The Art of Burning Bridges

by Geoffrey Wolff

An enigma of twentieth-century literature–a writer accorded great importance in his time, if less than in his own mind–is here explored by one of our most versatile men of letters, a novelist and biographer ideally suited to the strange case of John O'Hara.The accomplishments are "the Region," the fictionalized coal-mining Pennsylvania of O'Hara's youth, serving his work much as Yoknapatawpha County did Faulkner's; an acute vernacular gift and a narrative frankness shocking in his day; an intimate, combative relationship with The New Yorker for over four decades; and a handful of books, from Appointment in Samarra to Sermons and Soda Water, that justify their author's ambitious claims. Moreover, he cut a wide swath through a Manhattan demimonde whose fierce friendships and bitter feuds–fueled by oceans of booze–were played out at such institutions as the Stork Club, “21,” and the Algonquin Round Table. But for all his best-sellers–one of which, Pal Joey, was a hit on Broadway, adapted by Rodgers and Hart–O’Hara had emerged in the wake of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, whose reputations buffeted his own. His preoccupations as a novelist of manners became dated as the world of speakeasies, the Social Register, Ivy League universities, and august clubs was inevitably undermined, while his prickly, status-obsessed outsider's personality failed to engage (and often enraged) changing fashions.What Geoffrey Wolff reveals is not only the hugely complicated man in full but also his rightful place in our contemporary attention–a portrait of the artist that illuminates boththe process of fiction and an era still vivid in our cultural history.

Genres: Biography

373 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Carol Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent study of O'Hara's works, but not such a great biography. The author spends a lot of time name-dropping and trying to look cool (all the famous writers I hang out with, including Raymond Carver, hate editors as much as O'Hara did.) Whenever O'Hara does something hateful the author tap dances away from it. He really, really tries to sell certain ideas, about the sheer gentility of writing about certain classes of people. But he shies away from the brutal truth about O'Hara's life.

There's a reason a kid who was beaten all the time by his father would grow up hating just about everyone. There's a reason a kid who was educated by priests would develop a filthy mouth and an unhealthy compulsion to write about sex. There's a reason a kid whose mother smiled and looked the other way while his father beat him would grow up to mistreat and humiliate women. But Geoffrey Wolff just longs for the days when gentlemen wore lovely clothes and spent all their time practicing manners.

[Lynn Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book but I didn’t really like the way it is written long sentences long paragraphs long chapters but what place New York was back then for writers

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one disappointing biography - if you can call it that. It probably should be re-titled "Geoffrey Wolff's comments and Reflections on the Life of John O'Hara" . Wolff really hits hard on the idea that John O'Hara was a "Mean bitter man" and a "S.O.B" but without any real success. It seems O'Hara's real sins were: he disliked critics, believed (correctly) he was undervalued by The New Yorker, and occasionally got nasty when drunk. Oh, and worst of all, he liked honors and clubs. Up against that, O'Hara had plenty of life-long friends, and loving relatives, children, and wives.

That aside, its a weird and unbalanced book. The six O'Hara novels after 1948 are dismissed as "Tomes" and his last 21 years (1949-1970) gets 50 pages, compared to 250 pages on his life up to Pearl Harbor. Its full of anti-O'Hara literary criticism, and a lot of irrelevant Wolff comments on various people and incidents. The author's favorite shtick is to quote O'Hara or describe O'Hara doing something and then say O'Hara got it all wrong, or was "weird" or "mean."

Read the McShane Bio if you can find it.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this was the worst biography I’ve ever read. And so disappointing as John O’Hara is one of my favorite authors. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but when I do, it’s usually been pretty good. I do have exceptions – things should be linear. If you’re going to talk about someone’s brothers and sisters, you don’t wait until the novel is 2/3s through to finally list their names and birth order. And then there’s the use of footnotes. I agree, they are needed, but when half the book is footnotes and reprinted material, doesn’t that say something about the author’s ability? The author’s quips, thoughts and editorializing weren’t needed either. Who uses the phrase “attentive readers will note” anymore? I wish I’d read some reviews before wasting my time on this one. The only reason this merits a 2 is that I did learn a few things about John O’Hara – only because I’d never read a biography about him, so anything was better than nothing. I think. Blech.

[Amelia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read a number of biographies, I can say that I was greatly disappointed by this one. Mr. Wolff picked an incredibly intriguing title, which was much more fascinating than the book itself. While reading the book, I felt that it was more of a response to other published biographies than a true biography, with sections of literary criticism mixed in. He spent less than 50 pages on the last fifteen years of Mr. O'Hara's life, and spent what felt like 100 pages discussing how Mr. O'Hara's being a doctor's son (parallel to his own life- quite narcissistic) was oh-so-influential on O'Hara's craft. Overall, it was a dissatisfying biography.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say about John O'Hara? Well, I've read a lot of his work, have enjoyed a lot of his work, intend to read more of his work. Going into this bio by Geoffrey Wolff (a favorite author), I already knew a lot about O'Hara the man. Many words have been used to describe him, few flattering. Some of those words being: difficult, arrogant, a bully, self-important, social climber, etc. He abused friendships, editors, wives, family, and in one known case, little people. He was a mean, bitter man, but I do enjoy his writing.
I chose to read this very in-depth book to try to find some answers. I do think I understand him better now than I did. But I feel he wasted so much valuable time burning those bridges and could have accomplished even more. Or maybe it would have changed him and we would have been deprived of some of what he left us?
He wanted so badly to win all the prizes. He wanted it too badly and probably didn't win some of them for just that reason.
Am I the only one who finds it ironic that a man who was so obsessed with Yale, and never attended there, would live the last 16 years of his life in Princeton, New Jersey?

[Kerry Zukus · Rating 4 out of 5]

John O’Hara was a very talented son of a bitch, but a son of a bitch nonetheless. Wolff does a great job of exploring the psyche of the man and even the attitude still left behind in his Pennsylvania Protectorate, where he may never be as truly loved and admired as he so desired.