This is a Beginner Level story in a series of ELT readers comprising a wide range of titles - some original and some simplified - from modern and classic novels, and designed to appeal to all age-groups, tastes and cultures. The books are divided into five levels: Starter Level, with about 300 basic words; Beginner Level (600 basic words); Elementary Level (1100); Intermediate Level (1600); and Upper Level (2200). Some of the titles are also available on cassette.
RICH MAN, POOR MAN tells the story of Rudolph, Gretchen and Tom, the children of an embittered, impoverished German baker, growing up in a small town near New York City as World War II is drawing to a close. These three are seen over a period of twenty-four years in scene after brilliant scene which build up into a revelation of twentieth-century American life: the mobility, the quick encounters, the big deals, the myth-making. Ranging from Manhattan in the effervescent post-war years, to Hollywood, bathed in uncertain sunshine, and to the deceptive peace of the Mediterranean coast, RICH MAN, POOR MAN is at once a triumphant study of character and a truly epic novel of America.
