Quinn’s Book
Quinn’s Book by William Kennedy, published by Penguin on May 6, 1989, is a reprint edition comprising 304 pages in English. This novel follows the journey of Daniel Quinn, a twelve-year-old orphan, who rescues the passionate Maud Fallon from the icy Hudson River in 1849. As Daniel pursues Maud, he navigates the complexities of nineteenth-century America, encountering significant historical events and characters along the way.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of life in upstate New York, marked by the rise and fall of dynasties, the vibrancy of theater, and the turmoil of social conflicts, including the Irish immigrant struggles and the Civil War. Kennedy’s narrative is infused with humor and a vivid sense of history, reflecting his unique perspective on family life and the socio-political landscape of the time. The book is part of Kennedy’s Albany Cycle, which explores the intertwined lives of Irish-Americans in Albany from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century.
Official synopsis Publisher
Filled with Dickensian characters, a vivid sense of history, and marvelously inventive humor, Quinn’s Book is an engaging delight from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ironweed
“Kennedy writes with verve and nerve. His wit, always sharp, has rarely been sharper. He paints a full and lively canvas…Quinn’s Book casts a lovely light, indeed.”—Stephen King
From the moment he rescues the beautiful, passionate Maud Fallon from the icy waters of the Hudson one wintry day in 1849, Daniel Quinn, a twelve-year-old orphan, is thrust into a bewildering, adventure-filled journey through the tumult of nineteenth-century America. As he quests after the beguiling and elusive Maud (she’s fourteen), Daniel will witness the rise and fall of great dynasties in upstate New York, epochal prize fights, exotic life in the theater, visitations from spirits beyond the grave, horrific battles between Irish immigrants and the “Know-Nothings,” the vicious New York draft riots, heroic passages through the Underground Railroad, and the bloody despair of the Civil War.
William Kennedy’s Albany Cycle of novels reflect what he once described as the fusion of his imagination with a single place. A native and longtime resident of Albany, New York, his work moves from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, chronicling family life, the city’s netherworld, and its spheres of power—financial, ethnic, political—often among the Irish-Americans who dominated the city in this period. The novels in his cycle include, Legs, Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game, Ironweed, Quinn’s Book, Very Old Bones, The Flaming Corsage, and Roscoe.
FAQ
What is “Quinn’s Book” about?
Who is the author of “Quinn’s Book”?
When was “Quinn’s Book” published?
What is the ISBN for “Quinn’s Book”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
