outstanding Canadians – men and women whose ideas and contributions have transformed this country. From the website for the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Extraordinary Canadians
Click on the brief profiles of some "extraordinary Canadians" and the authors who write about them in this series from Penguin Group (Canada.) Also includes bios of artists who created the cover art for each book.
Screen Legends: Behind the Scenes
Click on their images on the right side of the page to see a video vignette devoted to each filmmaker. Part of the Screen Legends series from Historica.
Lantos finds three wives for Barney
A news article about the cast of the film version of Mordecai Richler's last novel "Barney’s Version." From thestar.com.
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