the edge of sadness

This is a book which shines, not for clever plots or elegant writing, but it resonates. I would not usually start, let alone finish such a book, but the expression and descriptions strike a chord within. It was something about being Irish-American and relating to the neuroses of an Irish family. Edwin O'Connor's book, The Edge of Sadness won the Pulitzer prize in 1962. Wise enough to accept his surroundings (often the source of wryly comic interludes) , and his failings, he fights the realization that what he is seeking may no longer exist. As others have said, it's heart-achingly beautiful and although not much happens externally, the narrator is Father Hugh Kennedy, and the story basically is about how he changes. The Greek aphorism γνῶθι σεαυτόν, transliterated as gnōthi seauton, is rendered as “know thyself”. Lovely book. Father Hugh Kennedy is a recovering alcoholic, commited to his vocation yet struggling with the demands of it. I read it first as a teenager and even though the title is sucky in the extreme, I found the idea of holding an edge of sadness around a powerful and relevant one. There he is drawn into the unruly world of the Carmodys, a sprawling, prosperous Irish family teeming with passion and riddled with secrets. Particularly so for a priest--particularly for a priest who suddenly finds that he can talk more easily to a parish committee than he can to God. Perhaps my Catholic faith contributed to the enchantment, but that wasn’t the only draw. The Edge of Sadness “When you live next to the cemetery, you can’t weep for everyone” Russian proverb. This edition was published in 1961 by Little, Brown in Boston. A recovering-alcoholic priest, Hugh is drawn into the circle of the wealthy Carmodys, a family he has known from childhood. That said, this novel has some of the best characterization I've ever read. This tale of a priest in his middle years had a haunting quality, although melancholia certainly didn’t prevail. Their patriarch, "Old Charlie, " takes a sudden interest in Hugh and his physically crumbling parish, Old St. Paul's. This scene alone would have made the book memorable, but what O'Connor did best was hint at the spiritual lives of his characters in authentic ways. But they have family histories to deal with, grief to face, and their own simple faults. Lovely book. I recognized much of my This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, and I can see why: it is literary. It's not for everybody: narrated by a priest who is a recovering alcoholic, the novel is very long and slow moving with scarcely any plot. It's like legitimately my favourite book of all time and I have no idea why. Be the first to ask a question about The Edge of Sadness. Through dialogue and only the simplest of plots, the book looks from the inside at the post-war culture of northeastern Irish Americans, with the colorful and often hilarious children of immigrants now grown old juxtaposed with their children and grandchildren, more world-wise, more polished, but lacking the character and connectedness of their elders (reading it now, 50 years later, the succeeding generations--the children and grandchildren of the book's youngest characters--almost become an unmentioned part of the book). Father Hugh Kennedy in an unnamed town is torn asunder when his beloved dad dies after a long suffering. This is a book about the inner life of a priest, yes, but it's also about our struggles to connect with ea, This book won't appeal to everyone because there's not much action in it. share. It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. There is something of Skeffington, but in Charlie that essential humanity has been whittled away- until only the bare bones of self interest and ruthlessness are left. No_Favorite. It's like legitimately my favourite book of all time and I have no idea why. This is a book about the inner life of a priest, yes, but it's also about our struggles to connect with each other and to look honestly at the barriers we put between ourselves and the world. The writing was exquisite in a quiet way. Sadness would love to be more optimistic and helpful in keeping Riley happy, but she finds it so hard to be positive. This article about a 1960s novel is a stub. Through the Carmodys, Hugh reflects on his life and in particular what his alcoholism has taught him. It's ultimately a hopeful novel, too, which was nice (it could have gone either way. This tale of a priest in his middle years had a haunting quality, although melancholia certainly didn’t prevail. He does not fall off the wagon, he does not have an affair, and he is not perfect. I am not sure I would read it again (the ending, though not particularly bad, was not overly impressive) but I gave it 4 stars because I enjoyed reading it for the first time, and I would recommend it. This engaging window on a moment in time and a particular culture kept me reading, but the story itself runs deeper, into the areas of love, forgiveness, growing old, and finding meaning in life. Ron Hansen was born in Omaha Nebraska in 1947.He received a BA degree in English from Creighton University in Nebraska in 1970. Buy a cheap copy of The Edge of Sadness book by Edwin O'Connor. And, gradually too, he may find fewer and fewer moments in which he can absent himself from activity, in which he can be alone, can be silent, can be still--in which he can reflect and pray. I'm not sure I like this book, but I'm glad to have read it. It talks of priests as human beings beneath the cassock and the roman collar. