Meet My Maker, The Mad Molecule & The Saddest Summer of Samuel S

by J.P. Donleavy, Mariapaola Ricci Dèttore (Translator)

‘In this book of short pieces Donleavy has given us the lyric poems to go with his epics. They are almost all elegies – sad songs of decayed hope, bitter little jitterbuggings of an exasperated soul, with barracuda bites of lacerating humour he brings blood-red into the gray of fate. These stories and sketches move between Europe and America, New York and Dublin and London. America is always the spoiled paradise, the land of the curdled milk and maggoty honey. The place that used to get you in the end, but that now does it in the beginning.’ Newsweek

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

James Patrick Donleavy was an Irish American author, born to Irish immigrants. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II after which he moved to Ireland. In 1946 he began studies at Trinity College, Dublin, but left before taking a degree. He was first published in the Dublin literary periodical, Envoy.

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.P._Don...

Reviews

[Anup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will, forever and without fail, try my goddamn damnedest to cram this man's work down the necks of others. Donleavy is a man who writes like he could not spare a grain of care to anyone, anything, other than his own swift, ecstatic expression and lyricism. Also, he's funny. Also, he's sad. Also he lives on an Irish estate, drinking orange juice, watching sheep and practicing his punches.

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories: about Wimbledon 'Rackets and riches at Wimbledon' and the Boat Race 'Paddling and Persons at Putney', neither he nor I are interested in these things but I chuckled on train. One about wearing peach shoes on a first date 'Didn't she know peach shoes were really the snazz. No. She did not know. I walked away and left her there'. Man's a genius! Pleased to say not yet finished

[Kristin Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was great. Many of them are ultra short (2-3 pages) and feel like a series of writing exercises, but several of the longer stories are worth reading twice. Most of the stories lean toward a dark theme and have a twist, similar to Saki. I especially enjoyed A Fairytale of New York, Whither Wigwams, Franz F, You Murdered My Cat, Meet My Maker, and Gustav G. A couple of them are real tear jerkers (Grab the tissues for When I Bought A Bear.)

I'll also mention for readers who hated The Gingerman due to the misogynistic main character, that this is not a barrier for the reader to overcome in these stories. The characters are much more sympathetic, and everything is PG rated.

[dead letter office · Rating 3 out of 5]

donleavy being donleavy.