Rating: 
Summary: Studs Yawn-again
Review: An aimless work of stark realism, "Studs Lonigan" has the distinction of being one of the earliest Irish American bildungsromans, a trilogy of novels covering the later half of its title character's life from his grammar school graduation in 1916 to his ignominious death in the depths of the Great Depression. In between there's a lot of drinking, fighting, singing, grumbling, praying, implied swearing and sexual activity, bad prose, and not much else.William "Studs" Lonigan is an archetypal boy growing up in a tough working-class Irish neighborhood in Chicago's south side. The oldest of four children, Studs is a lazy student and, despite his mother's wish for him to enter the priesthood, flounders in high school and wastes his time hanging out in poolrooms and getting in scraps, ultimately going to work for his father's painting company. Farrell successfully turns the Chicago neighborhoods into interesting fictional settings, but he never manages to elevate Studs and his boorish friends above the flatness and dullness of negative stereotypes. Farrell paints a candid, savage portrait of racism and bigotry in the Irish American enclave. There is a genuine fear of blacks moving into and taking over their neighborhoods, and a distrust of Jews as real estate agents who are orchestrating this migration and as "international bankers" who have sunk America into its Depression. To be fair, these sentiments are not unanimous among the Irish characters in the book, but they constitute a world view expressed by Studs's financially embattled father and shared by many sympathizers. The book's prose matches its protagonist: simple, gritty, and slovenly. Farrell writes in the third person, but the voice is Studs's; the young man's thoughts concerning life, love, and sex are of the most basic. The third novel of the trilogy, "Judgment Day," is the best, in which the writing matures with Studs as he becomes engaged to a nice girl, worries about his weak heart and his inability to stop smoking, and struggles to find lucrative work during the draconian economic times. Here the book also achieves a sort of dramatic crescendo, as general anxiety about the Depression, panic over closing banks and plunging stocks, and paranoia over "Reds" combine with the ominous state of Studs's health in a nightmare of Dreiseresque misery. The book has some fine passages, but my overall opinion is lukewarm at best. The simplistic prose, although maybe a stylistic necessity, is no fun when it is used at such length to document a life as uneventful as Studs's; given the clownishness of the violent scenes, at times it's like reading a comic book without the pictures. The book doesn't seem to have any purpose other than to introduce an Irish milieu into the American literary canon -- it certainly doesn't bother to give Studs's life any purpose -- and that just isn't enough to sustain a 900-page novel.
Rating: 
Summary: wahhhhh
Review: As the trilogy opens in 1916 Chicago, young Studs Lonigan is a horny lazy 15 year old anti-Semite racist punk. Over the course of this and the succeeding volumes, we watch him brawl, drink, smoke & carouse his way to an early grave. Yeah? Whooptyflip. It's supposed to be about how hard it is to be an American Irish Catholic; a point that might have had greater weight had not a young man of Stud's generation been rising towards the Presidency even as Farrell whined. Start with an author in the thrall of Dreiser and Anderson, add in the influence of both Proust and Joyce, and you have one of the least interesting, most technically annoying books on the list. (...) Grade: D
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful urban realism
Review: Farrell's groundbreaking work is perhaps the best example of American naturalism that we have. It is the story of the rather brief life of the working class Irish protagonist, Studs, who grows up and comes to manhood on the South Side of Chicago. Studs lives through poverty and the Depression, but not without paying a terrible psychic price. Through a relentless piling up of detail, Farrell is able to convincingly present his thesis, that social, political, cultural, and most of all economic forces conspire to decisively shape human character and choice. The novel unflinchingly portrays the violence, chauvanism, and racism that pervades the lives of Studs and his friends. They despise those more privileged than themselves, have complete contempt for women, and fiercely distrust anyone from outside their neighborhood, particularly those with a different skin color. They wear their toughness with pride and have no patience for expressions of sensitivity or remorse. Yet from the opening chapter, Farrell takes pains to show that the young Lonigan is not immune to feelings of tenderness and even love. His portrayal of Studs' romantic adolescent longing for Lucy is convincing and touching, and the author's presentation of it early in the book makes more convincing his documentation of Studs' progressively hardening view of life. Another key element of the trilogy is its sketching of a character increasingly dwarfed by forces beyond his control and understanding. In one key scene, Studs, close to despair as he feels his life slipping away from him, stands by the shores of Lake Michigan and watches the waves pound against the rocks. It's a beautifully naturalistic scene: Farrell uses the images of real life to create symbols of Studs' feelings of helplessness in a world he doesn't understand. The trilogy is primarily about loss. Farrell, I believe, felt that it was difficult for boys like Studs to escape their fate, but he did not feel it was impossible. What was required was character of a sterner stuff than Studs possessed. Studs comes to stand for a generation that wasted its potential on alcohol, petty crime, and on a foolish pursuit of the quick buck. Where imagination was required to dream up a world different than the one to which he was born, Studs settled for the here and now, and it cost him dearly. "Studs Lonigan" takes the reader into a world that Farrell knew firsthand. He makes you live in the world of doomed youth and refuses to pull any punches, right up until the last page has been turned.
