The writer whom Fran Lebowitz compared to the author of "The Great Gatsby, "call
ing him "the real F. Scott Fitzgerald," makes his Penguin Classics debut with th
is beautiful deluxe edition of his best-loved book.
One of the great novels of
small-town American life, "Appointment in Samarra "is John O'Hara's crowning ac
hievement. In December 1930, just before Christmas, the Gibbsville, Pennsylvania
, social circuit is electrified with parties and dances. At the center of the so
cial elite stand Julian and Caroline English. But in one rash moment born inside
a highball glass, Julian breaks with polite society and begins a rapid descent
toward self-destruction.
Brimming with wealth and privilege, jealousy and infi
delity, O'Hara's iconic first novel is an unflinching look at the dark side of t
he American dream--and a lasting testament to the keen social intelligence if a
major American writer.
For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the le
ading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more t
han 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best wor
ks throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the serie
s to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distingu
ished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by a
ward-winning translators.
