Fiction, American, published late 70s or early 80s, set in Boston, about an alcoholic violinist and his inept love life. Very funny; many complaints about Boston's weather as the effluent of God's ass.

[Ian]

Can anyone remember a book and author that sound like that book?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Author's gender?
Cover?
Literary fiction?
Is the protagonist Christian, Jewish, other, not mentioned?
Author obscure or more well known?

[Ayshe]

Fisher's Hornpipe? I see it has been suggested on Library Thing and it seems to match:

The point is that all that is known meteorologically astronomically and metaphysically in Boston is the walls of this monstrous latrine (on the east of which is the fresco of the Berkshires) and The Ass (they've named that!) of the Being. The Bostonian's sky is dark, his horizon porcelain, his environment water ice and effluvia from August to July. All they see hear feel and smell is The Ass. The Ass! Squatting resolutely above. Producing a continuous unholy cacation which the hapless populace term rain and snow.

[Genesistrine]

It Happened in Boston?

[Kris]

Google Books has a snippet preview of Fisher's Hornpipe by Todd McEwen - Ayshe's suggestion. You might get lucky searching for keywords:

- https://books.google.ca/books?id=zt8N...

[Kris]

Wikipedia's plot summary of It Happened in Boston? by Russell H. Greenan - Genesistrine's suggestion. The protagonist is a painter.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Happ...