Rating:
Summary: An American Masterpiece
Review: I have often heard it said that Studs Lonnigan is not art, that it is too true to life and that true art is not this realistic. According to the deprecators of the book, true art shows the artist's interpretation of life. How utterly and totally wrong that this book did not display the writer's deep understanding of human nature. Studs Lonnigan is reality. There is no doubt about that, but the author is not merely just mindlessly repeating conversations and actions which he himself has heard and seen. He is also displaying his deep understanding of the motivations of all this vast assortment of characters. The moral emptiness of these people disturbed him tremendously and thus their dialogue, attitudes, and mannerisms were etched into his memory. These are middle-class people, attending church regularly, attending church-sponsored schools and yet none of these things raise an ounce of moral awareness in their souls. Studs and his friends laughingly kick the feet out from under an inebriated elderly man and laugh as his skull cracks and bleeds on the sidewalk. Farrell didn't just see the words and actions of these people, like a court reporter reading her minutes. He said here are the words and actions of these people and this is what it means. Farrell not only shows the moral vacuousness but suggests a solution - Communism. A system of government which supposedly imposes upon its citizen, a constant recognition that the welfare of all citizens must be a consideration to each citizen. Although this idea has a lot of merit, I think that for reasons far too complex to elaborate upon here, that we have already seen that it produces governments more morally depraved than the capitalism upon which America is based. Despite my disagreement with Farrell regarding the solution to the lack of moral awareness of these people, I still feel that Studs Lonnigan is an extraordinarily powerful study of human nature.
Rating:
Summary: When a Lot Amounts to Very Little....
Review: I spent about a month and a half slogging my way through James T. Farrell's magnum opus, and the most pressing question I was left with after finishing was this: What in the world did Farrell find interesting enough about this protagonist to warrant an entire trilogy devoted to him? Studs Lonigan is born into a fairly well-to-do Irish Catholic family in Chicago and spends the majority of his formative years trying to convince himself that he's the toughest kid on the block and will amount to something big before his time on Earth is through. He has a cockeyed impression of what it is that makes a man a man and so, scene after scene, we see him beating up people, sleeping around, contracting venereal diseases, getting so shnookered that he has to be dumped off at home by friends and generally making an ass of himself. In between scenes like these, we are exposed to the strict Catholic rhetoric pounded into the heads of the neighborhood youth and understand that Studs' behavior leaves him with extreme feelings of guilt, though that guilt doesn't cause him to act differently. By the trilogy's end, Studs has decided that maybe he should straighten out and take life more seriously, but of course by then his self-destructiveness has taken its toll and Studs' turn around comes as too little too late. Can someone tell me why the hell I should care about any of the above? Studs is a jerk; he's rarely anything else. He spends most of his time feeling sorry for himself and whining about all the bad breaks that befall him, when obviously he has dug his own hole and must suffer the consequences. I suppose that's Farrell's point; I think he was trying to make a comment about down-trodden groups having to help themselves before anyone else will help them. But an entire novel built around someone who has no self-control and then spends countless scenes whining about why he feels so lousy, or is broke, or doesn't have a girlfriend, is doomed to be tedious. Farrell's writing style doesn't help matters. His prose is SO repetitive. This is especially apparent in his dialogue, where characters in conversation will literally say the same thing over and over, turning what should be a half-page exchange into three and four pages of tediousness. Only occassionally does this book become interesting. Some of the details surrounding the Depression and especially the Irish attitudes toward Communism are particularly engaging. Otherwise, there wasn't much that kept my interest. I have a feeling Farrell was frustrated with the isolated, extremely religious community the Irish relegated themselves to in the first third of the 20th century and blames that isolation for their lack of progress. They put all of their faith in God and refuse to do anything to help themselves. They complain about how the country takes advantage of the working man, but they refuse to attempt an understanding of Communist doctrine because they've been told by priests that Communists want anarchy and are anti-God and country. They even keep distant from university educations because the priests are afraid people will begin to get ideas of their own and realize that their religious beliefs are built on nothing but sand. I guess Studs is meant to be a sort of illustration of this environment in general, but Farrell really misses the opportunity to drive his points home.
Rating: 
Summary: A Chicago Native Reflects On Studs Lonigan
Review: I will leave it to others to give you a synopsis of the trilogy. My purpose is to dispel some misperceptions regarding Lonigan and his community. First, the neighborhood of Studs Lonigan was middle class. Lonigan's family ( as many others in the neighborhood) had moved there from working class, immigrant neighborhoods to the northwest. The Washington Park neighborhood of Studs' time was on the way up. Likewise, the residents saw themselves that way. This fact alone makes Studs more of a tragic figure,in my opinion. He DID have advantages (economically,socially) due to his environment but squandered them. Second, a point Farrell makes about this upwardly mobile Irish community is that they are really not better than the blacks who move in to the community, displacing them. They do not possess a higher moral ground exclusive of other racial or ethnic groups. I think putting the people in the context of place and time, this trilogy is really about the deterioration of communities (families, neighborhoods)that truly lack soul and spirit. I would strongly recommend reading the works of Edgar Marquess Branch, a Chicagoan and Farrell scholar. As a personal note, for a number of years I lived and worked in areas adjacent to where the actions occur. You can still see some landmarks mentioned in the novels. If in Chicago, your enjoyment of the story would be enhanced by visiting the areas around Washington Park. Note that the areas are undergoing economic renewal. You may see long-abandoned buildings standing next to recently rehabilitated ones.
