Mordecai Richler Books In Order – Mordecai Richler, a Canadian author, essayist, and screenwriter, published numerous acclaimed works. Born in Montreal, Quebec, on January 27, 1931, he grew up speaking both Yiddish and English while his father worked as a scrapyard dealer. He attended Baron Byng High School and later enrolled at Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University) to study English, but he dropped out before completing his degree.
Richler gained recognition for stories about working-class Jewish life, including The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and Saint Urbain’s Horseman. Many readers know him best for Barney’s Version (1997), while his novel Solomon Gursky Was Here reached the Man Booker Prize shortlist in 1990. Children also embraced his beloved Jacob Two-Two series.
Mordecai Richler Books In Order
Publication Order of Jacob Two-Two Books
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang | (1975) | Buy Now |
| Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur | (1987) | Buy Now |
| Jacob Two-Two’s First Spy Case | (1995) | Buy Now |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| The Acrobats | (1954) | Buy Now |
| Son of a Smaller Hero | (1955) | Buy Now |
| The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz | (1959) | Buy Now |
| Cocksure | (1968) | Buy Now |
| St. Urbain’s Horseman | (1971) | Buy Now |
| A Choice of Enemies | (1973) | Buy Now |
| Joshua Then and Now | (1980) | Buy Now |
| Best of Modern Humour | (1983) | Buy Now |
| Home Sweet Home | (1984) | Buy Now |
| Solomon Gursky Was Here | (1989) | Buy Now |
| Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! | (1992) | Buy Now |
| Barney’s Version | (1997) | Buy Now |
| Dispatches from the Sporting Life | (2002) | Buy Now |
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Stick Your Neck Out. | (1963) | Buy Now |
| Shovelling Trouble | (1972) | Buy Now |
| The Incomparable Atuk | (1989) | Buy Now |
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| The Street | (1969) | Buy Now |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| This Year In Jerusalem | (1994) | Buy Now |
Publication Order of Collections
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting Tigers Under Glass | (1968) | Buy Now |
| Notes On An Endangered Species, And Others | (1974) | Buy Now |
| The Great Comic Book Heroes And Other Essays | (1978) | Buy Now |
| Broadsides | (1990) | Buy Now |
| Belling The Cat | (1998) | Buy Now |
Publication Order of Anthologies
| Book Title | Year | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Writing Today | (1970) | Buy Now |
| Writers On World War Ii | (1989) | Buy Now |
| The Faber Book of Contemporary Canadian Short Stories | (1990) | Buy Now |
| Four Continents | (2008) | Buy Now |
| The Scotiabank Giller Prize 15 Years: An Anthology of Prize-Winning Canadian Fiction. | (2008) | Buy Now |
Mordecai Richler Biography
Mordecai Richler, a Canadian author, essayist, and screenwriter, built a reputation as one of the country’s most significant literary voices. Born in Montreal, Quebec, on January 27, 1931, he grew up bilingual in Yiddish and English while his father worked as a scrapyard dealer. He attended Baron Byng High School and later enrolled at Sir George Williams College, now Concordia University, to study English but left before completing his degree.
Richler earned acclaim for his portrayals of working-class Jewish life in novels such as The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and Saint Urbain’s Horseman. Many readers know him best for Barney’s Version (1997), while Solomon Gursky Was Here became a 1990 Man Booker Prize finalist. Younger audiences cherished his Jacob Two-Two children’s series. His mother, Leah Rosenburg, detailed his upbringing and their difficult relationship in her autobiography The Errand Runner.
At nineteen, Richler moved to Paris, later working for the CBC before relocating to London in 1954, where he published most of his novels and established himself as a journalist. He married twice, ultimately building a family with Florence Wood Mann, whom he married after both divorced.
Returning to Montreal in 1972, Richler explored Jewish identity and neighborhood life in his fiction until his death on July 3, 2001.
Short Notes on Mordecai Richler Books
1. Dispatches from the Sporting Life
Dispatches from the Sporting Life, the first book set in the Richler typeface commissioned in his memory, showcases Mordecai Richler’s final work. He selected essays that reveal his passion for sport, blending sharp humour, wit, and candour. Richler wrote on hockey, baseball, fishing, wrestling, and more for leading magazines, profiling icons like Pete Rose, Wayne Gretzky, and Gordie Howe. From Montreal Canadiens to obscure teams abroad, these pieces capture his admiration for athletes and his delight in sport’s struggles and absurdities.
2. Barney’s VersionÂ
Barney Panofsky, ebullient, flawed, and thrice married, lives by two convictions: life is absurd and no one ever truly understands another. When his sworn enemy brands him a wife abuser, fraud, and possible murderer, Barney defends himself by writing his memoirs. With biting humour and irreverence, Barney’s Version paints a vivid portrait of a complex man. Mordecai Richler delivers not only sharp comedy but also an unforgettable love story about marriage, family, friendship, and the messy truth of human connection.
FAQ on Mordecai Richler Books
Who was Mordecai Richler?
Mordecai Richler (1931–2001) was a Canadian novelist, essayist, and screenwriter. Known for his sharp wit, social criticism, and humour, he became one of Canada’s most celebrated and controversial literary voices.
What are Mordecai Richler’s most famous books?
His best-known works include The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959), St. Urbain’s Horseman (1971), Solomon Gursky Was Here (1990), and Barney’s Version (1997). He also wrote the beloved Jacob Two-Two children’s series.
Which Mordecai Richler book won major awards?
St. Urbain’s Horseman won the Governor General’s Award in 1971. Barney’s Version won the Giller Prize in 1997. Solomon Gursky Was Here was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 1990.
What themes define Richler’s books?
Richler often explored Jewish identity, ambition, morality, social satire, generational conflict, and the absurdities of human behaviour. His blend of comedy and critique made his characters and stories unforgettable.
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