4.5 stars. Unlike most of us, they commit their lives to God's service and work hard to live up to high expectations. The story is about a middle-aged Catholic priest in New England. The greatness of The Edge of Sadness lies not in its insider’s view of ecclesiastical life, or in its portrayal of steely faith, bloody martyrdom, or the heroic struggle to seek out a seemingly ever-withdrawing God. The novel sheds some interesting light on the Catholic church. Edwin O'Connor was an American journalist, novelist, and radio commentator who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962 for his novel. I could not understand what the deal was with Helen until the end when she revealed her past feelings for Hugh. This was my father's: the heart of his grief, which he chose not to expose. by Loyola Classics. The Edge of Sadness “When you live next to the cemetery, you can’t weep for everyone” Russian proverb. Immediately download the The Edge of Sadness summary, chapter-by-chapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more - everything you need for studying or teaching The Edge of Sadness. Here he reflects on the chatter going on around him in the church hall: This is a achingly beautiful book. I found myself laughing out loud, which is quite unusual for me, as I read much of the dialogue. $5. General use wear, surface and edges rubbed with some creasing. "The Edge of Sadness" refers to the Carmodys and Hugh. It is one of the few book I've read in the past few years that I truly loved. The Last Hurrah The Edge of Sadness by Oconnor, Edwin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. This tale of a priest in his middle years had a haunting quality, although melancholia certainly didn’t prevail. 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. O'Connor has a gift of understanding prayer, loneliness, despair, hope, faith. A lovely, nostalgic read. And yet we all have within ourselves those private spaces that are uniquely our own and that we cannot share. Their patriarch, "Old Charlie, " takes a sudden interest in Hugh and his physically crumbling. Eventually, he does come back to Old St. Paul's, but he cuts himself off from any awareness of life going on. 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. It explores some of those deep questions of life that I often feel alone in pondering, but I've found a friend in this book. If the edge of sadness is melancholy, then this might be an aptly-titled book, but I think the title is its primary flaw. Edwin O'Connor's novel, THE EDGE OF SADNESS, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1962, the year I graduated from high school and entered the army, so I guess it's no wonder I missed it at the time. The story is about a man of the clergy, Hugh Kennedy, and his journey to find his place in the church and how relationships when he was a boy affect his journey. The Cutting Edge of Sadness. And then...then he may find that the distance between the poles is not so great a distance after all....”, The Edge of Sadness (Edwin O'Connor, 1962), Goodreads Members' Most Anticipated Books of April. Currently unavailable. September 15th 2005 Lovely book. Edwin O'Connor's book, The Edge of Sadness won the Pulitzer prize in 1962. Hugh grew up with and was good friends with two of Charlie's children, Helen and John (also a priest). However, when the Carmodys come back into his life, things begin to happen. More of a psychosocial study than a plot driven story. The … 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. The characters are drawn from humanity, painted with the author’s word-brush so … “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.” As such, the plot moves at a leisurely pace. AbeBooks may have this title (opens in new window). It explores some of those deep questions of life that I often feel alone in pondering, but I've found a friend in this book. While the priest in THE EDGE OF SADNESS may be worthy of the warmth and love given to his movie counterparts, he's hardly perfect. He, himself, is battling his own private demons, having lost his stature and parish through the ills of alcoholism, he struggles to find his own niche. 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. What he may not see is that he stands in some danger of losing himself in the strangely engrossing business of simply "being busy"; gradually he may find that he is rather uncomfortable whenever he is not "being busy." 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. The edge of sadness. Instead, he revealed just enough at just the right time, with simple, well-placed statements. If the edge of sadness is melancholy, then this might be an aptly-titled book, but I think the title is its primary flaw. It will stick with me for a long time. I love, love, love this book. This edition was published in 1961 by Little, Brown in Boston. If ever you find yourself in the mood for some deep thought or a contemplative character study, this just might be the ticket. