"Bad reviews are always written by bad writers."

- J.P. Donleavy

This index serves as a bibliographical reference with a key that marks how favorable or unfavorable the review may have been. The review index is in chronological order according to publication date of the title; reviews themselves are in chronological order (when that information is available) under each heading, otherwise in no particular order per heading. As with all the data on this site, this is a work in progress and will be updated from time to time.

Key for reviews is as follows: (+) = favorable review; (-) = unfavorable; (~) = mixed; (?) = unread or reference ambiguous or too incomplete to draw a conclusion.

Review Index by Book Title

The Ginger Man
A Singular Man
Meet My Maker the Mad Molecule
The Saddest Summer of Samuel S
A Fairy Tale of New York
The Onion Eaters
The Plays of J.P. Donleavy
The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B
The Unexpurgated Code
The Destinies of Darcy Dancer, Gentleman
Leila
That Darcy, That Dancer, That Gentleman
A Singular Country
J.P. Donleavy's Ireland
De Alfonce Tennis
Schultz
Are You Listening Rabbi Low
The History of The Ginger Man
The Lady Who Liked Clean Rest Rooms
An Author and His Image
Wrong Information is Being Given out at Princeton

THE GINGER MAN
Truth - Peter Shaffer, Jan. 1957 (+)
The Listener - 1957 (+)
Time - June 2, 1958 (-)
Esquire - Dorothy Parker, July, 1958 (+)
The National Review - William F. Buckley, 1958 (-)
The Guardian (+)
The Spectator - V.S. Nalpaul (+)
New Left Review - Norm Fruchter, March-April, 1961 (+)
The New York Times Book Review - Norman Podhoretz (+)
The Evening Standard (+)
Newsweek, Nov. 11, 1964 (+)
Master Plots II - Coilin Owens, Jan. 1, 1987 (+)
Master Plots II - Michael Adams, April 1, 1987 (-)
The New York World Telegram (+)
The Los Angeles Mirror and News (+)
Saturday Review - Granville Hicks (+)
The Nation - Vivian Mercier (+)
The Times (+)
Time Out (+)
New York Herald Tribune - John K. Hutchens (+)
The New Yorker (+)
Joseph Heller (+)
The Observer (+)
The London Times Literary Supplement (+)
The New Statesman (+)
The New York World Telegram (+)
USA Today - Karen Thomas, April 11, 1995 (+)
GQ (England) - Jon Wilde (+)
The New York Times (Books) - Mel Gussow, June 27, 2000 (+)
The New Leader (-)
The Guardian Review - James Campbell, June 26, 2004 (+)
The Irish Examiner, - John Daly, May 21, 2005 (+)
The Philadelphia Weekly - Fergie, December 14, 2005 (+)
The Boston Globe - Jack Keohane, February 19, 2006 (+)
Amazon.com (search under Donleavy - The Ginger Man)
many reviews; some by pros, others by readers (mostly good; some eejits) (+)

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A SINGULAR MAN
The National Observer - Hunter S. Thompson, November 11, 1963 (+)
Newsweek - November 11, 1963 (+)
Time - November 22, 1963 (+)
The New Yorker - Renata Adler, May 16, 1964 (+)
Bookman - David Holloway (+)
The Guardian - Anthony Burgess (+)
The Dallas Times Herald (+)
The Houston Post (+)
The Boston Herald (+)
The Sunday Times (London) - Robert Baldick (+)
The New York Times Book Review (+)
The New York Herald Tribune (+)
Playboy (+)
The Chicago Tribune (+)
The Village Voice (+)
The National Observer (+)
The Daily Telegraph (+)
The Washington D.C. Star (+)
The New Leader (-)
Amazon.com (search under Donleavy - A Singular Man
- reviews  by readers - mostly good. (+)

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MEET MY MAKER THE MAD MOLECULE
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, - Ron Goulart Jan. 1965 (?)
Bookweek (+)
Newsweek (+)
The New York Times Book Review (+)
New Yorker (+)
Los Angeles Times (+)

