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William J. Kennedy (1) (1928–)

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24+ Werken 5,594 Leden 94 Besprekingen Favoriet van 4 leden

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Werken van William J. Kennedy

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Algemene kennis

Gangbare naam
Kennedy, William J.
Officiële naam
Kennedy, William Joseph
Geboortedatum
1928-01-16
Geslacht
male
Nationaliteit
Yhdysvallat
Land (voor op de kaart)
USA
Geboorteplaats
Albany, New York, USA
Woonplaatsen
Albany, New York, Yhdysvallat
Opleiding
Siena College
Beroepen
Reporter
Prijzen en onderscheidingen
Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award (2001)

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Besprekingen

VERY OLD BONES (1992) is, not surprisingly, a damn good book, so I'm not sure why it sat on my shelf for over twenty years, unread. It's one of several novels which make up William Kennedy's "Albany Cycle." Kennedy grew up in Albany, where he attended Catholic high school, and then a Catholic college (Siena), also in Upstate NY. I've read a couple of his Albany books, LEGS and IRONWEED, thirty-some years ago, and enjoyed both, but especially the latter, which won the Pulitzer, and was also adapted into an acclaimed film, with Jack Nicholson as Francis, the wandering prodigal of the large, dysfunctional Phelan clan. BONES is a logical sequel to IRONWEED, set in an Albany twenty years later, in 1958, with Francis making only a brief appearance, but still looming large in the family's tragic history. The narrator here is Orson, the bastard son of Peter Phelan, an aging artist only recently gaining fame for his work, much of it derived from family stories and eccentric characters, Francis included. Orson delves deep into family - ancestors, sibling rivalries, Christianity, witches, superstition - as well as his own post-war military service in Germany, where he meets and marries the exotic Giselle and suffers a complete breakdown. We learn too of his unnatural attraction to his aunt Molly, who has her own hidden secrets. And there is Chick Phelan, the former seminarian, and Sarah, the domineering 'virgin' of the family, as well as the brain-damaged Tommy. All of these and more converge on the family home in Albany, for the reading of Peter's will. Oh, and Peter is still very much alive.

Like IRONWEED, this is what I would call a highly literary 'potboiler,' and I loved it. Very, very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
TimBazzett | 1 andere bespreking | Jun 5, 2023 |
Wow. I had no idea he was any good but this was mindblowing
 
Gemarkeerd
soraxtm | 48 andere besprekingen | Apr 9, 2023 |
El día que Estados Unidos celebra la victoria sobre Japón, Roscoe Conway decide retirarse de la política tras haber regido, de manera particular y poco escrupulosa, el Partido Demócrata de Albany, capital del estado de Nueva York, durante más de medio siglo. Cuando está a punto de hacer pública su dimisión, recibe la noticia del suicidio de su amigo Elisha Fitzgibbon, ex alcalde demócrata de Albany y ex candidato a gobernador del estado. La muerte de Fitzgibbon desata todo tipo de rumores y a Conway no le quedará más remedio que repasar los últimos veinticinco años de su vida para comprender las razones que han llevado a su amigo al suicidio. La pérdida temprana de su verdadero amor, las luchas por el control del partido, sus relaciones con los gánsteres irlandeses, el amaño de distintas elecciones, el control del contrabando de alcohol y del juego, son parte de los recuerdos que van acudiendo a su memoria y que terminan conformando el retrato del poder político y económico en Albany durante la primera mitad del siglo XX.… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
Natt90 | 5 andere besprekingen | Feb 13, 2023 |
A soft pick as I've grown weary of this testosterone-soaked writing style. This is a bleak novel in which punishments are self-inflicted and permanent, in which a little self-reflection and humility would derail the entire plot. It is also a beautifully written novel and an honest portrayal of how people sabotage themselves.
½
 
Gemarkeerd
ImperfectCJ | 48 andere besprekingen | Dec 22, 2022 |

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Statistieken

Werken
24
Ook door
5
Leden
5,594
Populariteit
#4,441
Waardering
3.8
Besprekingen
94
ISBNs
198
Talen
13
Favoriet
4

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