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kyop14's review
4.0
Where is your food from? It is an odd thing to say, but if you appreciate food you will appreciate this book. Algren serves Chicago!
bundy23's review against another edition
3.0
Annoying tale of a pathetic, odious, wannabe gangster and his fuckwit friends who all speak like Cagney in Taxi or Eric Roberts in Runaway Train. I'd imagine it was pretty shocking in its day but 70 years later... not so much.
ronniereadsregularly's review against another edition
4.0
I am still processing the ending, as I just finished it four minutes ago, but I think I was fairly pleased with the novel. I will write more about it after I have time to reflect more, but it ended perfectly.
Edit - After months, perhaps I can express my opinions on this novel:
Basically, if you are looking for a beautiful story about Polish American's living in Chicago that makes the reader feel optimistic about society, do not read this book. If you want a gritty, realistic, noir like compendium of the disastrous sprawling Ukrainian Village area of Chicago and the issues between immigrants from Poland and the police, then read this book.
The author writes wonderful, but terrible, characters. It seems, at times, to be a character and setting study rather than a novel, but it is still excellent. The book is brutal, so please don't read this looking for pleasure.
My favorite scene would have to be the extended section about the many people in the prison giving their explanations for their crimes: It is both funny and informative. It adds almost nothing to the plot, if there really IS one plot, but it really sets the tone of the place and the relationship between cops and "criminals."
I do recommend this. Read it. Just don't expect a novel, a single story line, or something that will leave you feeling good about life.
Edit - After months, perhaps I can express my opinions on this novel:
Basically, if you are looking for a beautiful story about Polish American's living in Chicago that makes the reader feel optimistic about society, do not read this book. If you want a gritty, realistic, noir like compendium of the disastrous sprawling Ukrainian Village area of Chicago and the issues between immigrants from Poland and the police, then read this book.
The author writes wonderful, but terrible, characters. It seems, at times, to be a character and setting study rather than a novel, but it is still excellent. The book is brutal, so please don't read this looking for pleasure.
My favorite scene would have to be the extended section about the many people in the prison giving their explanations for their crimes: It is both funny and informative. It adds almost nothing to the plot, if there really IS one plot, but it really sets the tone of the place and the relationship between cops and "criminals."
I do recommend this. Read it. Just don't expect a novel, a single story line, or something that will leave you feeling good about life.
realbooks4ever's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m very drawn to Nelson Algren’s stories of hard-luck people in early 20th century Chicago. Man With The Golden Arm is my favorite so far.
jonathantoews19's review against another edition
5.0
Algren's first novel is less ethereal than the other stuff of his that I've read, with what is (in my opinion) more of a concrete, linear, novel-like story, but with just enough of his poignant lyricism to keep me looking up from the book every few pages just to stare into the distance and say "Fuuuuuuuuck" to myself.
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