Appointment in Samarra, by John O’Hara, describes in ambiguous detail the self-destruction of the central character Julian English over the course of a short three-day period. Although he seems to have it all as a wealthy car dealer and member of the social elite of his town, along with his wife Caroline, he acts impulsively … Continue reading The Social Elite and Samarra – #22
Tag: books
So it Goes – Slaughterhouse Five – #18
Confession time – At almost a fourth of the way through Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, I was still expecting for the main character to somehow get to the Chicago slaughterhouse district because I had confused this novel with The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, which I read in high school. Whew! That literary fail is … Continue reading So it Goes – Slaughterhouse Five – #18
Singer and Stars – The Heart is a Lonely Hunter – #17
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was another gripping tale from our list; this one told the story of a time in one man’s life, although it differed from An American Tragedy in that it focused less on the decisions this man made and more on the acquaintances who encircle his space in small town … Continue reading Singer and Stars – The Heart is a Lonely Hunter – #17
You Can’t Handle the Truth – An American Tragedy – #16
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser is a gripping novel that tells the story of Clyde Griffiths, who is being raised by his devoutly religious missionary parents. They are poor and he is poorly educated due to their vagabond lifestyle. The narrative continues to focus on Clyde as he gets his first job outside the … Continue reading You Can’t Handle the Truth – An American Tragedy – #16