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THE SADDEST SUMMER OF SAMUEL S
Newsweek - March 21, 1966 (+)
New Yorker - October 15, 1966 (+)
Time - (+)
The New York Times Book Review (+)
Chicago American (+)
The National Observer (+)
Boston Sunday Globe (+)

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A FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK
Time - October 29, 1973 (~)
The Harvard Crimson - Lewis Clayton, November 10, 1973 (~)
The Atlantic Monthly - Phoebe Adams (+)
The Guardian (+)
The Spectator (+)
The Sunday Times (London) (+)
The Washington Post (+)
The Kansas City Star (+)
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (+)
The Philadelphia Bulletin (+)
The Economist (+)
The New Yorker (+)
Library Journal (+)
Publishers Weekly (+)
Book World (+)
The San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle (+)

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THE ONION EATERS
The Times Literary Supplement - July 23, 1971 (-)
Spectator (+)
San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle (+)
Baltimore Sun (+)
Women's Wear Daily - Bob Spector (+)
Chicago News (+)
Time (+)
Boston Globe (+)

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THE PLAYS OF J.P. DONLEAVY (US)
J.P. DONLEAVY - THE PLAYS (UK)
Daily Express (+)
Kenneth Tyan (+)
The Times (+)

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THE BEASTLY BEATITUDES OF BALTHAZAR B
Newsweek - Howard Junker, Nov. 18, 1968 (+)
Saturday Review  (+)
Atlantic Monthly (+)
The New York Times Book Review (~)
Life Magazine (+)
Time Magazine (+)
Joseph Heller (+)
The New Leader (+)
The New Republic (+)
The Guardian (+)
New Yorker (+)
Library Journal (+)
Houston Chronicle (+)
Kansas City Star (+)
Philadelphia Bulletin (+)
Newsday - Sally Eckhoff, 1998 (+)
Amazon.com (search under Donleavy - The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B) - reviews  by readers (+)

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THE UNEXPURGATED CODE
Atlantic Monthly - Richard Todd [Best Work of Nonfiction by a Novelist and Funniest Book of the Year '75] (+)
Newsweek - Arthur Cooper, September 15, 1975 (+)
Time - Melvin Maddocks, September 22, 1975 (+)
The New York Times Book Review - John Leonard (+)
Boston Globe (+)
Baltimore News American (+)
Providence Journal (+)
People Magazine (+)
The Guardian (+)
Houston Chronicle (+)
The New York Times Book Review - John Leonard (+)
The Austin Chronicle - Mike Shea, Jan. 7, 2000 (+)
Amazon.com (search under Donleavy - The Unexpurgated Code -  reviews  by readers (+)

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THE DESTINIES OF DARCY DANCER, GENTLEMAN
Harper's - December 1977 (+)
The Atlantic Monthly - E.S.D., December, 1977 (+)
Time - Paul Gray, November 14, 1977 (~)
Eire-Ireland 13.4 -James Cahalan, (Winter) 1978 (+)
The Antioch Review - Ken Lawless, Winter, 1978 Issue (+)
Listener (+)
Booklist (+)
The New Yorker (+)
The Los Angeles Times (+)
The Chicago Tribune (+)
The Financial Times (+)
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (+)
London Magazine - John Mellors, July 1978 (+)
The Guardian (+)
The Houston Chronicle (+)
Publishers' Weekly (+)
Vogue (+)
The New York Times Book Review (+)
Amazon.com (search under Donleavy - The Destinies of Darcy Dancer, Gentleman - reviews by readers (+)

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LEILA: FURTHER IN THE LIFE AND DESTINIES OF DARCY DANCER, GENTLEMAN
The Financial Times (+)
The New York Times Book Review (+)

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A SINGULAR COUNTRY
Publishers Weekly - March 30, 1990 (+)
The New York Times (Travel) - Colin Thubron, Dec. 2, 1990 (+)
Harper's Bazaar - Kent Black (+)
The Listener (+)
The Guardian (+)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Colleen Kelly Warren (+)

