The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice-Cream God (Loyola Classics) [Paperback]

John R. Powers (Author)

Book Description

Series: Loyola Classics | Publication Date: October 1, 2006

All religions have worked hard to give you the impression that I’m a stiff; the kind of guy you’d never invite to a party. . . . I like laughter and the people who do it; from the twitterers to the chucklers to those whose laughter roars out in a gallop of explosions. To me, laughter is taking a bite out of life and saying, “Just right.”
 Signed: God

 

Clever yet cynical Tim Conroy, a failed idealist with a chip on his shoulder, is unable to find a secure place for himself in 1960s South Side Chicago. He narrates his bittersweet struggles with God, sex, career, and education in a voice that evokes an Irish Catholic Holden Caulfield. This poignant, skillfully told tale concludes John R. Powers’s memorable coming-of-age trilogy that includes The Last Catholic in America and Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

The concluding novel in John R. Powers’s memorable trilogy set in mid-twentieth century South Side Chicago is the poignant tale of an ambitious and gifted young man from a blue-collar neighborhood who struggles to find his place in a world that seems riddled with insincerity. He narrates his bittersweet battles with God, sex, career, and family in a voice that evokes an Irish-Catholic Holden Caufield. The first two novels in Powers’s trilogy have also been reissued in the Loyola Classics series.
 

From the Back Cover

All religions have worked hard to give you the impression that I’m a stiff; the kind of guy you’d never invite to a party. . . . I like laughter and the people who do it; from the twitterers to the chucklers to those whose laughter roars out in a gallop of explosions. To me, laughter is taking a bite out of life and saying, “Just right.”
Signed: God

Clever yet cynical Tim Conroy, a failed idealist with a chip on his shoulder, is unable to find a secure place for himself in 1960s South Side Chicago. He narrates his bittersweet struggles with God, sex, career, and education in a voice that evokes an Irish Catholic Holden Caulfield. This poignant, skillfully told tale concludes John R. Powers’s memorable coming-of-age trilogy that includes The Last Catholic in America and Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Loyola Classics; First Edition, First edition (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0829424296
• ISBN-13: 978-0829424294
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Book You've Got To Read, April 22, 2002

By 

Sherilyn Herkey (Streamwood (Chicago), Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God (Paperback)

I just received a hardcopy of the original book from a used bookseller...Over the years I've read and reread this book and purchased every copy that I've happened to come across. I usually end up giving my copies away to others. This is the coming of age story of a young boy named Conroy and his discovery of what life really is, and what life really means or should mean. Conroy questions his Catholic teachers and nuns (and no, you don't have to be Catholic to understand or even be interested in his story). Luckily, along the way Conroy finds someone who really understands what life is all about. It's through Conroy's life and his relationship with "Caepan" through which we laugh, think, and cry. This book gets to me every time. If you ever own only one book, trust me, this is the book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I could give this book 10 stars, I would!, February 27, 2007

By 

J. Andriso - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice-Cream God (Loyola Classics) (Paperback)

It's about time that this novel has been reprinted. I bought this book about 25 years ago. In that time, I've read it about 15 times. I cry every time I get to the last chapter. Do yourself a favor. When you buy this book, and you will, buy all of the others in the series. You can't go wrong.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still Thumps the Heart After Many Years, December 10, 2005

By 

C. Morgan Hunt (Ashland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God (Paperback)

I read this book when it first came out, and I've re-read it several times since. It never fails to touch me with its innocence, humanity, and humor. If John Powers were my neighbor, I'd bring him a homemade pie!