Quartet in H

by Evan Hunter

From the dust 'The Blackboard Jungle, Evan Hunter's hard-hitting novel about juvenile delinquency, aroused a storm of controversy over the vocational-school system in America today. His publishers feel that Second Ending is a strong successor to that book in sheer storytelling power as well as in its presentation of another contemporary problem-- that of the talented but insecure young people who turned the wrong way in their efforts to find themselves. We think you will find Second Ending a gripping and exciting story. It contains all the narrative appeal of Evan Hunter's first novel, but in addition the canvas against which he paints has new dimensions of depth and understanding.'

385 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Better known by his pseudonym Ed McBain.

Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952. While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.

Reviews

[Steve Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!
Just finished this one.
I read a few other Hunters and this did not disappoint as a matter of fact I think it is a really excellent novel.
The material which of course could have been treated sensationally was not. This is not an exploitation novel but one filled with deep human empathy, which is not surprising from the great Evan Hunter.
I was literally in tears at the end of this terrific novel.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I talk about how I enjoy the Hunter novels and show the beautiful old copy of the book here.
https://youtu.be/RyVM6DjWt4U

[Rokas Kucinskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about this book about 5 years ago: a story about a drug addicted jazz musician, trapped between the music and his demons. Because of my love for jazz, it grabbed my attention, but only after all this time I pushed myself into reading it.

"Quartet in H" or "Second Ending" tells a story about youth, carelessness, friendship, love, ambition, responsibility, and what not. It's a rather dark story, but nonetheless extremely beautiful and touching. The narrative builds slowly, but after a while it draws you in, to the point where you cannot stop thinking about it. Characters are well developed, and their interconnection is the driving force of the story.

Another fascinating thing is how well jazz music plays in the context of it all, as it's mystique surrounds one of the main characters (to anyone not so familiar with jazz, and especially modern jazz, the use of heroin among musicians was extremely high during the early years of modern jazz - bebop). The story made me think of how many talented jazz musicians lost battles with their drug addictions, and as a result will never be heard ...

Of course, no book is without its flaws, and "Quartet in H" is no exception. I felt that the story towards the end of the book was somehow forced, and certain moments within it fell into cliques. I also felt that the author's attempt to convince the reader of how terrible drug addiction is was over the top; reading "Quartet in H" almost felt like looking at an anti-drug advert.

Nonetheless, I had a pure pleasure reading it, and "Quartet in H" will always stay in my memory as one of those hidden gems in the American literature, which I discovered. A definite recommendation to anyone!

[Sergio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Più conosciuto come Ed Mc Bain, Evan Hunter é un altro pseudonimo di Salvatore Albert Lombino scrittore di polizieschi, thriller, fantascienza che in questo romanzo si cimenta nell'ambiente di giovani ribelli delle società ricavandone un romanzo solo a tratti attraente e sufficiente.

[Lenny Husen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books, meaning in the top 100. This is about Heroin addiction, and is a moving, well written story about a group of friends who reunite years later, and the reconnection and permanent separation that ensures between various characters. I love this quote of a conversation between the two main characters who are speaking of a third character, "Why do you bother? You're not responsible for him."
"Aren't we all responsible for each other? And if we're not, shouldn't we be?"
Read this probably in 1984.

[Gary Cupitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book about a horrible theme, it was only the monkey on my back made me finish it. After loyalty comes betrayal comes salvation comes hope but not for all.