The Ginger Man - J. P. Donleavy [0]
Books by J. P. Donleavy
THE GINGER MAN
A SINGULAR MAN
THE SADDEST SUMMER OF SAMUEL S
THE BEASTLY BEATITUDES OF BALTHAZAR B
THE ONION EATERS
A FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK
THE DESTINIES OF DARCY DANCER, GENTLEMAN
SCHULTZ
LEILA
MEET MY MAKER THE MAD MOLECULE
THE UNEXPURGATED CODE
DE ALFONCE TENNIS
J. P. DONLEAVY'S IRELAND
ARE YOU LISTENING RABBI LOW?
THE HISTORY OF THE GINGER MAN
THE LADY WHO LIKED CLEAN RESTROOMS
A SINGULAR COUNTRY
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THE
GINGER
MAN
J. P. DONLEAVY
Copyright © 1955, 1958, 1965 by J. P. Donleavy
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Scanning, uploading, and electronic distribution of this book or the facilitation of such without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Any member of educational institutions wishing to photocopy part or all of the work for classroom use, or anthology, should send inquiries to Grove/Atlantic, Inc., 841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 or ermissions@groveatlantic.com.
Published simultaneously in Canada
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Donleavy, J. P. (James Patrick), 1926–
The ginger man.
I. Title.
PS3507.0686G56 1988 813'.54 88-3417
ISBN 978-0-8021-9816-7 (ebook)
Grove Press
an imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Distributed by Publishers Group West
www.groveatlantic.com
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
THE
GINGER
MAN
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1
Today a rare sun of spring. And horse carts clanging to the quays down Tara Street and the shoeless white faced kids screaming.
O'Keefe comes in and climbs up on a stool. Wags his knapsack around on his back and looks at Sebastian Dangerfield.
"Those tubs are huge over there. First bath for two months. I'm getting more like the Irish every day. Like going on the subway in the States, you go through a turnstile." on the subway in the States, you go through a "Did you go first or third class, Kenneth ?"
"First. I broke my ass washing my underwear and in those damn rooms in Trinity nothing will dry. In the end I sent my towel to the laundry. Back at Harvard I could nip into a tiled shower and dive into nice clean underwear"
"What will you have to drink, Kenneth ? "
"Who's paying?"
"Just been to visit my broker with an electric fire"
"Then buy me a cider. Does Marion know you've hocked the fire?"
"She's away. Took Felicity with her to visit her parents. On the moors in Scotland. I think the Balscaddoon was getting her down. Scrabbling on the ceiling and groans from under the floor."
"What's it like out there? Does it freeze your balls?"
"Come out Stay for the weekend. Not much in the way of food but you're welcome to whatever I've got"
"Which is nothing."
"I wouldn't put it that way."
"I would. Since I've arrived here everything has been down and these guys at Trinity think I'm loaded with dough. They think the G.L Bill means I crap dollars or a diarrhea of dimes. You get your check ? "
"Going to see about it Monday."
"If mine doesn't come, I'll croak. And you're saddled with a wife and child. Wow. But at least you get it steady. And I've never got it at all. Any loose women out there on Howth?"
"I'll keep a watch."