The Assistant

By Bernard Malamud,

Book cover of The Assistant

Book description

The Assistant, Bernard Malamud's second novel, originally published in 1957, is the story of Morris Bober, a grocer in postwar Brooklyn, who "wants better" for himself and his family. First two robbers appear and hold him up; then things take a turn for the better when broken-nosed Frank Alpine becomes…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Assistant as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Malamud isn’t thought of as a crime writer, but this story of a robber who goes to work for the man he robbed as a kind of silent penance is very much a story of crime and punishment, of sin and redemption, and it directly inspired one of my own stories about a killer who winds up working for the mother of the man he killed.

A sad and troubling book, this book is about how even good intentions can lead to bad outcomes and how atonement might never be enough but is still necessary.

I think The Assistant is an example of Malamud at his best. The story perfectly captures what it means to be human and depicts the consequences of unresolved guilt.

I found myself empathizing with Malamud’s incredibly flawed characters who, although unlikable at times, nonetheless succeed in illustrating the necessity of forgiveness.

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