Billy Phelan's Greatest GameThe Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ironweed explores the seedy underbelly of a Depression-era town in the second novel in the Albany cycle Billy Phelan, a slightly tarnished poker player, pool hustler, and small-time bookie, moves throuh the lurid nighttime glare of Albany, New York. A resourceful man full of Irish pluck, Billy works the fringes of the city's sporting life with his own particular style and private code of honor, until he finds himself in the dangerous position of potential go-between in the kidnapping of a political boss’s son. In relating Billy's fall from underworld grace and his storybook redemption, Kennedy captures the seamy underside of a brassy, sweaty city that would prefer to pretend that the Depression doesn't exist. William Kennedy’s Albany Cycle of novels reflect what he once described as the fusion of his imagination with a single place. A native and longtime resident of Albany, New York, his work moves from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, chronicling family life, the city’s netherworld, and its spheres of power—financial, ethnic, political—often among the Irish-Americans who dominated the city in this period. The novels in his cycle include, Legs, Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game, Ironweed, Quinn’s Book, Very Old Bones, The Flaming Corsage, and Roscoe. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
ain't Albany Angie ball Becker's beer Billy asked Billy looked Billy Phelan Billy saw Billy's Bindy Bindy's bitch Broadway bucks Charlie Boy Charlie McCall Chick Colonie Street Curry Daddy Big Damon Runyon Daniel Quinn dead dollars door drink Edward Daugherty Emory eyes face father Footers Francis Francis Phelan front George George Raft goddamn gone gonna hand Harmanus Bleecker Harv Harvey heard hell Jake kidnapping knew Legs Diamond Lemon Maloy Martin Daugherty Melissa morning Morrie Berman Morrie's mother moved never Newark Nick night numbers paper Patsy McCall Patsy's Paul Whiteman Pearl Street pimp play pulled remember rumor Scotty Slopie smiled stood story sucker talk tell There's thing Times-Union told tonight took town walked watched What's window Yeah