Solomon Gursky Was Here
Encyclopedia
Solomon Gursky Was Here is a novel by Canadian
author Mordecai Richler
first published by Viking Canada in 1989
.
and rum-running
. Some fans and critics have cited this as Mordecai Richler's best book, and in terms of scope and style it is unmatched by his other works. The parallels between the Gursky family and the Bronfmans
are such that the novel "may be seen as a thinly disguised account of the [Bronfman] family". While Richler himself denied any similarities, "one longtime Bronfman associate put it, 'I don't know why Mordecai bothered to change the names.'"
Moses follows a zigzagging line through time and place, with further narrative leapfrogging provided by the achronological documents Moses finds in his quest: from 19th century London to the Arctic Circle to the familiar confines of 20th century Montreal, and more. The art of weaving each scene and storyline together into a coherent whole calls up an image of Richler mapping a massive time-line on his living room wall. The story, like other of his works, runs like a salmon on a hook, then dances on the water, only to plunge unseen again into deep, cold water. Many of the background stories are mysteries in their own right.
After fleeing legal proceedings, Solomon is reported dead in an airplane crash, leaving Moses to sort fact from fiction and life from death.
Richler pulls off a tale which is, in spite of being riddled with characters whose banal defects eclipse their successes, intensely interesting. The narrator's personal struggle, a struggle made vicarious through his self-appointment as the Gursky family biographer, is spiced with a refreshing frankness and competence in his moments of clarity.
What marks this novel from others in the Richler canon is not only the breadth of locations and time, but also the threads of magic realism, reminiscent of Garcia Marquez
. The Jewish ghetto of Montreal, and a sense of rage boiling under the surface of each character are present here as in Richler's other books. But by allowing omen and myth to intrude, even guide the plot, he has successfully risked making it more memorable.
To put a moral to the story is difficult--this is no fable--which is part of what makes it such a good story. Surely, the novel is strewn with the undeserving rich and the corruption thereof. Many of the characters are callous and self-indulgent at their best and murderously infantile at their worst, but one can't help extending admiration to them for their struggle--especially to the title character and his chronicler, Moses. One gets pulled in, one feels the same itch that they need to scratch. Somehow what they do seems, if not always morally justifiable, true to their natures. Therefore, their actions are necessary in the way that the foolishness of the Trickster in Native American tales is necessary, and in the way that the telling of his tales is also necessary: they, and Richler's novel, are what they are in order to challenge what is unworthy and unyielding.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
author Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler, CC was a Canadian Jewish author, screenwriter and essayist. A leading critic called him "the great shining star of his Canadian literary generation" and a pivotal figure in the country's history. His best known works are The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version,...
first published by Viking Canada in 1989
1989 in literature
The year 1989 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 24 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini places a US$3 million bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.-Literature:...
.
Summary
The novel tells of several generations of the fictional Gursky family, who are connected to several disparate events in the history of Canada, including the Franklin ExpeditionJohn Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
and rum-running
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
. Some fans and critics have cited this as Mordecai Richler's best book, and in terms of scope and style it is unmatched by his other works. The parallels between the Gursky family and the Bronfmans
Bronfman family
The Bronfman family is a Canadian Jewish family. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman , who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during the 20th century through the family's Seagram Company. The family is of Russian Jewish and Romanian Jewish ancestry...
are such that the novel "may be seen as a thinly disguised account of the [Bronfman] family". While Richler himself denied any similarities, "one longtime Bronfman associate put it, 'I don't know why Mordecai bothered to change the names.'"
Plot
The tale centres around Moses Berger, an alcoholic failed writer who is obsessed with Solomon Gursky, the brother of Bernard and Morrie and absent from the family empire after a fatal plane crash. Perhaps it was his disappointment with his own father that put him on the trail of Solomon, a character as strong-willed as he was mysterious.Moses follows a zigzagging line through time and place, with further narrative leapfrogging provided by the achronological documents Moses finds in his quest: from 19th century London to the Arctic Circle to the familiar confines of 20th century Montreal, and more. The art of weaving each scene and storyline together into a coherent whole calls up an image of Richler mapping a massive time-line on his living room wall. The story, like other of his works, runs like a salmon on a hook, then dances on the water, only to plunge unseen again into deep, cold water. Many of the background stories are mysteries in their own right.
After fleeing legal proceedings, Solomon is reported dead in an airplane crash, leaving Moses to sort fact from fiction and life from death.
Criticism
In laying out the kaleidoscope of consistently ambiguous truth, Richler writes himself into the role of the raven, the trickster, and one follows his trail of mischief with unflagging interest.Richler pulls off a tale which is, in spite of being riddled with characters whose banal defects eclipse their successes, intensely interesting. The narrator's personal struggle, a struggle made vicarious through his self-appointment as the Gursky family biographer, is spiced with a refreshing frankness and competence in his moments of clarity.
What marks this novel from others in the Richler canon is not only the breadth of locations and time, but also the threads of magic realism, reminiscent of Garcia Marquez
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
. The Jewish ghetto of Montreal, and a sense of rage boiling under the surface of each character are present here as in Richler's other books. But by allowing omen and myth to intrude, even guide the plot, he has successfully risked making it more memorable.
To put a moral to the story is difficult--this is no fable--which is part of what makes it such a good story. Surely, the novel is strewn with the undeserving rich and the corruption thereof. Many of the characters are callous and self-indulgent at their best and murderously infantile at their worst, but one can't help extending admiration to them for their struggle--especially to the title character and his chronicler, Moses. One gets pulled in, one feels the same itch that they need to scratch. Somehow what they do seems, if not always morally justifiable, true to their natures. Therefore, their actions are necessary in the way that the foolishness of the Trickster in Native American tales is necessary, and in the way that the telling of his tales is also necessary: they, and Richler's novel, are what they are in order to challenge what is unworthy and unyielding.