42 pages • 1 hour read
336
Novel • Fiction
New York City • 1910s
1930
Adult
18+ years
Jews Without Money by Michael Gold, set in the early 20th century Lower East Side of New York City, follows Mike, a boy growing up in a Jewish immigrant family struggling with poverty and hardship in a tenement. His experiences in this crime-ridden, impoverished neighborhood, surrounded by a supportive yet exploited community, shape his views and inspire his later socialist beliefs.
Gritty
Dark
Challenging
Emotional
Contemplative
1,092 ratings
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Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Jews Without Money by Michael Gold is praised for its gripping portrayal of poverty and immigrant life in early 20th-century New York, with vivid characters and rich detail. However, some criticize its heavy-handed political commentary and melodramatic tone. Overall, the novel remains a significant, emotionally impactful depiction of its era.
A reader who would enjoy Jews Without Money by Michael Gold is someone interested in early 20th-century immigrant life in America, social realism, and labor history. Fans of works like The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and Call It Sleep by Henry Roth will find Gold's depiction of poverty and resilience in New York's Jewish Lower East Side compelling.
1,092 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
336
Novel • Fiction
New York City • 1910s
1930
Adult
18+ years
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