A bestseller upon its publication in 1935, butterfield 8 was inspire. Over four decades, ohara published novels, novellas, plays, screenplays and more than. Butterfield 8 the bestselling novel that became an oscarwinning film starring elizabeth taylor about new yorks speakeasy generation a masterpiece of american fiction and a bestseller upon its publication in 1935, butterfield 8 lays bare with brash honesty the unspoken and often shocking truths that lurked beneath the surface of a society still reeling from the effects of the great depression. With his second novel, butterfield 8 1935, o hara turned his sights on manhattan and produced one of the great novels of new york in the depression. For the next three decades, his fiction shuttled back and forth between gibbsville and new york. Butterfield 8, which was made more about john ohara. In some sense i think that john ohara has rewritten thomas hardys tess of the durbervilles. His fourteen novels include a rage to live, pal joey, butterfield 8and from the terrace.
This book follows a couple very busy months in the life of gloria wandrous, an 18yr old socialite living in nyc in the 1930s. Into this altered world, where the newly rich have lost fortunes and others are knuckling down to protect their assets, comes goodtime girl gloria wandrous. With his second novel, butterfield 8 1935, ohara turned his sights on. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. She inspires pity, annoyance, admiration, and just about every other emotion you can imagine. It is not a pretty picture, but deftly drawn with his great, great dialogue and unerring.
She escaped a molesting uncle in the sticks and has made her own way in the big city ever since. Appointment in samarrabutterfield 8hope of heaven by. Scott fitzgerald, and dorothy parker, he wrote seventeen novels, including appointment in samarra, his first. John ohara s butterfield 8 is an evocative portrait of new york in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929. Butterfield 8 is the glittering story of a 1930s glamour girl whose illstarred entanglement with a respectable married man is set against a backdrop of manhattan bars and bedrooms. A bestseller when it was originally published in 1935, this is a brilliant, brutal portrait of new yorks speakeasy generation. She got out of bed, holding the pajamas to her, and she was unsteady and her body was pretty drunk, but she walked all over the apartment and could not find him. Butterfield 8, which was made into a film starring. I picked up john oharas butterfield 8 from the free library at my therapists waiting room. The bestselling novel that became an oscarwinning film starring elizabeth taylor about new yorks speakeasy generation a masterpiece of american fiction and a bestseller upon its publication in 1935, butterfield 8 lays bare with brash honesty the unspoken and often shocking truths that lurked beneath the surface of a society still reeling from the effects of the great depression. This particular morning gloria finds herself alone in a strangers apartment with nothing but a torn evening dress and her stockings and panties. My old paperback copy advertises the precursor to telephone. Appointment in samarrabutterfield 8 hope of heaven book. Eddie pushed the release button and then poked his head out and looked down the hall.
Its timely that i started reading butterfield 8 by john ohara straight after finishing hemingways a moveable feast set during the same era but in paris. Scott fitzgerald, and dorothy parker, he wrote seventeen novels, including appointment in samarra, his first, butterfield 8, which was made into a film starring elizabeth taylor, and ten north frederick, which won the national. Butterfield 8 by ohara, john and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A bestseller upon its publication in 1935, butterfield 8 was inspired by a news account of the discovery of the body of a beautiful young woman washed up on a long island beach. Butterfield 8 by john ohara and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Gloria wandrous is a golddigger extraordinaire in new york city during the depths of the depression, circa 1931. Butterfield 8 is a 1960 american drama film directed by daniel mann, starring elizabeth taylor and laurence harvey. His style is superb and the ploting is firstrate, which only increases the depth of his description of the depraved of nyc during the start of the great depression. It had a crisp, vitality that carried over without the aid of the modernisms of vocabulary and dialogue which doubtless swelled the ranks of the readers with the commentary they aroused. John ohara 19051970 was one of the most prominent american writers of the twentieth century. Another scalding piece of american realism from john ohara, butterfield 8 moves away from the authors gibbsville, pa. John ohara books list of books by author john ohara. See all books authored by john ohara, including appointment in samarra, and from critical thinking to argument. A masterpiece of american fiction and a bestseller upon its publication in 1935, butterfield 8 lays bare with brash honesty the unspoken and often shocking truths that lurked beneath the surface of a society still reeling from the effects of the great depression.
Butterfield 8 is one of john oharas most famous novels, and its fame is welldeserved. One sunday morning, gloria wakes up in a strangers apartment with nothing but a torn evening dress, stockings, and panties. Although, the protagonist of oharas tale, miss wandrous, is not the social or sexual naif that. Buy butterfield 8 vintage classics by ohara, john isbn.
Butterfield 8 starts with the mink coat and ends with the mink coat, but the story of young gloria wandrous in between is truly some terrific fiction. Butterfield 8 lays bare with brash honesty the unspoken and often shocking truths that lurked beneath the surface of a society still reeling from the effects of the great depression. In 2019 it was one of four john ohara novels published in a collection by the library of america. On the topics of class, sex, and alcohol, oharas novels amount to a secret.
Gloria wandrous, the novels illfated heroine, is a testament to oharas ability to create characters. Butterfield 8 1935, ohara turned his sights on manhattan and produced one of the great. Oharas butterfield 8 is not as theological rich as reading graham greene, but its close and the pages turn just as quickly. Now comes butterfield 8 distinctly a metropolitan area novel, and teasingly reminiscent of the scandal unearthed and quickly sidetracked by the papers. On this sunday morning in may, this girl who was later to be the cause of a sensation in new york awoke much too early for her night before. The film was based on a 1935 novel of the same name by john ohara, following the success of his critically acclaimed appointment in samarra. Buy butterfield 8 by ohara, john from amazons fiction books store. Butterfield 8 by john ohara book cover, description, publication history. Butterfield 8 by john ohara bantam books pb 1935 1965.
Of course, john ohara did not picture liz taylor in 1935 as gloria in the butterfield 8 movie, the wild young lady in depression america, but certainly someone like her, intense, stylish, bosomy and ohsoclever with men. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Fran lebowitz is the author of two books of essays, metropolitan life and social studies, and a childrens book, mr. Like henry james, ohara could create a world where class and social strictures are allimportant but not openly discussed. Penguin classics butterfield 8 john ohara 19051970 was one of the most prominent american writers of the twentieth century. Other potential selections were a series of books for.
1225 1439 1426 818 973 935 131 1103 499 1473 1195 16 1517 615 1374 360 859 1229 119 44 1056 185 1129 736 325 444 1457 805 891