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor Hardcover Book See Other Available Editions Description No description is available. 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. “We can stand only a certain amount of unhappiness; anything beyond that annihilates us or passes us by, leaving us apathetic.” Goethe. Refresh and try again. I came upon this treasure by following some goodreads threads, and was initially daunted by the sheer length as it’s over six hundred pages. O’Connor deserves better. He dose this just to annoy his son. "The. I'm not a Catholic or even religious in anyway, but somehow this book just resonated with me. CURIOUS INDEED THE WAY GOD WORKS; THE EDGE OF SADNESS. Book Club Edition. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. A recovering-alcoholic priest, Hugh is drawn into the circle of the wealthy Carmodys, a family he has known from childhood. He believes this, quite sincerely, and he finds ample support for such belief: on all sides he's assured that he is doing the much-needed job of "waking up the parish." Something within him will have atrophied from disuse; something precious, something vital. This tale of a priest in his middle years had a haunting quality, although melancholia certainly didn’t prevail. Determine the surface area of the remaining solid. There seem to be some superficial things going on and yet also some true faith. More importantly is the impact on the different characters. In the beginning of the story Kennedy has returned to his home town (an unnamed New England seaport city that is the seat of a bishop, rather than an archbishop; it thus most closely corresponds with O'Connor's own birthplace of Providence, RI) to try to mend his professional career as a priest. Try AbeBooks. It's like legitimately my favourite book of all time and I have no idea why. The Edge of Sadness is a novel by the American author Edwin O'Connor. This is not a book I would normally have chosen to read but when the host of a book discussion group of 30+ years & whose members take turns hosting, chooses a book, the other members follow suit with an attempt to find a copy & to do their best to capture the spirit of chosen book, as was the case with. And I found myself surprised that O Connor was not himself a priest like the narrator of the story. I liked the writing style of the author in that he provides a very introspective view of the main characters. I really enjoyed this book. The Edge of Sadness Quotes Showing 1-5 of 5 “And while he spoke of my mother often and fondly to me, he always did so incompletely, in a strangely peripheral way, so that I grew up with a picture of her that was really little more than an outline. The story revolves around an often struggling priest who is very close to the Carmody family. 460 pp. I really enjoyed this book. A gentle, drowsy novel with great character description, comprised primarily of well-written dialogue that made characters vivid. The story is about a middle-aged Catholic priest in New England. I would not usually start, let alone finish such a book, but the expression and descriptions strike a chord within. Though this novel won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction nine years before I was even a twinkle in either of my parents’ eyes (1962), it seemed, to me, at least, that it could have been written today, as it speaks to the quite contemporary issues of faith, family, friendship, and healing. I loved the American Irish culture, the family dynamics, the era, and the never-ending struggle betw. I am a plot driven reader, though: I like for things to happen, and in this book--as well written as it is--not much does happen. An additional title or two — most likely All in the Family or The Edge of Sadness — can sometimes be found (long unread) on the fiction shelves of the local public library where yesterday’s best-sellers go to die. The Edge Of Sadness. 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. It must seem so, and I suppose in a way it was. The family is much like mine and the biggest character of all was a near carbon copy of my grandpa. You know how I always rant about the non-literary quality of christian fiction? This is a book which shines, not for clever plots or elegant writing, but it resonates. Psychiatric Times, Psychiatric Times Vol 13 No 10, Volume 13, Issue 10. The Greek aphorism γνῶθι σεαυτόν, transliterated as gnōthi seauton, is rendered as “know thyself”. And since these are precisely the moments that are necessary for all of us, in which spiritually we grow, in which, so to speak, we maintain and enrich our connection with God, then the loss of such moments is grave and perilous. But the thing that makes this book worthy of the Pulitzer Prize it won in 1962 is the fact that O’Connor’s story is truly ageless. Stub This article … The Edge of Sadness. The little day-to-day absurdities of ordinary--and priestly--life, played