Rich Boy

Rich Boy
By Sharon Pomerantz
Twelve 2010. 517 pgs. Fiction

Robert Vishniak was born to a working-class, Jewish family in Philadelphia during the late 1940s. Early in life, he decides that he is destined for much more and uses his natural charm and easy good looks to gain access to the social circle of the wealthy. His desire to leave his origin and family behind to create a new life for himself leaves him oscillating between the two worlds, unable to find or be himself.

The author seems to want Robert to be a sympathetic protagonist striving for the American Dream. However, for me, he comes across as a conceited jerk exhibiting obnoxious amounts self-pity, self-loathing, and self-destructive behavior. The historical aspects of the novel somewhat make up for the lack of a plot readers can invest in, however several chapters toward the beginning of the book describing Robert’s early sexual exploits make this a difficult book to recommend.

CZ