"The King of Schnorrers - Grotesques and Fantasies" is a 1909 novel by British author Israel Zangwill. Wonderfully Illustrated throughout, this is the amusing tale of "king of schnorrers" or "king of beggars" Manassah who continually connives behind the backs of friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. Contents include: "The King of Schnorrers, Illustrated by George Hutchinson", "The Semi-Sentimental Dragon,", "An Honest Log-Roller", "A Tragi-Comedy of Creeds", "The Memory Clearing House", "Mated by a Waiter", "The Principal Boy", "An Odd Life", etc. Israel Zangwill (1864-1926) was a leading figure in cultural Zionism during the 19th century, as well as close friend of father of modern political Zionism, Theodor Herzl. In later life, he renounced the seeking of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. A notable portion of Zangwill's work concentrated on ghetto life and earned him the nickname "the Dickens of the Ghetto". This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with an introductory chapter from "English Humourists of To-Day" by J. A. Hammerton.