against life's sufferings, are part of what makes the story of Father Hugh Kennedy such a life-affirming one. The Edge Of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor (author of The Last Hurrah) Published by Little, Brown and Company January 1961 (1961) Seller: The Book Garden, Bountiful, UT, U.S.A. Pulitzer Prize, Fiction, 1962 The story of Father Hugh, a middle-aged priest … At the outset of the novel he is returning to serving a parish and reacquainting himself with friends. It is told from the viewpoint of a priest named Hugh who went through a period of time as an alcoholic. As an avid reader and a longtime writer, I was impressed with O'Connor’s skill at putting so much so well into his novel, and I was sad that I had not read him sooner in my life. Unlike most of us, they commit their lives to God's service and work hard to live up to high expectations. “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.” Father Kennedy, alas, does not have a Bing Crosby colleague in his rectory, but a newly ordained Polish curate who “drank the Kool-aid” in his 1950’s seminary and burst forward, bubbling with dedication and … The Edge Of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor. It's like legitimately my favourite book of all time and I have no idea why. Share your thoughts Complete your review. I wasn't really expecting to like this, it being about the Catholic Church and all, but I did. The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor - First Edition - 1961 - from curtis paul books inc. (SKU: 32871) Home curtis paul books inc. Instead, it lies in its evocation of the age-old maladies of selfishness, lethargy, indifference, and bleakness of soul. I came upon this treasure by following some goodreads threads, and was initially daunted by the sheer length as it’s over six hundred pages. A hemispherical depression is cut out from one face of the cubical wooden block such that the diameter l of the hemisphere is equal to the edge of the cube. Like us, they are flawed. The Last Hurrah/the Edge of Sadness: Hardcover: 4409690: $2.20: 1965: The Edge of Sadness: Hardcover: 2892262: $132.86: $1.49: Ring of Bright Water/The Judas Tree/The Edge of Sadness/A Fall of Moondust/A Christmas Carol/Summer of Pride (Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Volume 4: 1961) Hardcover: 3682073: $11.00: $0.55: 1961: The Edges of Sadness: Hardcover: 6666937: $15.99: 1961 : … And this is a thoroughly Catholic novel taking a look at priests and their humanity without making them evil. A recovering-alcoholic priest, Hugh is drawn into the circle of the wealthy Carmodys, a family he has known from childhood. The Edge of Sadness is the most stunningly well-written book I have read in a long time. It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. The story is about a middle-aged Catholic priest in New England. 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. 3.5 stars. The novel tells the story of an alcoholic priest named Hugh Kennedy beginning again in ministry in an older, run down parish. I needed to read “a novel that won the Pulitzer prize” for the #VTReadingChallenge, and the title of this one intrigued me.I briefly glanced at a synopsis and discovered that The Edge of Sadness is about an alcoholic priest. 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. It won the Pulitzer in 1962. There is no "twist" as there would likely be if this novel were written today. The story of Father Hugh, a middle-aged priest who grew up with the Carmody children in Boston but fell prey to alcoholism. I recognized much of my own family in the author's descriptions of what it means to be, well, from Boston, Irish, and Catholic. But they have family histories to deal with, grief to face, and their own simple faults. Photos of the first edition of The Edge of Sadness, The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter, Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Sadness-Loyola-Classics/dp/0829421238, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Edge_of_Sadness&oldid=922390460, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 21 October 2019, at 20:47. Pulitzer Prize Winner 1962. It is told from the viewpoint of a priest named Hugh who went through a period of time as an alcoholic. However, after I began there was no doubt it was a keeper! 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. 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. Although he failed to attain his highest goal — what he once confided to a friend as his longing “to do for the Irish in America what Faulkner did for the South” — he did manage, … It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. It's a kind of psychological unfolding. The Edge of Sadness The Edge of Sadness There is literally no stopping the actor. Please make sure to choose a rating. It deals with friendship and loneliness, spirituality, and newfound hope.