Book Club: Appointment in Samarra, John O'Hara (1934)

What happens when a man decides to burn down his entire life in just three days?

John O’Hara’s Appointment in Samarra (#22 on the Top 100) is a dazzling, devastating look at self-destruction, social class, and the invisible codes that govern a small Pennsylvania town in the 1930s. At just over 200 pages, this debut novel catapulted O’Hara to literary fame... and scandal. Some called it brilliant. Others called it vulgar. But nearly a century later, its emotional precision and raw insight still hit hard.

The story follows Julian English, a country club golden boy with a beautiful wife, a thriving business, and every advantage. And yet, over the course of one boozy Christmas weekend, Julian makes a series of impulsive decisions that unravel it all. It’s not a morality tale, exactly—but a psychological portrait of privilege, pride, and the quiet panic of being alive.

We’ll talk about:
– Why Julian does what he does (and whether we’ve ever felt the same urge)
– The title’s eerie reference to fate and fatalism
– What the novel says about class, gender, and performative success
– How a book written in 1934 still feels unsettlingly modern

Whether you're reading it for the first time or revisiting a classic, I'd love to have you join us for this conversation.

Programming Reminder: I’m taking your suggestions for the next title in our lovingly named F the Patriarchy list, born out of the realization that the Modern Library Top 100 includes very few women, and zero Black women. If there’s a novel by a traditionally marginalized voice that moved you, send it my way. I want to make space for the stories this list overlooked. Because if we want to grow as humans, the best way is to walk in as many shoes as possible and listen while we do. ❤️