This is one of those books where there is a significant disconnect between how good the book is and how much I actually liked it. This was significantly, um, nastier than what I might enjoy, though well written nonetheless. Sort of a more visceral and gross version of the Gangs of New York and its ilk.

The book fully advertises itself as a Noir and that’s accurate. It’s a good story but very violent, and includes far too much torture and sexual violence for my liking. The story itself is a good one, focused specifically on the Jewish are of the city and the lives of its citizens, while also taking a broader look at the issues plaguing the city as a whole at the time.

I wish the story had been less depressing, particularly regarding the fate of the principal characters, but it’s compelling and well written.

Not a spare word in this tough and cruel story. The book centers primarily on tough Jewish immigrants and their stories of survival. Characters are sharp and brutal. The story line is dark and hopeless. There’s not a happy ending in sight, but the tale is vivid with details and characters. It is a story that grabs - one can’t look away.

The novel “Ravage & Son” is best described as “vintage noir”. It’s about the confluence of power and poverty of immigrant Jews on the Lower East Side in the early 1900s and contains several historical figures like Abraham Cahan, one of the founders of the Forward. The writing is compelling, the story engaging, and I really liked the narrator, Stephen Jay Cohen, but I’m certain I would have gotten more out of reading than I did listening.

4 ⭐️ for the story
3 ⭐️ for audio book

3.5 ⭐️ overall

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy.