Appointment in Samarra by John O'hara
Chosen by Delia Ephron for the WSJ Book Club The writer whom Fran Lebowitz called the real F. Scott Fitzgerald makes his Penguin Classics debut with this beautiful deluxe edition of his best-loved book. One of the great novels of small-town American life, Appointment in Samarra is John O'Hara's crowning achievement. In December 1930, just before Christmas, the Gibbsville, Pennsylvania, social circuit is electrified with parties and dances. At the center of the social elite stand Julian and Caroline English. But in one rash moment born inside a highball glass, Julian breaks with polite society and begins a rapid descent toward self-destruction. Brimming with wealth and privilege, jealousy and infidelity, O'Hara's iconic first novel is an unflinching look at the dark side of the American dream--and a lasting testament to the keen social intelligence if a major American writer. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
John O'Hara (1905-1970) was born and raised in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, a small city that became the setting for many of his novels and stories. As a young man he moved to New York City, where he began a long, fruitful, and often contentious relationship with The New Yorker, publishing more stories there than any other writer. His many novels include Appointment in Samarra (1934), Butterfield 8 (1935), and Ten North Frederick (1955); Pal Joey (1940) was adapted into a successful and often revived musical. Steven Goldleaf, editor, is the author of John O'Hara: A Study of the Short Fiction and editor of John O'Hara: The New York Stories. He is Professor of English at Pace University.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780394711928 |
| ISBN 10 | 0394711920 |
| Title | Appointment in Samarra |
| Author | John O'hara |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Random House USA Inc |
| Year published | 1982-07-12 |
| Number of pages | 269 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |