This book was required reading for my Irish American Literature class. this was a really excellent book! However, while it wasn't a favorite, it certainly isn't at the bottom of books I've read. I'm glad to have read the book, but I found it a lot of hard work. --Brian C. Mooney "Boston Globe" "In [The] Last Hurrah, the local political landscape has changed making . In a sense, seeing the movie before reading the book may have taken something away from my enjoyment as I was able to anticipate the arc of the story and the ending. Start by marking “The Last Hurrah” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. a debut novel by robin dawson LAST HURRAH At a time when international horseracing is facing extreme hardship, this thrilling tale both entertains and educates readers on the world of racing, breeding, training…and the greed within. [After The Last Hurrah, a novel by Edwin O'Connor (1918-1968), American writer .] Add | $ 2.00 Views: 8. The Last Hurrah is a great political novel, and a great novel about the Irish in Boston. n. A final appearance or effort, especially at the end of a career: The reelection campaign was expected to be her last hurrah. Still, there are some excellent scenes and descriptions, and the mayor is a complex and artfully. I absolutely adored this book. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United States for 20 weeks, and was also on lists for bestseller of that year. It's the story of an old-time pol, a Democratic mayor of a big northeast city (patterned on Boston) who is making his last run for re-election. The Last Hurrah, written in 1956, 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. It felt a bit slow, especially the beginning. A fine American novel. Mayor Frank Skeffington is undisputedly a rogue who has nearly bankrupted his city through shady deals with politically-connected contractors, but his way with people wins the admiration and loyalty of nearly everyone he meets -- even the grudging admiration of some who oppose him. Add to Cart Buy Now Add to Wishlist. 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. The Last Hurrah is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. The plot of The Last Hurrah focuses on a mayoral election in an unnamed East Coast city. Family legend has it that my Irish grandmother went to Mayor Curley’s house on behalf of my uncle much the way poor working people petitioned the mayor in this book; an enjoyable trip down memory lane. I have seen and enjoyed the movie starring Spencer Tracy a number of times before I read this book. The Last Hurrah by Edwin O'Connor Seller Ergodebooks Published 1980-03 We would be remiss if we didn’t note what has happened to people we have known for years. Welcome back. By: O'Connor, Edwin. In some ways this reminded me of some of the William Kennedy Albany novels. Veteran Irish, Democratic Party politician Frank Skeffington is running for yet another term as Mayor. Very surprised, it really took my breath away that it was as good as it was from beginning to end. Description; Details "We're living in a sensitive age, Cuke, and I'm not altogether sure you're fully attuned to it." This is a really fine novel about an old time politician gearing up for one final run for office. The Edge of Sadness is one of the best books I ever read. O'Connor tells this story with a vivid cast of rogues and incorrigible talkers. The Last Hurrah, a great novel written by Edwin O'Connor in 1955, is the best treatise on American state and local politics to this day. Curley himself apparently believed it was about him, though the author never came out and officially said so. Price: $2.00. The book chronicles the last mayoral campaign of the main character Frank Skeffington. The Last Hurrah is the rich story of personality- and class-driven politics, now footnotes in contemporary culture." Storyline In a New England town, aging Frank Skeffington, descended from poor Irish immigrants, is conducting his fifth and last political campaign for Mayor - he thus far being undefeated - before he serves his last term leading into retirement from politics, he … Written in 1953, it captures the moment when the machine politicians and the ethnic communities they served faded into the post war world. 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