born Jan. 27, 1931, Montreal, Que., Can.
died July 3, 2001, Montreal
Canadian novelist.
He grew up in a Jewish working-class neighbourhood in which many of his novels are set. In 1951–52 he lived in Paris, where he was influenced by existentialism ; he later lived in England. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959) is a bawdy account of a Jewish boy in Montreal and his transformation into a ruthless businessman. His later novels include Joshua Then and Now (1980) and Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989). He also wrote children's books featuring the character Jacob Two-Two.