WINNER OF THE 1990 COMMONWEALTH WRITERS PRIZE, SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 1990 Since the age of eleven Moses Berger has been obsessed with the Gursky clan, an insanely wealthy, profoundly seductive family of Jewish-Canadian descent. Now a 52-year-old alcoholic boigrapher, Berger is desperately trying to chronicle the stories of their lives, especially that of the mysterious Solomon Gursky, who may or may not have died in a plane crash. A rich, irreverent and exuberant comic masterpiece from the author of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and St Urbain's Horseman.

Barney Panofsky--Canadian expat, wily lover of women, writer, television producer, raconteur--is finally putting pen to paper so he can rebut the charges about him made in his rival's autobiography. Whether it's ranting about his bohemian misadventures during the 1950's in Paris, his tumultuous three marriages, or his successful trashy TV company, Totally Unnecessary Productions, he quickly proves that his memory may be slipping, but his bile isn't. But when he's charged with the murder of his own best friend--caught in bed with the second Mrs. Panofsky--Barney's version of things might not be enough to keep him out of trouble.

1960s drama starring Peter Finch as a parliamentary MP whose thirst for greater power leads him into political intrigue. Johnnie Byrne (Finch) is a Labour MP who aspires to the big-time. His hopes are raised when his party triumphs in a general election, but Johnnie is overlooked for a role on the front benches. To top it off, his wife (Rosalie Crutchley) has just left him and balancing two mistresses, including the youthful Pauline (Mary Peach), is proving difficult. When Johnny is approached by a couple of fellow backbenchers for help in a scheme that may destabilise the government but advance their careers, Johnny is faced with an important choice...

The book begins with Mordecai Richler's own experiences as a teenage pool room hustler in Montreal and his addiction to the game ever since, leading into a history of the game from its beginnings in the nineteenth century. He also explores the 'bad boys' of snooker from Alex Higgins to Ronnie O'Sullivan, as well as fellow-countrymen Cliff Thorburn and Kirk Stevens, but the central figure of the book is Stephen Hendry, the most talented player ever. In addition, Richler visits the craftsmen who make the champions' cues, the agents who control the sport and the groupies who follow the circuit to try and get close to the millionaire players.

Never before has snooker been explored with such perception, wit and brio and, like all great sports writing, this book transcends its subject in unexpected, fascinating ways.

From Mordecai Richler, one of our greatest satirists, comes one of literature's most delightful characters, Duddy Kravitz -- in a novel that belongs in the pantheon of seminal twentieth century books.

Duddy -- the third generation of a Jewish immigrant family in Montreal -- is combative, amoral, scheming, a liar, and totally hilarious. From his street days tormenting teachers at the Jewish academy to his time hustling four jobs at once in a grand plan to "be somebody," Duddy learns about living -- and the lesson is an outrageous roller-coaster ride through the human comedy. As Richler turns his blistering commentary on love, money, and politics, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz becomes a lesson for us all...in laughter and in life.

Barney Panofsky--Canadian expat, wily lover of women, writer, television producer, raconteur--is finally putting pen to paper so he can rebut the charges about him made in his rival's autobiography. Whether it's ranting about his bohemian misadventures during the 1950's in Paris, his tumultuous three marriages, or his successful trashy TV company, Totally Unnecessary Productions, he quickly proves that his memory may be slipping, but his bile isn't. But when he's charged with the murder of his own best friend--caught in bed with the second Mrs. Panofsky--Barney's version of things might not be enough to keep him out of trouble.