John O'Hara(1905-1970)
- Autor
- Actor
Prolific American author of the mid-twentieth century. Born in
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, he later used the town, under the fictitious
name of Gibbsville, as the setting for many of his novels and short
stories. Among his books adapted for films are "From the Terrace," "A
Rage to Live," "Ten North Frederick," "Pal Joey," and "Butterfield 8."
Other well-known titles of his are "Ourselves to Know," "The Big
Laugh," "A Family Party," and especially "Appointment in Samarra."
Critic Woolcott Gibbs ranked the last-named with Fitzgerald's "The
Great Gatsby" and Sinclair Lewis's "Babbitt" as the three best novels
about America in the 1920s. O'Hara died in Princeton in 1970 and his
novels fell into neglect shortly thereafter. Many fans and critics feel
a revival of interest is long overdue.