Appointment in Samarra was written by American writer John O'Hara. Published in 1934, this once controversial body of work was O'Hara's first novel.
O'Hara's inspiration for Appointment in Samarra is said to have been sparked by W. Somerset Maugham. Maugham, a British novelist and playwright, wrote a play entitled Sheppey, which debuted the year before the publication of Appointment in Samarra. It is in this play that Maugham retold an old Mesopotamian tale about a marketplace merchant meeting Death. O'Hara then used Maugham's retelling of this tale as a basis for his own novel.
In the years that followed, O'Hara penned a series of novels, screenplays, plays, short stories, and nonfiction works. O'Hara's stories often focused upon sensational topics such as alcohol, class, money, and human relations. His raw and often realistic portrayal of the wealthy members of society helped to set him apart from his contemporaries.
Although it is often argued that O'Hara did not get the credit or recognition he deserved for his work, a number of his pieces were adapted for film.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Henry-OHara
https://www.britannica.com/biography/W-Somerset-Maugham
Thursday, June 13, 2013
What are O'Hara's other works like Appointment in Samarra?
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