I’ve got to admit that I really like Appointment in Samarra.
Knowing very little about the novel before I started, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoy O’Hara’s writing style, as well as the story.
If you enjoy a novel based on what’s essentially small-town gossip among a bunch of country clubbers, then you’ll probably appreciate Appointment in Samarra.
Here’s how O’Hara describes how his main character, Julian English, met his wife.
“When Caroline Walker fell in love with Julian English she was a little tired of him. That was in the summer of 1926, one of the most unimportant years in the history of the United States, and the year in which Caroline Walker was sure her life had reached a pinnacle of uselessness.”
Sounds like a real winner of a couple, eh?
The tone of that passage, and O’Hara’s description of Caroline’s attitude toward her husband, perfectly fits the overall feel of the novel.
English is a bit of a sad sack. He’s had plenty of opportunity, but his lack of self-control takes him down a strange path of self-destruction–and a lot of it is brutally, awkward self-destruction. This novel has quite a few Michael Scott-ish cringeworthy moments.
More on Appointment in Samarra on Thursday.
It’s a great, easy-to-read novel so far.