Questions About Collected Stories of John O'Hara

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Is O'Hara better than critics would have us believe? Frank MacShane has written an excellent bio of O'Hara, and his selection of stories is done with a real expertise. His short stories are as good as advertized, and his novels are better than most critics would rate them. No male writer of his time wrote better stories about women. No writer of his time wrote better dialogue.

Monica Madaus Here's the thing. When he's good, he's very, very good. The conversation in Butterfield 8 is great. Then you get to the end, which is...drek. So he do…moreHere's the thing. When he's good, he's very, very good. The conversation in Butterfield 8 is great. Then you get to the end, which is...drek. So he does very well by his woman character until he, too, accepts the necessity to do her in for...why?

Okay, it's a novel not a short story, but this is very, very consistent with him, so the story about the beautician is as much a relief as an epiphany. A main character survives!(less)

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