I wouldn't doubt this could indeed be Thomas Curley's life! What a charismatic character he must have been. View 1 comment. The Last Hurrah , published in the mid-nineteen fifties, was Edwin O'Connor's first success and his most popular novel.
As a former governor, he is usually called by the honorific title "Governor. As a result of this novel, he was foreve The Last Hurrah , published in the mid-nineteen fifties, was Edwin O'Connor's first success and his most popular novel.
The story is told in the third person, either by a narrator or by Adam Caulfield, the Mayor's nephew. Skeffington is a veteran and adept "machine" politician, and probably corrupt as well. The novel portrays him as a flawed great man with many achievements to his credit. One of Adam's friends explains that the election was "a last hurrah" for the kind of old-style machine politics that Skeffington had mastered.
Developments in American public life, including the consequences of the New Deal, have so changed the face of city politics that Skeffington no longer can survive in the new age with younger voters. And prophetically, for the first time, television ads win the day.
Reading it as a teenager in high school I was fascinated with the realistic portrayal of politics and the impact on the city and family of the larger-than-life Skeffington. Both a popular and literary success when published, it remains in my memory as one of the best political novels I have ever read.
Jul 23, Pat rated it it was ok. Politics, politics, politics. It was a tedious read and I only finished it as it was a book club assignment. Feb 12, Carole rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Everyone. Shelves: thumpinggoodreads , cantputitdown. Another terrific read! This is another book from the list of books about America that should be read by foreigners looking to learn just how this country of ours works.
This one is about urban politics during the first half of the 20th century. Arthur Schlesinger said it is "The best American novel about urban politics.
It's not always pretty, and Frank Skeffington, the main character, is not always admirable. But he's a man of his tim Another terrific read! But he's a man of his times and culture, and O'Connor has pegged him perfectly. You may not always like him or how he runs his city, but you care about him. He's real. He's likeable in an odd sort of way. And all his various cronies and hangers-on are funny, sad and pathetic all at the same time. When they all come to the realization Skeffington first that the old order is on the way out and that their time has passed, it is just heartbreaking.
The book is supposedly set in a city in the Midwest, but O'Connor was a Bostonian, and it has always been assumed that he wrote this about Boston politics. Think the Kennedy family -- in particular the patriarch, Joseph Kennedy. Edwin O'Connor was an immensely talented writer.
You will probably need to go to a library for this one. It's out of print. I found my copy through a rare book dealer. Sep 30, CLM rated it really liked it Shelves: 20th-century , massachusetts , united-states , fiction.
Here is a link to my review for the Club. Jun 15, Jon Frankel rated it it was amazing. The Last Hurrah is a great political novel, and a great novel about the Irish in Boston. OK, it's that. It's also a great novel. It is a life: the life of a man and his city, sure, and the life of men, women and cities as they were in this country for about years. Written in , it captures the moment when the machine politicians and the ethnic communities they served faded into the post war world.
O'Connor writes both stories explicitly. The Last Hurrah is the final mayoral campaign of Frank Skeffington. Skeffinton's wife has died years before and his son is an incurious, unintelligent playboy who plays golf. Skeffington, not a sentimental man in any way, never-the-less longs for a legacy and so he invites his nephew Adam, a cartoonist for a newspaper dedicated to Skeffington's destruction, to observe the campaign.
Adam's wife Maeve comes froma family that also hates Skeffington. Skeffington is a man despised by republicans and reform democrats, a dinosaur in their eyes. Adam, apolitical and curious, goes along for the ride, and his, and the reader's eyes are opened to the complex world city politics and to Skeffington's shrewd, intelligent, pragmatic approach to life and politics.
A master Machiavellian, he also is dead serious about doing good for the city. His critics are dumbfounded by him, acknowledging both his skill and the good he does. One critic sums it up beautifully near the end of the book: " He thought of the buildings erected and roads constructed unnecessarily and at three times their normal cost; he thought of contracts skillfully diverted to political friends; he thought of tax rebates handed out in wholesale lots to campaign contributors; he thought of the endless jobs given to old pals, of the time when the entire city payroll seemed to be supporting nothing but a host of indolent comedians; he thought of the gerrymandering, the featherbedding, of the whole, incredible, ridiculous, wasteful tangle Yet even as he thought this , a slight smile appeared on his lips, for in remembering all these items of discredit, he had remembered the other side too: the astonishing, good humored audacity of the man which had so often stunned a roomful of opponents; the mischievous gleam in the eye which suddenly appeared as he advanced some particularly outrageous proposal; the extraordinary wit and congeniality which had relieved so many deadly dull committee meetings; the courage, the generosity, the charm, the sheer ability of the man.
O'Connor tells this story with a vivid cast of rogues and incorrigible talkers. The stories reel off the tongues of his operatives, reporters, priests and widows. It is a world we still see the shadows of, a world of individuals and tribes soon to be replaced by Nielsen ratings and pollsters. Apr 16, Judy rated it it was ok Recommends it for: readers who like books about Boston. Shelves: books-from At 2 on the bestseller list for is the story of an Irish politician who has held office in his city presumably Boston as mayor, his state as governor and after 50 years, is running one more time for mayor.
