Point Books Supposing The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B
| Original Title: | The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B |
| ISBN: | 0802137962 (ISBN13: 9780802137968) |
| Edition Language: | English |
J.P. Donleavy
Paperback | Pages: 416 pages Rating: 3.94 | 802 Users | 53 Reviews
Narration Conducive To Books The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B
The New York Times Book Review called The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B, J. P. Donleavy's hilarious, bittersweet tale of a lost young man's existential odyssey, "a triumphant piece of writing, achieved with that total authority, total mastery which shows that a fine writer is fully extended...." In the years before and after World War II, Balthazar B is the world's last shy, elegant young man. Born to riches in Paris and raised by his governess, Balthazar is shipped off to a British boarding school, where he meets the noble but naughty Beefy. The duo matriculate to Trinity College, Dublin, where Balthazar reads zoology and Beefy prepares for holy orders, all the while sharing amorous adventures high and low, until their university careers come to an abrupt and decidedly unholy end. Written with trademark bravado and a healthy dose of sincerity, The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B is vintage Donleavy.
Be Specific About Based On Books The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B
| Title | : | The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B |
| Author | : | J.P. Donleavy |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 416 pages |
| Published | : | January 22nd 2001 by Grove Press (first published November 30th 1967) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Humor. Literature. Cultural. Ireland |
Rating Based On Books The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B
Ratings: 3.94 From 802 Users | 53 ReviewsAssessment Based On Books The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B
Another sad, funny masterpiece from Mr Donleavy. One of this best and most heart-wrenching. Balthazar B. is a kind, generous man who's taken advantage of by almost everyone except his best friend Beefy and fewer than a handful of extraordinary women.Balthazar B. is an aristocrat bewildered at every turn by life. His picaresque journey from Paris to Trinity College Dublin and visitations to country estates and among women of high and dubious social standing is hilarious to behold. The randy foil figure of Beefy may stand as one of the greatest comic figures since Shakespeare's Fat Jack Falstaff. The literary style of Donleavy is itself richly laden with lyricism and poetry and comedy. It is a uniquely pointillistic style in which brush
"'Yes sir, I know that my redeemer liveth. I know it.'"One of the most unforgettable books I have read in my life! J.P. Donleavy's The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B (1968) combines breathtaking prose, lyricism, and biting humor with sobering reflections on the human condition. It also has the potential to offend many readers on many levels. Descriptions of pre-adolescent sexuality, numerous risqué scenes, and taboo topics make the novel perfect fuel for barbecues in fundamentalist
4.5 to a book I almost gave up on a quarter of the way into. I stuck it out and it ended up being one of the funniest and saddest books I've read. I really enjoyed the friendship between Balthazar and Beefy.
The most unique writing I have read. Beautifully descriptive as it shifts between third person and first, sentence fragments and stream of consciousness: 'All these lonely Sunday evenings. Dublin shut. Odd lights here and there in college. To stare out the window. And wait for commons. Put on one's gown for warmth. the bell rings. down the dark stairs. Gas lamps glowing along the dark squares ...' One is transported into the narrative, we experience it as though we are there, our eyes moving
At the time I read this I was also reading another book with an obsession of using fragmented sentences and beautiful descriptions of landscapes. I can say that while this book was not necessarily uplifting, it was truly entertaining especially due to the role of Beefy (whose sexual escapades cannot go unnoticed). If you know Donleavy's writing, you will love it even more so than the Ginger Man.
Not quite the Ginger Man, but worth a try.
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