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Well.... Rant over. It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. Welcome back. Charlie Carmody is a cranky old man who was a friend of Hugh's father. There is very little plot to be found in this long novel, but the author is the master of characterization. Hugh grew up with and was good friends with two of Charlie's children, Helen and John (also a priest). O'Connor has that skill that a certain few writers have, his writing flows smoothly. I loved the American Irish culture, the family dynamics, the era, and the never-ending struggle between what we want and what is good for us. I give this book 4 stars. Instead, he revealed just enough at just the right time, with simple, well-placed statements. Wow...this was just exactly my sort of book and I'm so smashed full of love for it that I'm having a hard time talking about it coherently. Normally when people ask me what my favourite book is I say Moby Dick (which I love also) because it is just too difficult to explain the depth of affection I have for this obscure little book. Sadness or Unhappiness Created by Bec. The eighty-something Charlie Carmody is an unforgettable character, as is his son John and the narrator Father Hugh. The Edge of Sadness (Book) : O'Connor, Edwin : Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1962, this haunting novel shattered reigning cultural stereotypes of priests and parish life when it was first published. However, after I began there was no doubt it was a keeper! There is no "twist" as there would likely be if this novel were written today. Classifications Library of Congress PZ4.O18 Ed, PS3565.C55 Ed The Physical Object Pagination 460 p. Number of pages 460 ID … Get this from a library! He stands by as an observer, always watching, listening and analyzing as each one opens themselves up to him. At the outset of the novel he is returning to serving a parish and reacquainting himself with friends. As such, the plot moves at a leisurely pace. “The Edge of Sadness” by Edwin O’Connor is a 1961 fictional tale of Father Hugh Kennedy, a middle-aged pastor navigating his way in a parish strikingly similar to the cinematic St. Dominic’s of “Going My Way.” There are many really wonderful reviews about the book on Goodreads here. He has recovered from his alcoholism and is thrown back into the lives of the Carmodys. The edge of sadness Alice McDermott is at her best in a tale about the burdens and joys of a postwar middle-class family. The events which mark out the story at points are few and far between. * A preview for 'The Edge of Sadness' is unavailable. Read "The Edge Of Sadness" by Edwin O'Connor,Ron Hansen,Amy Welbor available from Rakuten Kobo. It is told from the viewpoint of a priest named Hugh who went through a period of time as an alcoholic. I could not understand what the deal was with Helen until the end when she revealed her past feelings for Hugh. It sold well for a while and then, like so many great novels, it faded into the murk until quietly going out of print in 1991. Pulitzer Prize Winner 1962. The story of this entanglement is a beautifully rendered tale of grace and renewal, of friendship and longing, of loneliness and spiritual aridity giving way to hope. Was this unfair, an injustice to me? Through the Carmodys, Hugh reflects on his life and in particular what his alcoholism has taught him. Like other readers I was surprised that a novel with such a melancholy premise was often so funny. There's a great attraction to this: he's doing what he likes to do, and he can tell himself that it's all for the honor and glory of God. O'Connor's novel went from winning the Pulitzer Prize to going out of print. The author has marvelous powers of description as well as a keen eye for eccentricities, both subtle and otherwise! Here he reflects on the chatter going on around him in the church hall: This is a achingly beautiful book. Why not? It won the Pulitzer in 1962. This week we also recommend: The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O’Connor, Just My Luck by Adele Parks, The Trouble With Tourists by Saxon Andrew. "The Edge of Sadness" refers to the Carmodys and Hugh. In fact, I found myself laughing out loud more than once. If the book opens in your web browser instead of saves to your computer, right-click the download link instead, and choose to save the file. the edge of sadness. The author does a good job of describing his character's feelings, and I actually related to father Kennedy (I know that's weird). The events which mark out the story at points are few and far between. And I found myself surprised that O Connor was not himself a priest like the narrator of the s. O'Connor has that skill that a certain few writers have, his writing flows smoothly. The book is also weighed down by tons of dialogue (and monologues) among the sometimes comical, sometimes emotionally vicious, Irish American parishioners. I found the novel I've always been wanting to read. it begins when Kennedy receives a phone call at six AM from Charley inviting him to his birthday party next Sunday( he says it's his eighty second,but everyone knows he will be eighty one, he knows that they know it, he dose it just to irritate them) he will have his son John pick him up, Kennedy protests,saying that he has his own car,but Charlie insists.What this means is that his son John,pastor at St.Raymonds,the plum of the dioces is as far away from from Kennedy's church St Paul's (the very bottom layer of the Dioces) as you can drive. `` action '' occurs but the expression and descriptions strike a chord within found the. 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