Gentleman's Agreement (novel)
Encyclopedia
Gentleman's Agreement is a 1947 novel by Laura Z. Hobson
which explored the problem of anti-Semitism
in the United States, what The New York Times called, in a contemporary review, "a story of the emotional disturbance that occurs within a man who elects, for the sake of getting a magazine article, to tell people that he is a Jew and who experiences first-hand, as a consequence, the shock and pain of discriminations and social snubs."
The book, published by Simon & Schuster
, was a runaway bestseller, selling over 1.6 million copies. It reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list in April 1947. The book was adapted into a 1947 movie
of the same name starring Gregory Peck
.
The book tells the story of Philip Green, new staff writer for a national magazine. A gentile
, he is assigned by his magazine to tell the story of anti-Semitism. He decides to do that by telling people that he is Jewish.
This ruse causes problems with his fiancee, who is a social climbing suburbanite and divorcee. Green's son is victimized by anti-Semitism as well, adding to the tension.
The book received rave reviews, with The New York Times
Book Review calling it "required reading for every thoughtful citizen in this perilous century". The Philadelphia Inquirer said it "bids fair to being one of the most astonishing novels of the year".
Laura Z. Hobson
Laura Z. Hobson was an American novelist best known for her novel, Gentleman's Agreement.Born Laura Kean Zametkin in New York City, the daughter of Jewish socialist immigrants, she graduated from Cornell University. On July 23, 1930, she married Francis Thayer Hobson, owner of William Morrow and...
which explored the problem of anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
in the United States, what The New York Times called, in a contemporary review, "a story of the emotional disturbance that occurs within a man who elects, for the sake of getting a magazine article, to tell people that he is a Jew and who experiences first-hand, as a consequence, the shock and pain of discriminations and social snubs."
The book, published by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
, was a runaway bestseller, selling over 1.6 million copies. It reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list in April 1947. The book was adapted into a 1947 movie
Gentleman's Agreement
Gentleman's Agreement is a 1947 drama film about a journalist who goes undercover as a Jew to conduct research for an exposé on antisemitism in New York City and the affluent community of Darien, Connecticut...
of the same name starring Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
.
The book tells the story of Philip Green, new staff writer for a national magazine. A gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
, he is assigned by his magazine to tell the story of anti-Semitism. He decides to do that by telling people that he is Jewish.
This ruse causes problems with his fiancee, who is a social climbing suburbanite and divorcee. Green's son is victimized by anti-Semitism as well, adding to the tension.
The book received rave reviews, with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Book Review calling it "required reading for every thoughtful citizen in this perilous century". The Philadelphia Inquirer said it "bids fair to being one of the most astonishing novels of the year".