He is in his 70s, the time period is post WWII, and as the title suggests, it is his last go around. According to the cover flap the reader can expect to "discover a great deal about Irish life and politics in America. It is certainly old news in and for me the book was of some historical interest but not much else. The writing is fairly dull and overly wordy. The plotting is obvious; not only does he give it away in the title but by halfway through the story, the breakdown of the politician's health has been foreshadowed enough times that it comes as no surprise.
It was clear that the author wrote a novel to propound his analysis of how ward politics came to an end in Boston. But it was a bestseller at the time and is still a well known novel amongst those who write about Boston, the Irish and politics. Feb 15, Shanelle Sorensen rated it it was amazing Shelves: historical-fiction , all-time-favorites , general-fiction , read I absolutely adored this book. It caught my attention because of the blurb on the front that calls it one of the best American novels about urban politics.
I thought this novel was brilliant. It was hilarious, profound, and has such incredibly memorable characters. I found it fascinating that even though it was written in the mids, not much in politics seems to have changed. Seriously I absolutely adored this book. Seriously, guys. If you have any interest whatsoever in a novel that pokes fun at politics and politicians, give it a try! Nov 06, Matthew rated it it was amazing Shelves: political-science , historical-fiction.
From beginning to end I just couldn't put the book down. Masterfully written, and ahead of its time. It does not surprise me to know that this book, published in the late 50's, was a national best seller.
This political story is unlike any other I have read. It holds within inspired details and a narrative which speaks volumes of truth.
I enjoyed this book and I'm aware that I will most likely read it again. Dec 14, Voracious rated it it was amazing. No-one writes novels quite like this any more. I didn't really expect to be gripped by the story of a mayoral election in the fifties, but I really was.
No doubt the Irish Catholic aspect made it more appealing to me, but the central character, and the picture of a time when elections were human in scale, were also arresting. Jun 24, Ruth Woodman York rated it liked it Shelves: around-the-year-inbooks , pop-sugar-challenge. This book was required reading for my Irish American Literature class. It is not one I would personally chosen to read. However, while it wasn't a favorite, it certainly isn't at the bottom of books I've read.
It felt a bit slow, especially the beginning. And politics isn't normally a topic I enjoy reading about. But it was an interesting story. I especially liked how O'Connor presented the differences in how the multiple generations look on traditions.
Jun 19, Patrick rated it really liked it Shelves: summer A novel that is highly relevant to my professional trajectory. I've put off reading this one for some time--partly because it always somehow felt "too close to home. Its attempt at being "kaleidoscopic" by integrating vignettes and perspective shifts that bring in a wider cast of characters falls flat for me.
Mostly these characters just produce pages of insignificant dialogue. Equally weak is the thin veneer placed A novel that is highly relevant to my professional trajectory.
Equally weak is the thin veneer placed over Boston. But the core of the story -- Frank Skeffington and the story of the declining ethnic urban "boss" politician -- is convincingly rendered and compelling. Strong ending. Dec 17, Esther Bradley-detally rated it it was amazing. He was a kind man, and I discovered from my research he was honest.
Whaddya know. So i finished my 50, words for Nano's requirements, have the husk of a young chicken of a book, sitting near me, and I have been led to read all about the Brothers Bulger - I had read All Saints; fabulous, and I have the Boston Irish on my desk too, and am now reviewing The Last Hurrah, by edwin O'Connor which I found compelling, funny, unexpectedly funny, and it gave dimensions of a rogue politician that there fascinating and lovable.
So there you go. That's what i'm doing at the moment. Sep 14, Charles Lewis rated it really liked it. The Edge of Sadness is one of the best books I ever read. The Last Hurrah, written in , is a great portrait of the dying of a political era in Boston — an era of Democratic ward bosses and the last moments of absolute Irish political rule. The funny thing is, Boston is never mentioned but it's clearly about the city. There are wonderful laugh out loud moments in The Last Hurrah and some wonderful descriptions of the kind of loyalty that now seems thing of the past.
I grew up in NYC during the s and 60s and I love the atmosphere of that period. In some ways this reminded me of some of the William Kennedy Albany novels.
Parallels can be drawn to modern times. A fitting title, the book follows Frank Skeffington, an old time politician trying to get re-elected for one 'last hurrah' and the bond he forms with this nephew in the process. Recommended by my cousin, I'm glad to have taken the journey in the book, even if it took me month 3.
Recommended by my cousin, I'm glad to have taken the journey in the book, even if it took me months to finish. Oct 13, James rated it really liked it.
This is a really fine novel about an old time politician gearing up for one final run for office. Francis Skeffington is an American creation and his tale veers back and forth between self-absorption and magnanimity in delicious fashion. Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!
Sign up here for updates about the Press. Buy this book : The Last Hurrah. But in our age of dynasties, mercurial social sensitivities, and politicians making love to the camera, Skeffington might as well be talking to us. An expansive, humorous novel offering deep insight into the Irish-American experience and the ever-changing nature of the political machine, The Last Hurrah reveals political truths still true today: what the cameras capture is just the smiling face of the sometimes sordid business of giving the people what they want.
A superb job of vigorous, humorous writing—funny, engaging, and tolerantly mellow. So good, so enormously readable, and so authoritatively persuasive. Probably the funniest American book in a decade.
A splendid inside job on big city politics. The Last Hurrah is the rich story of personality- and class-driven politics, now footnotes in contemporary culture.
Alas, none of those movies was worthy of its source material. Settle for a while into fine American fiction for perspective.
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