Potash and Perlmutter Settle Things

Glass, Montague, 1877-1934Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 357K words
Chapters: 36

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Potash and Perlmutter Settle Things by Montague GlassAuthor: Glass, Montague, 1877-1934,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 28, 2006

Editor's review

Potash and Perlmutter Settle Things is a popular humorous novel by Montague Glass featuring Jewish immigrant businessmen in New York, a work of early twentieth-century American popular fiction about immigrant commercial life. This electronic edition, released by Project Gutenberg, is an English public-domain text. Its readability comes mainly from a dialogue-driven comic rhythm: the two partners haggle over business disputes, personal dealings, and everyday matters in a bickering style of negotiation, with language colored by the colloquial speech of an immigrant community. For readers studying American immigrant literature, commercial humor, or early twentieth-century urban life, the book offers light, firsthand material; for general readers, it is more like a sitcom-style volume to dip into. Note that its humor depends on a specific era and ethnic context, some jokes may feel remote to contemporary readers, and the English original contains colloquial and dialect spellings that need not be puzzled over word by word.

Who it's for

A good fit for

American literature enthusiasts who want a sense of early twentieth-century popular humorous fiction
Scholars of immigrant culture interested in the literary portrayal of Jewish immigrant business life
English learners seeking light reading who can use the dialogue form to practice spoken expression
Readers interested in old New York commercial life and street-level comedy

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting serious social analysis or profound character development
Beginners with weak English who struggle with colloquial and dialect spellings
Readers unfamiliar with and easily put off by ethnic humor

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter; each chapter can stand as a small story, so strict continuity is not required.
Pay attention to business expressions and the logic of bickering in the dialogue; excerpt them as material for spoken expression.
Briefly learn the background of early twentieth-century American immigrant business before reading, and the jokes will be easier to grasp.
Do not look up every dialect spelling; follow the gist of the dialogue first, then revisit details.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book serious literature or popular humor?

It is a popular humorous novel driven by dialogue and sitcom-style conflict, focused on amusement and everyday human dealings rather than serious social analysis. Read it in a light, recreational mood and do not expect deep character arcs or structural critique.

Can I read it without knowing Jewish immigrant background?

Yes, but some jokes depend on the language and life context of early twentieth-century New York immigrant communities. It helps to learn a little about immigrant business life at the time; focus on the rhythm of dialogue and the characters' bickering, and you can still have a light reading experience.

Will colloquial English and dialect spellings affect comprehension?

The original contains colloquial expressions and dialect spellings that may cause pauses. Grasp the gist of the dialogue first and do not verify every word; if you are reading to learn English, choose short passages for close reading and imitation of tone rather than scrutinizing every sentence of the whole book.

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About the author

Glass, Montague, 1877-1934 Author

Public information about Montague Glass (1877–1934) is limited, and his writing centers mainly on the lives of Jewish immigrant businessmen in New York. Seven of his works are held in this collection, including Potash & Perlmutter: Their Copartnership Ventures and Adventures, Abe and Mawruss, Potash and Perlmutter Settle Things, Elkan Lubliner, American, The Competitive Nephew, Object: matrimony, and Worrying Won't Win. Most of these follow the business partnership of Potash and Perlmutter, using humorous dialogue and brisk plots to portray the calculations and camaraderie of immigrant merchants in their dealings, while also touching on everyday themes such as marriage and family. Glass was skilled at revealing character and speech through comedy, and his works were popular with readers for their closeness to immigrant life.