The Edge of Sadness

by Edwin O'Connor

Book Overview

“A realistic Christian novel of hope in a non-Christian age.”—New England Quarterly“A deeply felt and eloquently expressed work . . . A quiet, gentle novel of considerable insight and charm . .... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316626449
• ISBN13: 9780316626446
• Release Date: January 1961
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co
• Length: 460 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Contemporary Catholic Classic

As I was reading THE EDGE OF SADNESS, I couldn't help but think that in 1961, when this Pulitzer Prize winning novel was published, it must have been rather controversial. It dealt with the humanity of priests, noting flaws but in a respectful manner. While some writers such as Georges Bernanos dealt with such issues in his DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST, American audiences were still used to the Hollywood Big Screen concoctions of Spencer Tracy--Father Flanagan/Bing Crosby--Father O'Malley models of priesthood. While the priest in THE EDGE OF SADNESS may be worthy of the warmth and love given to his movie counterparts, he's hardly perfect. The novel tells the story of an alcoholic priest named Hugh Kennedy beginning again in ministry in an older, run down parish. Readers get a sense he's not the priest he once was, and throughout the novel we learn of his early ministry, the ramifications of the death of his father, the struggle with alcohol, and the loneliness that is a real part of his life. The book is written in the first person, and we hear the story of his life as he tells of his rekindling of a friendship with the Carmody family: Charlie, the patriarch, his son John the priest, Dan, the ne'er do well, Helen, the outspoken sister married to a doctor and Mary, the daughter who remains at home to care for the aging but still independent and at times ruthless Charlie. We also meet a host of minor characters: Helen's husband Frank, their son and daughter-in-law Ted and Anne, Charlie's longtime friends P.J. and Bucky, Roy, the maintenance man who works at Fr. Kennedy's church, and Fr. Stanley Danowski, the endearing yet naïve and at time nerdy young curate at Fr. Kennedy's parish. As the events of the novel unfold, we see changes in Fr. Kennedy as he discovers his love for God and his vocation. This is an older style novel in many ways. O'Connor is not short on words and he gives a number of details, yet the novel flows and is a fast read for a volume of nearly 650 pages. The issues of struggles in priesthood, vitality of parishes, older priest verses younger priest, unstated yet real competition between clergy people, and a hunger for God are all present in this book. In some ways if some historical details were changed in the book, it could be about modern day Catholic life. Perhaps this is the power of this book and why it can seem timeless. While it tells a story from an earlier day, it's not an invitation for nostalgia, at least for Catholic readers. Instead it will remind readers of what truly matters in life: the importance of faith, and the importance of having people who love us and people we love in return. While it may seem dated in some ways, readers will agree that the editors at Loyola Press were correct in reissuing this book as a classic.

A beautiful read!!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Pure poetry. Edwin O'Conner should be one of our best known, most read and most beloved American authors. O'connor's traditional writing style is powerful and expressive, and the images and characters he creates are so brutally honest and alive; yet he is so incredibly tender in the way he treats the frailness of the human condition. The only problem is that this is a very obscure book to find if you want to own a copy (or even if you don't.) On the recomendation of a friend I went to a local library. One goes to the corner Barnes and Noble or Borders and sees rack after rack filled with Steinbeck and Hemingway, someone from Mars would never know to go searching for Edwin O'Connor, and that is truly a loss.

The Necessity for Meaning in Life

Edwin O'Connor wrote about the Irish. Not the near mythical folk of the Emerald Isle, but the gritty, down-to-earth, American Irish of which he was one. They say a writer of fiction must write about that which he knows best, and O'Connor has clearly demonstrated in such books as "All in the Family", "The Last Hurrah", and especially "The Edge of Sadness"--my personal favourite--that he knew the Irish immigrant community of Boston as well as anyone.Parochial American Irish culture and society in the 1950's and 1960's provide the intricately detailed back-drop for all his stories, but this book in particular has much greater depth and applicability. The specific tale of Irish-American Roman Catholic priest Hugh Kennedy is nothing more than the subtext for the broader human search for the meaning of life! In this case compelling Faith (or the disturbing loss thereof) is the stuff of meaning for Father Hugh, and the books tracks his course through callow youth and subsequent middle age as he eventually comes to terms with his religion and its place in his life. Throughout this rambling journey of self-discovery, it's the frequently aggravating, sometimes venal, often blindly prejudiced, and ultimately very entertaining menagerie of ethnic characters that gives context to a drifting existence. (O'Connor comes perilously close to stereotyping much of the time, yet his pure literary virtuosity and unfailing grasp for vernacular Irish dialogue saves him every time!) It is these Irish Americans themselves that ultimately provide the sustenance and direction and support that allows Hugh Kennedy to make his uneasy peace with the world. The Irish it seems are a sad and melancholy lot. But then aren't we all, if we can't find a place in the universe where we can ultimately find happiness and contentment. Here's to you, Father Hugh, who walked to that abyssal edge of despair and had the courage to draw back and go on living! And here's to you, Edwin O'Connor, who has written a marvellously moving and engaging novel!

One of my "Top 5".

Every now and again I'm asked to list the 5 best books I've ever read. My list always starts with The Edge of Sadness. O'Connor's story is simple, but beautiful. Most readers will relate to it on some level and will have a better appreciation and understanding of the people in their lives who "are" O'Connor's characters. Don't be surprised if this book has a subtle yet profound effect on the way you perceive and interact with the people in your life. You will most likely understand them and their lonely struggles much better. This book will stay on your bookshelf for many years to come and you will undoubtedly return to its pages often.