Appointment in Samarra
Appointment in Samarra by John O’Hara, published by Vintage in 2008, is a notable work of fiction that explores the complexities of social status and personal downfall. This edition spans 251 pages and is presented in English. The narrative follows Julian English, a man who takes pride in his position within his hometown’s social elite. However, his life begins to unravel after a public altercation with a powerful business associate, leading to a rapid decline that affects both his personal and marital life.
Readers will find a fast-paced and darkly comic portrayal of 1930s America as O’Hara delves into themes of pride and the destructive nature of alcoholism. The novel captures the essence of a man whose choices lead to his undoing, offering a vivid social panorama and a nuanced sketch of marriage. Appointment in Samarra remains a significant contribution to American literature, reflecting the struggles of its protagonist against the backdrop of societal expectations and personal demons.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘For all its excellence as a social panorama and a sketch of a marriage, it is as a picture of a man destroyed by drink and pride that Appointment in Samarra lives frighteningly in the mind’ John Updike
Julian English prides himself a member of his hometown’s social elite, but from the moment he throws a cocktail in the face of a powerful business associate his life spirals out of control, taking his loving but troubled marriage with it.
Following English’s rapid decline and fall, Appointment in Samarra is a fast-paced and blackly comic portrait of 1930s America. O’Hara’s debut novel introduced a prolific new voice to a generation and still stands as one of the great works of American fiction.
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