All in the Family

by Edwin O'Connor

Set in Ireland, Italy and the corrupt old city of "The Last Hurrah" and told by an observant and sympathetic narrator (Jack Kinsella), cousin to a conspicuous Irish-American family whose name means power, influence and fabulous riches...all these, the achievement of one man. Jack's Uncle Jimmy is a tough, irascible little tycoon whose pride in his sons is matched only by his determination to get them what he wants: high political office! Aided by old Jimmy Kinsella's full resources, not least his willingness to twist any arm in the nation, his sons erupt into politics: Charles is to take the mayoralty, then the governorship, Phil is to act as campaign manager. And Jack, who once served as secretary to Frank Skeffington (of the "Last Hurrah"), is asked to join in. He refuses. Though their boyhood loyalty persists, it dates from the time when the warmth and spirit of his cousins' family life consoled Jack for the mysterious death of his mother & brother. (The radiance of his early years is evoked in the first chapter, a flashback which was published to wide acclaim in the "Atlantic".) Now, as a novelist, Jack is a solitary man - so much so that his exquisite wife, in her loneliness, has drifted away from him. When she returns, their slow, tactful, tender reconciliation so preoccupies Jack that he is unaware of the rift that has opened among the Kinsellas, that happiest, that most triumphant of families. The earthquake threatens not Charles & Philip, but an entire clan, a family legend, and a rocketing political career. The Kinsellas' answer is ruthless, brilliant, surprising - and tragic.

Genres: Fiction, Classics

434 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Edwin O'Connor was an American journalist, novelist, and radio commentator who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962 for his novel The Edge of Sadness (1961). His ancestry was Irish, and his novels concerned the Irish-American experience and often dealt with the lives of politicians and priests.

Reviews

[Judy]

For a decade, 1956-1966, Edwin O’Connor was a top bestselling novelist and a Pulitzer Prize winner. The Last Hurrah in 1956 was a political novel set in Boston and also became a movie. All in the Family is a sequel to The Last Hurrah, with a new generation of politicians. An Irish/American family has spawned a son who runs for governor on promises of clearing corruption out of Massachusetts. He wins but is unable or unwilling to make good on those promises.

The family includes Uncle Jimmy and his three sons as well as a nephew who narrates the story. Jimmy is the ruthless type, beats his sons into obedience and uses his wealth to put his sons into political positions. The nephew’s father, Jimmy’s brother, had broken away from that scene and raised his son Jack to also eschew it. However, Jack in his childhood formed close ties with his cousins.

There is plenty of trauma in Jack’s life. He is a novelist with a troubled marriage and a compulsion to involve himself in his cousins’ lives. Uncle Jimmy’s compulsion is his family. It is clear from the start that tragedy looms.

I found this better than the other two O’Connor books I have read. More readable prose, less turgid plot. Shades of the Kennedys and their family woes.

All in the Family was the #10 bestseller in 1966. As far as I can tell it was his last bestseller and I am glad to be done with Edwin O’Connor. The book is in no way connected with the TV show of the same name.

[Cathy Creighton]

The first part of this novel some of the most poignant literature I ever read It could be it’s own novella.
After that it’s not the same greatness but still excellent writing.

[Philip]

Edwin O'Connor (July 29, 1918 – March 23, 1968) was a highly-regarded novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for 1961's THE EDGE OF SADNESS and whose most famous novel is THE LAST HURRAH. Like many a highly-regarded novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize, he's not very well-known today and his books are hard to find. Having enjoyed the other two books, I'm now reading his final novel, ALL IN THE FAMILY (published in 1966), which is about an Irish-American family with political aspirations named Kinsella (the Irish, politics and Catholicism were O'Connor's frequent themes). (And no, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the famous TV series that bears the same name)!

3/28: After a slow (but nonetheless enjoyable) first 100 or so pages, at which point the narrative vaults ahead 25 years or so to (what was then) the present day, ALL IN THE FAMILY becomes totally absorbing. I can't remember the last time I really couldn't wait to get back to a novel and its inhabitants as I did with this book. O'Connor's characters, whether major or minor, are always well-drawn, often with their own little set of idiosyncrasies that render them either endearing or annoying. If the book has a drawback, it's that it's a fairly static novel: there isn't much in the way of action, and it's very talky, and sometimes the characters talk in rather long paragraphs.

An idea hinted at in THE LAST HURRAH and examined again in this book is the use of television as a campaign tool for politicians, especially if they're good-looking.

At the center of the novel is family unity - the patriarch, the three sons, and the cousin - a close-knit family unit which is ultimately splintered and then shattered by a rift between two of the brothers.

It was a great loss to American fiction when Edwin O'Connor died in 1968 at the age of 49. It's time his novels were rediscovered.

