LibriVox recording of The King of Schnorrers by Israel Zangwill.
Read by Adrian Praetzellis.
Manasseh da Costa is a schnorrer (beggar) who lives on the charitable contributions of the Jews of late 18th-century London. But Manasseh is far from being a humble panhandler for, as every schnorrer knows, supporting the poor is a commandment from God (a mitzvah) not just a favour. And as the descendant of Portuguese Jews who had lived in England for many generations, Manasseh is the social superior of those newly arrived from Eastern Europe (called 'Tedesco'), even his wealthy patron Joseph Grobstock. As this hilarious satire concludes the ever-audacious Manasseh strikes a blow for tolerance—while helping himself along the way. Israel Zangwill (1864-1926) was born in England of Russian parents. He was the author of "Children of the Ghetto," a novel set in London's heavily Jewish East End. (Summary by Adrian Praetzellis)
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Reviewer:Philippe Horak -
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April 11, 2008 Subject:
A very nice reading - questionable "Zangwill" humour
Written with great satirical perception and an unerring sense of wry, preposterous humor, the book relates the adventures of Manasseh Bueno Barzillai Azevedo da Costa, a proud, resourceful Sephardic schnorrer (or beggar) who lords it over his fellow mendicants in London of the late 1790s. Faced with the marriage of his daughter to a man he considers a socially inferior beggar, Manasseh uses all the powers of his intellect to deal successfully--and with comic repercussions--with what he perceives as serious problems of life. Widely regarded as one of the author's most enduring works, this witty and wise literary gem pokes fun at the prejudices dividing London's Jewish community in the late eighteenth century.
The story is full of clichés about the stinginess of the Jews etc... Not everybody's cup of tea...
The recording is excellent, however. Five stars for Mr Adrian Praetzellis but only three stars for the book.
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