Appointment in Samarra

knockout debut novel from John O'hara

Fran Lebowitz is quoted as saying O'hara is 'the real F. Scott Fitzgerald' on the back of this edition, and while that sounds pretty agressive, it's not far off the mark either. This is O'hara's debut novel, amazing, given at how fully realized his storytelling comes across, as well as his knack for great dialogue (which he was known for). Set in a small town where a young crowd shares progressive ideals, different viewpoints are given to the fall of Julian English and his wife Caroline after Julian heads for self-destruction battling personal demons along the way. The writing from opening lines, to the devastating finish is enough to shed a few tears for, and the humor and tragedy don't come across as forced or at odds with one another, but play out for a bittersweet novel that is worth more than one reading over the years. Hardboiled in style, though not noirish. Set in December of 1930 complete with bootlegging and prohibition.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pretty Good

this book was quite interesting although i have read it several times. It is an excellent display of dramatic irony in the situation. but i reccommend it to all for a good suspense story :)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Engrossing

This novel has been called one of the top 100 of the 20th century - and it deserves to be included in that group. O'Hara's writing is superb as he explores how a single incident can cause a life to unravel. First published in the early 1930's, the story and writing style are remarkably fresh; the characters could be the people who live next door.

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