[Mark]

Beautifully written if somewhat bloated followup to O'Connor's best-known novel, "The Last Hurrah," "All in the Family" tells the story of a close-knit, Kennedy-like family, through the eyes of a cousin who watches their rapid political rise and eventual deterioration as a family. O'Connor had an ear for realistic dialogue and sharp insight into the political mind. The first-person narrative is a big liability, though, since much of the plot is described to, rather than directly involves, the narrator. Fitzgerald put Nick Carraway through a slow realization of the shallowness of his generation in "The Great Gatsby," but O'Connor's novel, at 400-plus pages, veers too often into sentimentality and as a result sags at times. A subplot about the narrator's careful reconciliation with his estranged wife weighs on the middle section of the novel, again because O'Connor too often uses an inverted version of that age-old advice, "show, don't tell". Worth the read, though, if only because O'Connor was a wonderful fiction writer whose body of work is too small, due to his untimely death at 49. Good luck finding a copy of "All in the Family," though - I found an original hardcover copy at a used book sale.

[Patnel]

By the same author as "The Last Hurrah", and a natural progression from that book. Hurrah was about the death of the old time machine bosses, and Family is about the best and brightest that took the reins. At the end of the day, were they really so different? One of the saddest books I've ever read.

[Lynette Lark]

This book went up then down then up and down again! Part I was really good until two people died. Part II was good but there was a separation but they got back together which was good. Part III, IV, and V were politics as usual and serious family issues because of it. Personally, I think that this is a guy's kind of book. As I'm certain it was when it was written back in 1964.

[Blaine Morrow]

Good family drama with politics and power as a backdrop. The novel ends a bit prematurely, or so it seemed to me, but there's a lot to like about this family and its members. Strong characters, realistic plot and situations.

[Chazzi]

I had found this in a box of books someone gave me, while sorting them to give to the library bookstore. I held this one out, as it sounded interesting, even though I usually am not interested in political stuff.

The Kinsella family are close, well connected, powerful and monies.

The story is told by Jack Kinsella, a mystery writer, and nephew of Jimmy Kinsella — the head of the family. Jimmy has three sons: Charles, James and Phil. Jimmy is brash, outspoken and has done exceedingly well financially.

The story tells of Charles' rise in the government from mayor to governor, with Phil as campaign manager. The two brothers fulfilling their father's dreams. James chooses the ecumenical path and also rises through the ranks, becoming well known in the international area of his religious world. This is not what his father had planned or hoped for.

The tie between Jack and his cousins developed from the time he lived with them after his mother and younger brother died. They formed a tight and strong bond that lasted for many years...until things started to fray. Until there was the possibility of a major scandal that could bring everything down.

I read this book in small portions. I felt I needed to think about what was going on in the story and how the characters where handling the situations. The dynamics between the characters are interesting. Jimmy as the patriarch, wanting to have control and build dynasty. The four boys, who also develop strong wills, wanting to please Jimmy yet needing to live their own lives.

I know O'Connor was recognized for his writing and I can see why. His storytelling style made me want to read the book, even though it is not my usual read.

[Virginia Markhart]

This was a tough book to read. Not because it wasn't good. It was actually very good, kept my interest well. What made it tough was the length and the small print. Took me weeks to ready instead of days,

The story follows the life of a man, his cousins and their father. He is an author and must be wealthy considering the amount of world traveling that is enjoyed. The family becomes involved in politics, one coursing becoming mayor, then governor, and aspirations of senator.

I am glad to be finished with this book. It was good to read, and great to be done.

[Patrick Barry]

The last book written by author who died far too young at 49, All in the Family is the story of the Kinsellas, a New England clan of Irish stock. the principal characters are Uncle Jimmy , the patriarch, his three sons - James, Phil and Charles - and their cousin Jack. Jack serves as the novel's narrator. James becomes a pries, Phil and Charles lawyers, and Jack a novelist. It follows the rise of Charles from mayor to governor and th eforces tht tie them together snd threaten to pull them apart. A fine story from the of several fine Irish-Americans in politics stories.

[Sadegh]

I actually started the book because of its name, but keep reading it I started to enjoy it very much. It's a kind of books that digs deep into all the human emotions concerning family and brotherhood. I liked it very much. Trust me, you won't regret it if you read it.

[Muriel]

Jack Kinsella tells the story of his Irish-American cousins.

[Jennifer Morefield]

While this was a little slow paced sometimes, I really enjoyed it. It was a good political saga about a powerful and wealthy Irish family. I liked it and was happy I read it... It was worthwhile.

[John Pitcock]

It was an okay book for me. I mostly liked the insight into politics and its “old guard”.