"A raucous comic novel."--The New York Times Book Review
"Lusty, violent, wildly funny...The Ginger Man is the picaresque novel to stop them all."--Dorothy Parker, Esquire
"Sebastien Dangerfield (is) one of the most outrageous scoundrels in contemporary fiction, a whoring, boozing young wastrel."--Time
Okay, so there must be a really good reason why J.P. Donleavy's The Ginger Man made it onto the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list. I mean it was a committee of experts that made these choices, so they ought to know what they are talking about. I have to say, though, generally speaking when I am looking for something good to read, I am not drawn immediately to books about "whoring and boozing young wastrels". Now don't get me wrong, live and let live and all that. I guess I can't really relate very well to such a character and it is nice to have someone in a book you might possibly identify with. I fear there won't be such a character here. Oh well. When I decided I wanted to try and read through the Modern Library list, I wanted to expand my reading horizons, and read books I might not otherwise have chosen to read. Well, here I go. I am willing to keep an open mind. If nothing else, it is only 347 pages that stand between me and book #98--The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain. A crime novel. Something I already had on my shelf and was planning on reading. Something to look forward to! And if by chance, anyone has read this and loved it, please share with me its many merits!