[1]. To see what your friends thought of this book, psychological mysteries lovers; Catholics, Even the title should warn you that this book is not for everyone. He does not fall off the wagon, he does not have an affair, and he is not perfect. Well.... Rant over. 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). This is the story of an alcoholic priest who returns home after being away for years drying out. See guidelines for writing about novels. --"New England Quarterly""A … Condition Source Price Shipping ; Used Good (1 … In this moving novel, Father Hugh Kennedy, a recovering alcoholic, returns to Boston to repair his damaged priesthood. I found myself laughing out loud, which is quite unusual for me, as I read much of the dialogue. The Edge of Sadness. 1809. One of the baffling problems in child and adolescent psychiatry was the question of psychiatric illness spanning a … The Edge of Sadness is a story about Boston Irish Catholics, and centers around the first person narrator's view of his life as a priest and his lifelong relationship with a quirky Irish family. I found the novel I've always been wanting to read. I'd never heard of this novel, though it won the Pulitzer in 1962. It was only now, in these last months before his death, that the outline was filled in, that without preliminary or explanation, my father suddenly began to talk of my mother as he had never talked before, in words and phrases lit with a bursting lyrical warmth and love that had been stored up and held within him all this time, and that was now released because, I think, he knew his own time was so short, and because he did not for a moment doubt that very soon now he would be joined to her again... “There are, after all, certain social duties that a priest has toward his parishioners, and if that priest is as I was--energetic and gregarious, with an aptitude for such occasions--these duties and occasions have a way of multiplying. Was this unfair, an injustice to me? The edge of sadness Alice McDermott is at her best in a tale about the burdens and joys of a postwar middle-class family. It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published The writing was exquisite in a quiet way. The Edge of Sadness is a novel by the American author Edwin O'Connor. … And this is a thoroughly Catholic novel taking a look at priests and their humanity without making them evil. That said, this novel has some of the best characterization I've ever read. In the excellent introduction, the writer feels it lost its relevance as the pre-Vatican II way of life for Catholics had disappeared. It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. I was a little concerned that the book might be too depressing or creepy (for what it’s … Leon Cytryn, MD. The author has marvelous powers of description as well as a keen eye for eccentricities, both subtle and otherwise! Boston: Atlantic-Little, Brown. It must seem so, and I suppose in a way it was. Edwin O'Connor. I'm not sure I like this book, but I'm glad to have read it. By Gail Caldwell | September 3, 2006. CMS (CMS 578) Publication date 1969 Topics Non-Music, Spoken Word Digitizing sponsor Kahle-Austin Foundation Contributor Internet Archive Language English. The edge of sadness by O'Connor, Edwin. Like other readers I was surprised that a novel with such a melancholy premise was often so funny. (Even Father Hugh's young and slightly pompous curate, who provides gentle comic relief, is a surprisingly complex character.) A good read. Was this unfair, an injustice to me? Through the Carmodys, Hugh reflects on his life and in particular what his alcoholism has taught him. In the end it appears that the Carmodys remain on the edge of sadness while Hugh has come out of it and is content with his life. Hardcover. 3.88 (2,242 ratings by Goodreads) Paperback; Loyola Classics; English; By (author) Edwin O'Connor, Introduction by Ron Hansen. His struggle to return to the happiness he believes he felt in his youth is a largely contemplative, internal one. Share; List price: US$13.95. The story that unfolds is a tale of long hidden emotion and longing. He is likable, caring, self-critical, and the kind of priest we still want to today. Is his interest for sentimental reasons or more calculating ones? There he is drawn into the unruly world of the Carmodys, a sprawling, prosperous Irish family teeming with passion and riddled with secrets. The events which mark out the story at points are few and far between. The eighty-something Charlie Carmody is an unforgettable character, as is his son John and the narrator Father Hugh. [1st ed.] Their patriarch, "Old Charlie, " takes a sudden interest in Hugh and his physically crumbling parish, Old St. Paul's. It will have gone almost without his knowing it, but one day, in a great crisis, say, he will reach for it--and it will not be there. The author does a good job of describing his character's feelings, and I actually related to father Kennedy (I know that's weird). After Vatican II everything went to English, and much of the majestic mystery of Catholic ritual was lost forever. All Available Copies Find out more about shipping times from these sellers. He stands by as an observer, always watching, listening and analyzing as each one opens themselves up to him. 