ALBANY CYCLE BOOK 1: BILLY PHELAN'S GREATEST GAME; IRONWEED; VERY OLD BONES

ALBANY CYCLE BOOK 1: BILLY PHELAN'S GREATEST GAME; IRONWEED; VERY OLD BONES by WILLIAM KENNEDY. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780743221023.

William Kennedys ALBANY CYCLE is one of the greatest and most enjoyable achievements of post-war American literature. In Albany, New York, William Kennedy has made a crucible to test the American dream. His novels, which range from the middle of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth, bubble and crack with the energy of Irish immigrants trying to take the main chance in the land of opportunity. Francis Phelan is, alongside Legs Diamond, William Kennedys greatest character. Ex-ball player, latterly a bum, lush and hardcase, he is central to these three Albany novels: father to the pool shark Billy who struggles with his legacy of violence and self-glorification (BILLY PHELANS GREATEST GAME); brother to artist Peter whose paintings explore the dark corners of his family history, including Franciss life (VERY OLD BONES); and antihero of Pulitzer Prize winning IRONWEED, in which Phelan returns to Albany at the end of the Depression, roaming the familiar streets with hi