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Appointment in Samarra (Modern Library)

Appointment in Samarra (Modern Library)

Appointment in Samarra (Modern Library)
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Appointment in Samarra (Modern Library)

by John O'Hara

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Very Good/Very Good
ISBN 10
0679601104
ISBN 13
9780679601104
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About This Item

first printing thus hardcover edition in dust jacket (Modern Library 1994); unmarked; tight bind; clean cloth cover bright gilt titling; little dj edge wear no tears; flap price present ambib

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 (Modern Library)

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Details

Bookseller
DrPanglossBooks US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
919057
Title
Appointment in Samarra (Modern Library)
Author
John O'Hara
Format/Binding
Hardcover
Book Condition
Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition
Very Good
Quantity Available
1
Edition
first edition thus
ISBN 10
0679601104
ISBN 13
9780679601104
Publisher
Modern Library
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
1994

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About the Seller

DrPanglossBooks

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2008
Uncasville, Connecticut

About DrPanglossBooks

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Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Jacket
Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Gilt
The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
Tight
Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.

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