infantilism – the erotic visions of a hobbledehoy behind the barn." Most of O'Hara's descriptions of sexuality are indirect: "There was the time Elinor Holloway ... shinnied half way up the flagpole while five young gentlemen, standing at the foot of the pole, verified the suspicion that Elinor, who had not always lived in Gibbsville, was not naturally, or at least not entirely, a blonde." However, passages like the following were quite unusual for the time: Awards In 2011, the book was placed on Time magazine's list of top 100 novels written in English since 1923. References 1934 American novels Novels by John O'Hara Samarra Fiction about suicide Novels set in Pennsylvania 1934 debut novels