Banquet before dawn [Hardcover]

Warren Adler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1976

After serving his Brooklyn district for many years, Congressman Sullivan discovers that his once comfortable Irish American majority has given way to a diverse district of blacks and Hispanics. Challenged by a more liberal opponent and desperate to maintain his seat, he painfully learns that he and his views are outdated and irrelevant. But "Sully" won't bow out gracefully, and the fierce ensuing campaign brings new insights to the meaning of democracy and the terrors implicit in this swiftly changing world.

This compelling and insightful story of a political last hurrah transcends politics and puts a human face on the workings of the American democratic system.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A rough and lusty look at local politics that commands attention." -- Patricia O'Haire, New York Daily News --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

After serving his Brooklyn district for many years, Congressman John J. O'Sullivan discovers that his once comfortable Irish American majority has given way to a diverse district of blacks and Hispanics. Challenged by a more liberal opponent, he tries everything possible to maintain his seat only to painfully learn that he and his views are outdated and irrelevant to today's world. But Sully doesn't bow out of the race gracefully, and the fierce ensuing campaign brings new insights to the meaning of democracy and the terrors of a swiftly changing world. If, as it is said, all politics are local, this compelling story transcends politics and puts a human face on how the American democratic system really operates. Unforgettable characters and a powerful plot offer a remarkable and tense story of how tragic endings affect new beginnings. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 255 pages
• Publisher: Putnam (1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399116427
• ISBN-13: 978-0399116421
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,950,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Warren Adler is a world-renowned novelist, short story writer and playwright. His 32 novels and story collections have been translated into more than 25 languages and two of his novels, The War of the Roses and Random Hearts, have been made into enormously popular movies, shown continually throughout the world.

Three short stories from his acclaimed collection, The Sunset Gang, have been adapted as a trilogy and shown repeatedly on the Public Television network.

Mr. Adler's blogs appear regularly in the Huffington Post and other sites throughout the world and his short stories appear in numerous anthologies.

Mr. Adler is a pioneer in electronic publishing. He was one of the first authors to acquire his complete backlist and to convert his entire library to digital publishing formats.

A product of the New York public school system, Mr. Adler graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School and New York University, where he majored in English literature. In 2009, he was honored by being chosen "Alumni of the Year" at NYU's School of Arts and Science. He has taught novel writing at honors seminars at NYU.

After graduating from New York University with a degree in English literature, Mr. Adler worked for the New York Daily News before becoming Editor of the Queens Post, a prize winning weekly newspaper on Long Island. His column, "Pepper on the Side," became a staple of a number of newspapers in the country.

During the Korean War, after basic training, he was recruited by Armed Forces Press Service to serve in the Pentagon as the only Washington Correspondent for the service. His Washington by-line went all over the world and was published in every publication put out by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An honest tale of a politician in changing times, August 7, 2011

By 

MHV "MHV" (Amsterdam) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Banquet Before Dawn (Paperback)

Actor Jason Robards once expressed his desire to play the lead part of Banquet Before Dawn if it ever made it to the big screen. How wonderful this might have been: Robards giving one more grand performance as Congressman Sullivan in his last struggle for the love of the voter. There's a great story in Banquet Before Dawn -- Robards saw it well. So how does this novel by Warren Adler suit the ordinary reader like you and me? (To know your reviewer: in general I'm a reader of both serious works by authors such as J.M. Coetzee and J.G. Ballard, and purely entertaining works by authors such as Warren Adler, Simenon.) First of all I enjoyed the way the main character is portrayed: an old Congressman who finds himself in a new era. He's from another time and he finds himself unable to to connect with the new generations of the 1970s (Banquet Before Dawn was originally published in 1976) that live in his district. When he goes out to shake hands, the average reply he gets sounds like: "No comprendo." That's tough. To add to his feelings of disorientation in a changing world there are private difficulties of marriage and love. Then a new opponent arrives, young, energetic and in touch with the changing population. Should he fight or retire? I was mesmerized by his situation, his old, trusted world falling apart and nothing to replace it. One man goes with the flow and retires, the other man stays put. Sullivan stays put. For me it was also an interesting look into the American world of "campaigning", with its banquets and press conferences and gatherings. Adler even cooks up some surprises and serious life threatening situations that suit the story. Congressman Sullivan is now one of those literary friends I remember fondly, in spite of all his faults.