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J.P. DONLEAVY'S IRELAND IN ALL OF HER SINS AND SOME OF HER GRACES
Publishers Weekly - Amanda Smith, October 31, 1986 (+)
The Chicago Sun-Times - Connie Fletcher, November 9, 1986 (+)
The Times - Peter Ackroyd (+)
Observer - Roy Foster (+)
Irish Times - Deaglán de Bréadún (+)
Literary Review - Stan Gebler Davis (+)
The Standard - Jeanne Crowley (+)
Country Life - Dervla Murphy (+)
The Guardian - Stanley Reynolds (+)

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DE ALFONCE TENNIS
The Atlantic Monthly - Phoebe-Lou Adams, May 1985 (-)
The Times - Nicholas Shakespeare (+)
Sunday Times (+)
Observer - Valentine Cunningham (+)
The London Times (+)
The London Standard (+)
Punch (+)
The London Morning Telegraph (+)

SCHULTZ
Playboy (+)
Chicago Sun-Times (+)
Nashville Tennessean (+)
The State, Columbia S.C. (+)
The Observer (+)
Daily Express (+)

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ARE YOU LISTENING RABBI LOW
The Times (+)
Sunday Times (London) (+)
The London Financial Times (+)
The London Telegraph Sunday Magazine (+)
The New York Times - Michiko Kakutani (-)
Jewish Chronicle (+)

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THE HISTORY OF THE GINGER MAN
Booklist - Alice Joyce (+)
Daily Telegraph - Grey Gowrie (+)
The Observer - John Naughton (+)
The Sunday Express - Frank Delaney (+)
Cork Examiner - Chuck Kruger (+)
Sunday Times - Humphrey Carpenter (+)
Gannet News Service - William Dunn (+)
Publisher's Weekly (+)
The Times Literary Supplement - Phil Baker (+)
Library Journal (+)
Kirkus Reviews - March 1, 1994 (~)
Newsday - Paul D. Colford, March 17, 1994 (+)
Irish Voice - Colin Lacey, March 29, 1994 (+)
GQ - Thomas Mallon, April 1994 (~)
Playboy, May, 1994 (+)
Los Angeles Times Book Review, May 1, 1994 (+)
The Irish Times - Patrick Skene Catling, June 4, 1994 (+)

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THE LADY WHO LIKED CLEAN REST ROOMS
Kirkus Review - April 15, 1997 (+)
Los Angeles Times - Susan Salter Reynolds, June 27, 1997 (+)
The Washington Post - Jonathan Yardley, July 9, 1997 (~)
The New York Times Book Review - Nina Sonenberg, July 13, 1997 (+)
Sunday Telegraph (+)
Mail on Sunday (+)
Publishers Weekly - (+)
Irish Independent (+)
American Way (+)
The Washington Times (+)
The Economist (-)
The Dallas Morning News (+)
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution - Carolyn Nizzi Warmbold (+)
Booklist - Jim O' Laughlin (+)
Amazon.com (search under Donleavy - The Lady Who Liked Clean Rest Rooms) - reviews  by readers (+)

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AN AUTHOR AND HIS IMAGE
The Daily Telegraph - Nicholas Mosley, Aug. 23, 1997 (+)

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WRONG INFORMATION IS BEING GIVEN OUT AT PRINCETON
The Sunday Telegraph - Peter Buckman, March 15, 1998 (+)
Publishers Weekly - Oct. 12, 1998 (~)
The Los Angeles Times - Susan Salter Reynolds, Dec. 27, 1998 (+)
Rain Taxi (+)
Booklist (+)
Kirkus Review (+)
Evening Herald (+)
Mail on Sunday (+)
The Daily Telegraph - David Profumo, March 21, 1998 (~)
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution - David Kirby, Dec. 20, 1998 (-)
The Palm Beach Post - Scott Eyman, Jan. 17, 1999 (-)
The Dallas Morning News - Lee Milazzo, March 21, 1999 (+)
San Francisco Chronicle - Paul Di Filippo, Aug. 8, 1999 (+)
Amazon.com (search under Donleavy - Wrong Information is Being Given Out at Princeton) - reviews  by readers (+)

To purchase books by J.P. Donleavy, go to the Buyers' Guide.