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. Part 1 2. The writing was exquisite in a quiet way. The Edge of Sadness is a story about Boston Irish Catholics, and centers around the first person narrator's view of his life as a priest and his lifelong relationship with a quirky Irish family. Condition: Good - Cash. While each character finds his or her own station in life, each also has a secret, a part of their lives which remains unfulfilled, unsatisfied. Description "A realistic Christian novel of hope in a non-Christian age." Charlie Carmody is a cranky old man who was a friend of Hugh's father. All the characters are so so real, flawed but lovable (or hate-able) and presented in just the way that life presents you with people. But if you are the type of reader who enjoys psychological mysteries, then you will find Edwin O'Connor's study of the priesthood in. I found that I could read this book and not notice that there is almost no plot, no action, no romance, in fact you can not notice that you are reading at all because he spins characters with so much personality that you not only feel like you know them, but you find yourself content to sit and visit with them all day. There were many feelings and situations that I could personally identify with. He becomes involved again with the Carmodys, a wealthy family whose ancestry, like his own, is Irish and whom he has known since childhood. 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. In fact, I found myself laughing out loud more than once. This book won't appeal to everyone because there's not much action in it. Welcome back. I imagine a lot of people skip over "The Edge of Sadness" because of the title, not expecting humor, warmth, and even illumination. “And while he spoke of my mother often and fondly to me, he always did so incompletely, in a strangely peripheral way, so that I grew up with a picture of her that was really little more than an outline. 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. In the excellent introduction, the writer feels it lost its relevance as the pre-Vatican II way of life for Catholics had disappeared. (File Photo) Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who has become a household name after Fleabag, in a recent interview with BBC shared how she was “teetering on the edge of a depression”, after her stint at drama school. I am not doing this book justice. Lovely book. Contact seller Seller Rating: Little, Brown and Company January 1961, 1961. It is so beautiful. He has recovered from his alcoholism and is thrown back into the lives of the Carmodys. The story of Father Hugh Kennedy, a recovering alcoholic, and his reconnecting with the Carmodys is wonderfully told. The edge of sadness.. [Edwin O'Connor] -- The story of Father Hugh, a middle-aged priest who grew up with the Carmody children in Boston but fell prey to alcoholism. There is nothing spectacular that happens here — no car chases, not illicit affairs. Little, Brown, 1961 - Fiction - 460 pages. After years of marriage and already becoming a grandmother, it is curious why she should now seek some sort of security in Hugh's affirmation of reciprocal feelings for her. I imagine a lot of people skip over "The Edge of Sadness" because of the title, not expecting humor, warmth, and even illumination. But they have family histories to deal with. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1962, The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor shattered reigning cultural stereotypes of priests and parish life when it was first published. The little day-to-day absurdities of ordinary--and priestly--life, played against life's sufferings, are part of what makes the story of Father Hugh Kennedy such a life-affirming one. O'Connor has that skill that a certain few writers have, his writing flows smoothly. The dinner conversation of the old guard at Charlie Carmody's birthday party early in the book was side-splittingly funny. A memory of the American Catholic church before Vatican II, before the priest scandals. Perhaps my Catholic faith contributed to the enchantment, but that wasn’t the only draw. The story is narrated by Father Hugh Kennedy,who tells us on the first page,that at no point is the story his own,but rather it is about the Carmody family,mostly ,the patriarch ,Charley,a man well knowen , but not well liked in the unnamed city. However, after I began there was no doubt it was a keeper! 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. This article is within the scope of WikiProject Novels, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories on Wikipedia. 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