Jersey luck: A novel

by Tom De Haven

193 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Tom De Haven is the author of five novels: Freaks' Amour, Jersey Luck, Funny Papers, Derby Dugan's Depression Funnies, and Dugan Under Ground; a collection of three related novellas, Sunburn Lake; and a three-novel series, Chronicle of the King's Tramp, which includes Walker of Worlds, The End-of-Everything Man, and The Last Human. His latest novel for young adults, The Orphan's Tent, was published in 1996, and his latest graphic novel, Green Candles, in 1997. He has previously published two young adult novels, two graphic novels, and various other innovative fiction projects.

De Haven has a richly varied experience as a writer, having worked as a freelance journalist, an editor, and a film and television scriptwriter. His book reviews appear regularly in Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times Book Review. His awards include a fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and he has twice won fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Before joining VCU's faculty, De Haven taught at Rutgers and Hofstra University.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving, unpredictable, and morose look into the life of aimless young man in late 70's New Jersey. Period details from the casinos and the boardwalk make for a nostalgic (or historic, depending on your age) read as well.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, 3 1/2 stars. Read this book when it first came out, which makes it about 42 years ago. Yikes. At that time the action was taking place only a few years before the novel’s publication; it was a slice of life. Today, it’s a piece of history, with Jersey City—a character in its own right in the novel—now a very, very different place. I loved it when I first read it; I still like it now. It definitely helps if you’ve spent time in Jersey City, as I have. It will either bring back memories or, for those younger, it will give you an insight into how much gentrification, just barely starting in the novel’s era, has transformed much of the city.

All the characters are ne’er-do-wells, but they are real—believable. And I at any rate got pretty fond of most of them. De Haven has a great sense of humor. Kind of in the mode of The Sopranos (way before The Sopranos hit the screen). Sadly out of print now, but still obtainable from used book sellers.

What is the book about? I’m not giving anything away by leaving you with Tom De Haven’s wonderful and succinct description: “Look, my luck is never going to change. You know how come? ‘Cause my luck is Jersey luck, which is the same thing as no luck at all.”