APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA;
by O'Hara, John
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Very Good+ in Very Good- dust jacket
- Seller
-
Livonia, Michigan, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
At the ripe age of twenty-eight, John O’Hara completed Appointment in Samarra, his first novel, in less than four months. At a similarly quick pace, the events of the book take place in a span of just three days. In this brief time, Appointment in Samarra tells of the increasingly impulsive and self-destructive acts that lead to the main character’s suicide. Julian English, once a high-ranking member of the community of Gibbsville, angers and alienates those close to him, resulting in the rapid decline of his social status. Specific explanations for Julian’s behavior are unclear in the text, though personal insecurities along with his alcoholism undoubtedly play a role. The small-town prejudices of Gibbsville (O’Hara’s fictionalized version of his hometown, Pottsville, Pennsylvania) greatly affect Julian’s demise as well. Omniscient narration works to expose these prejudices via the inner thoughts of various people in the town. The title, Appointment in Samarra, is a reference to W. Somerset Maugham's 1933 retelling of an old story in his play, Sheppey. In the story, which appears as an epigraph for the novel, Death speaks of meeting a merchant in Samarra, informing the reader from the beginning of the novel’s fatal ending. In his foreword to the 1952 reprint, O'Hara says that the working title for the novel was The Infernal Grove. It was not until fellow writer Dorothy Parker showed him the story in Maugham's play that he got the idea for the title Appointment in Samarra. Modern Library ranked Appointment in Samarra 22nd on its list of the “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century.
Read More: Identifying first editions of APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA;
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Details
- Bookseller
- Sage Rare & Collectible Books, IOBA (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 10757
- Title
- APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA;
- Author
- O'Hara, John
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good+ in Very Good- dust jacket
- Publisher
- Modern Library
- Date Published
- 1953
Terms of Sale
Sage Rare & Collectible Books, IOBA
We guarantee your order to be as described in our listing. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us within 7 days of receipt of your order for return instructions. We will issue a refund upon receipt of your return.
About the Seller
Sage Rare & Collectible Books, IOBA
About Sage Rare & Collectible Books, IOBA
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Good+
- A term used to denote a condition a slight grade better than Good.
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...