From the Lists: #22 Appointment in Samarrra

It's all fun and games until someone gets hit in the face with a cocktail.

Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara is another one of those prohibition-era novels in which liquor flows as if there were no restrictions on its sale. It seems that if you knew the right person and had enough money, obtaining a case of your favorite holiday spirit was as simple as picking up the phone and calling your local gangster.

In a nutshell this novel is about the dissolution of Julian and Caroline English's marriage over the course of a few days. Julian and his wife are among the social elite of their small community - or they were until a drunken Julian throws his drink in the face of the town's richest man. Had it not occurred during the country club's annual Christmas party, in front of their mutual friends, Julian may have been able to apologize the next day and moved on with his life; however, that would not make for a very interesting novel. Instead, Julian and Caroline's relationship descends into arguments, blatant infidelity, and liquor fueled arguments culminating in Julian's suicide three days later. (Sorry for the spoiler, but the book's first page pretty much gives is away.)

Hemingway, Sherman Billingsley, and John O'Hara

Although I had never heard of this novel, once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The writing is among the best examples of straightforward modernist literature of the time, not surprising considering the author's chummy relationship with some of the period's heavy-hitters. Even though O'Hara does not pull any punches, his writing does not get in the way of the story. He effortlessly moves between characters and settings as if they are from his own memories. The world he creates is completely believable, which makes Julian's breakdown all the more painful. While reading this novel, I often felt as if I was watching one of those reality shows where you know a person is headed for big trouble, but you are powerless to help them or to turn away from the screen (such as the Anna Nicole Show).

Despite the brilliant writing and story telling, Appointment in Samarra was not well received when it was first published. It seems the critics got so distracted by married men and women having sex with each other - and enjoying it, that they missed all the other goodies. Of course, the entire first chapter describes a middle class couple enjoying conjugal pleasures. And, if that was not bad enough, they are doing it on CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!!!  Apparently organized crime, indiscriminate drinking, lesbianism, shrewish wives and the infidelities of the main character paled in comparison to this act of sacrilege. As a result Appointment was originally dismissed as low-brow smut. Happily for me and other readers, O'Hara's work survived the witheringly prudish attacks of 1934 critics. In the critics' defense, it is somewhat surprising at how blatantly / casually O'Hara addresses sexuality and relationships.

Recommendation: Not a happily-ever-after novel, not a vampire or zombie in sight, but could be a great summer read.

Next up: #21 Henderson the Rain King

From the Lists: #29 The Studs Lonigan Trilogy

Another %$#@! Trilogy! 

It seems like months since I last posted, but with all the family vacation action, work, and International Festival planning, I have been more than a little slack in keeping up with my posts. So, to get back into the swing of sharing, let's have a look at James T Farrells' Studs Lonigan Trilogy [Young Lonigan (1932), The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan (1934), and Judgment Day (1935)].

As with every multi-volume entry on the list of 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century, I sighed with weariness when it was time to get started on this one. Luckily, I found an eBook version that included all three volumes - 757 glorious pages!  And, I am not being sarcastic.

The trilogy starts with young William (Studs) Lonigan preparing for his grammar school graduation and ends with his untimely death at the age of 31. The first and last books are somewhat chronological in that they focus on about six months of Stud's life, mostly from his point of view. The middle book, covers the the 15 years in between using short vignettes describing milestones in Studs' life. The writing style for each book is in what I like to refer to as "Screenplay" format - i.e. short chapters with lots of dialog.

Synopsis:

Studs is short in stature, not particularly handsome, and not too intelligent.. He would probably be considered average on most counts - except within his own thoughts. When he looks in the mirror, he sees a tough, handsome guy, who is bound to experience good fortune. In reality, he is short-sighted and prideful, he runs with a bad crowd, makes bad decisions, has no self-awareness, and blames the world for his endless stream of bad luck. He has neither the words nor the capability of communicating his emotions or thoughts, which for the most part are focused on comparing himself to his peers, fighting, and female conquest.

Like the character in Train Spotting, Studs is always going to give up drinking and wild nights. He is strong in his resolve - at least until there is another bottle, another slight to his ego, or another chance at sex. Unlike other literature of this time, the act of sex is neither condemned nor moralized. Instead, Studs' lack of experience and clumsiness in the act, always leaves him unhappy, unsatisfied, and depressed. Of course this feeling is quickly blamed on the woman - who is after all nothing but a slut. Only a slut would give it up so easily.

Sadly, Studs' life never lives up to the dreams of success and ideals of love to which he is constantly comparing his circumstances. He is always jealous of someone more successful than he, yet Studs is incapable of taking control of his own life. He can only take solace in knowing that some of his childhood friends are living lives much worse than his.

By the end of the trilogy, Studs is about 31 years old, still lives at home with his long suffering parents, and he has met an girl he wants to marry. Unfortunately for everyone concerned, he dies trying to do the right thing - albeit his efforts are futile.  

Thoughts on the Trilogy

After the Edwardian novels about romantic betrayal (The Golden Bowl and The Good Soldier) and offended sensibilities, I was pleasantly surprised by the directness of the writing, but rather distressed by the use of racial slurs. With so many different groups of people (Irish, Italians, Hungarians, African Americans, Jews, Germans, etc.) arriving in the USA at the turn of the century, animosities seemed to fester among those whose parents or grandparents had arrived slightly earlier. The members of the second generation immigrants were obviously good Americans. Those who arrived more recently were simply lazy / greedy / slutty / dirty / ignorant and were to blame for Chicago's decline, the destruction of the 58th street neighborhood in which Studs lives, World War I, and the Great Depression..

Coincidental Happenings

This month's classes at the Kadampa Center focus on Death and Rebirth. Coincidentally, the descriptions of Studs' death paralleled the stages of death and dissolution we have been studying (sense of falling, hallucinations, appearance of smoke, bright light, intermediate states, etc.). The reason for studying death is that we are all going to die. We must, therefore, live a good life and be prepared to calmly face our death.

While reading the final volume of this trilogy, I could not help but to relate Studs' life and his untimely death to what we are learning in this module. I found it strangely coincidental that something so random as a book on a list seemed to be guiding me along my spiritual path. Perhaps people with strong spiritual traditions experience this quite often, but it made me feel as if I am finally on the correct path.

Namaste