Call It Sleep

Call It Sleep tracks the experiences of David Schearl, a six-year-old Jewish boy living in New York's immigrant-filled Lower East Side during the early 1900s. The story centers on his relationship with his protective mother Genya and his hostile father Albert as they navigate life in their new country. Published in 1934, the novel initially received critical praise but found commercial success only after its 1964 reissue, when it sold over a million copies and earned recognition as one of Time's 100 best English-language novels since 1923. The narrative follows David through his daily life in the tenements, documenting his encounters with the street culture of immigrant New York and his struggles at home. Through David's perspective, readers witness the complex dynamics between his parents, the arrival of his aunt Bertha, and the mounting tensions within their household. The novel stands as a significant work about the American immigrant experience, examining themes of childhood innocence, family relationships, and cultural identity in an unforgiving urban landscape.

Readers describe Call It Sleep as an immersive portrayal of immigrant life in early 1900s New York, with most drawn to the stream-of-consciousness style and detailed sensory descriptions. The book maintains a 4.0/5 rating on Goodreads (13,000+ ratings) and 4.3/5 on Amazon (200+ ratings). Readers praise: - Rich depiction of Jewish immigrant experience - Complex portrayal of mother-son relationship - Authentic child's perspective - Vivid Lower East Side atmosphere - Integration of Yiddish and Hebrew passages Common criticisms: - Dense, challenging prose style - Slow pacing in middle sections - Difficult to follow stream-of-consciousness segments - Some found the ending abrupt Many reviewers note the book requires patience but rewards careful reading. Several mention stopping and restarting multiple times before finishing. A frequent comment is that the linguistic complexity mirrors the protagonist's experience navigating between languages and cultures. Some readers report the childhood trauma elements hit "too close to home" emotionally.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Through the eyes of young Francie Nolan, this novel depicts immigrant life in early 1900s Brooklyn with the same focus on family dynamics and urban poverty that shapes David's story in Call It Sleep.

Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska The narrative follows a young Jewish immigrant woman in New York's Lower East Side, capturing the same cultural tensions and family conflicts that define the Schearl household.

The Rise of David Levinsky by Abraham Cahan This chronicle of a Jewish immigrant's journey from poverty to success in New York mirrors the immigrant experience and cultural displacement found in Call It Sleep.

Christ in Concrete by Pietro Di Donato Set in the immigrant communities of New York, this work presents the struggles of an Italian-American family with the same raw intensity that characterizes the Schearl family's experiences.

Jews Without Money by Michael Gold This autobiographical novel of Jewish immigrant life in the Lower East Side presents the same neighborhood, era, and cultural challenges that David Schearl faces.

🔷 Initially published in 1934, "Call It Sleep" sold only 3,000 copies and was out of print for nearly 30 years before being rediscovered and republished in 1964, when it became a surprise bestseller 🔷 The book's dialogue brilliantly captures multiple languages - Yiddish, Hebrew, and various immigrant dialects of English - creating an authentic linguistic tapestry of early 1900s New York 🔷 Henry Roth experienced a 45-year writer's block after publishing "Call It Sleep," not publishing another novel until "Mercy of a Rude Stream" in 1994 🔷 The novel's title comes from a poem by Alfred Kreymborg and refers to the protagonist's desire to escape from the harsh realities of his life through sleep and dreams 🔷 The book's stream-of-consciousness style and exploration of childhood psychology drew comparisons to James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," though Roth claimed he hadn't read Joyce when writing his novel