John O'Hara, Appointment in Samarra

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Lantenengo Country Club, Gibbsville, Pennsylvania, late Christmas Eve, 1930. Julian English is among the club stalwarts who are listening to Harry Reilly in full flow. Reilly put money into Julian’s Cadillac business after the Crash a year before, preventing Julian from going under; but he has always had a yen for Julian’s wife Caroline, and his fat Irish kisser and endless Irish yarns have always got on everyone’s nerves. Truth to tell, most people would like to do exactly what Julian thinks about doing – throwing a drink in Reilly’s face to shut him up. They simply do not have the courage, and when Julian does it, everyone is so shocked that it causes an instant sensation. People begin taking sides, and, in siding against English, they suddenly remember that he has been riding…

903 words

Citation: MacDonald, James. "Appointment in Samarra". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 June 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6537, accessed 19 March 2024.]

6537 Appointment in Samarra 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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