It was a case of ‘Back where it all began’ in The Pavillion Bar at Trinity College, Dublin last Friday, 17 July, as The Ginger Man celebrated its 60th anniversary with the launch of a special commemorative edition of the world-renowned book.
The book’s author, J.P. Donleavy, who resides at Levington Park on the shores of Lough Owel, was greeted with rapturous applause as he took his seat for the evening’s proceedings.
Anthony Farrell of the Lilliput Press welcomed all of those present, with visitors travelling from around the world for the special launch.
The highlight of the evening came in the form of tributes from author, Donal Ryan, who in true wit, described growing up in rural Tipperary and encountering the world of Sebastian Dangerfield, the lead character in The Ginger Man.
“Captain Ahab, Holden Caulfield and Leopold Bloom, were all welcome in my parents house, but Sebastian Dangerfield, was just too bould!” he enthused.
“The Ginger Man was banned in my home until 1992. I was sixteen when I first read it, and I learned lots of things!”
Analysing The Ginger Man, Ryan described how the book could fill the mind of its reader with great humour.
“My reading of J.P. Donleavy’s beautiful, dark, hilarious, book had left with me a greater understanding of the power that can be unleashed through certain arrangements of the letters of the alphabet. The Ginger Man it seemed was a thing that defined the fundamental laws of nature; these benign, inert, paper pages and marks of ink could swell and ignite and supernova and fill that dark and infinite place, the human mind, with light.”
In his concluding words, Ryan spoke of how he believes The Ginger Man, which has sold over 40 million copies since its publication in 1955, will continues to entertain its readers.
“The Ginger Man never seems to leave its readers. It never faded as works of art sometimes can, its echo increases in volume with time and is heard across this world of words in which we live. It’s never been out of print and I doubt it ever will be. Thanks to Anthony Farrell and the Lilliput Press for giving us this beautiful edition and thanks to J.P. Donleavy for giving us this book of unnatural magnificence.