Rating:
Summary: Character Development at its Finest
Review: If you are looking for a plot driven story, then this may not satisfy. However, if you do not approach the story with the same kind of expectations you might bring to a work of popular fiction, Farrell maintains a high level of interest. I believe Studs Lonigan is one of the most developed characters in twentieth century American fiction. I am especially impressed that this depiction comes across so strongly without the aid of contrived catastrophes that land on the character from out of the blue. Although Studs is affected by his environment, it is still possible to trace the turns his life takes to sources within his own personality. These sources determine him as often as they are determined by him. I found him to be neither beneath nor above me. I can't say the book is exciting so much as extremely moving. Either way, I was turning the pages late into the night.Definately a book I will remember all my life.
Rating:
Summary: One Of A Kind Masterpiece
Review: Many a person may be intimidated by the length of this great work of literature, and never take the time to read it. Do not be one of those unfortunate souls. This book is truly not to be missed. While pieces of the book focus on depression era politics and problems (for a more detailed analysis of the plot, see Mike O Farrell's review below), the themes that run throughout this novel have been with us since the very beginning of time. At its heart, this story is about a young man who has always imagined greatness for himself. He lives deep inside the recesses of his own mind (as we all do) and accordingly finds it hard to believe that he is not unique, somehow different from all of his friends, family, and acquaintances. James T. Farrell's tragedy unfolds as Studs slowly comes to realize that he is just another guy, making his own way through this life and trying to make just a little bit of sense out of it all. If you have come to literature to find some answers, this is probably not your book. Like all great novelists, Farrell is simply showing you the way he sees things, and bringing up enough raw material from the detritus of life to make you stop, and think, and wonder.
Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: Not since Dreiser's, "An American Tragedy", have I read a book that described the spiritual depravity of teen age youth and the ignorance that accompanies it. Farrell's masterpiece made the top 100 for this century at #29 and certainly deserves its place there. The book is actually three shorter books combined into one massive saga about a young man named Bill "Studs" Lonigan. Studs is a Catholic, Irish-American who lives in the rough and tumble neighborhood of Chicago during the early portion of this century. The story starts off with Studs being 15 and thinking he knows everything and willing to prove it with his fists. Dropping out of high school to hang around a pool room, he and his friends primarily engage in fights, drinking and picking up women. Studs is the leader of the gang is always feels the need to prove himself by fighting and out drinking his friends. Despite hearing lectures from his priest about the dangers of drink and sex, he continues to engage in these activities. However, time takes it toll on Studs's health. By 1930 the Depression and his failing health (from his activities in his 20's) force him to realize that he isn't the man who used to be. Farrell depicts the turbulent times perfectly. The reader is draw into the descriptions and accounts of Chicago at the end of the first World War, the socialist movement, the rise in popularity of Sinclair Lewis, and many other events. The roaring 20's are also written about and the reader is taken through gambling halls, speakeasies, and whore houses. Farrell paints a very bleak picture of the Depression as well. While there doesn't seem to be many answers in the book, it does depict that ignorance and a lack of spirituality wreaks havoc upon lives. While it is one thing to have religious rules and regulations, it is another to live them. The reader can be intimidated by the page count on the book, but it is well worth reading. It easily made my list for one of the 10 best books I've read in my lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: agonizing misery without pity
Review: Of course there is self-pity, but too much of this amounts to contempt. Studs Lonigan is a stark, murderous story of things going wrong and continuing to go wrong until life seems too hard and one is pushed to the limits of giving up. What made this book even more powerful for me was that I didn't much care for it after about 70 pages. The characters seemed cardboard, the dialogue is a frazzled series of cliches of punks trying to imitate tough guys in books and in movies and their own personalities don't seem to fit. And it goes on like this, for 800 more pages. But the change comes when you see these lapses for what they are: genuine lapses in the character's imaginations; an inability to be anything real, to have true thoughts or actual ideas other than trying to imitate people who never were (or, if they were, have become so mythologized as to be unrecognizable). Studs is a shy, brooding boy with a head full of dreams and no conception of responsibility. He wanders around waiting for something to happen to him yet being unable to initiate anything. He passes through his life hoping things will improve. They don't, nothing improves, life continues to get harder and harder and things grow worse and worse. There are the prejudices, easy excuses for what went wrong that crop up when one refuses to blame themselves for their failures, but even in this Studs remains true, if not to himself, than to the expectations we have for him from the very start of the book. A stark view of realism Studs Lonigan, I believe, outshines some of the more celebrated examples of this style such as An American Tragedy or Babbitt simply because nothing extraordinary ever happens to Studs. He is a boring person, a complete failure who for the scant thirty years of his life never moves out of his parents' home, never pursues a career and never ceases to see himself as someone other than who he actually is. He is a dreamer, sure; a romantic dreamer with the best of intentions and not a single idea in his head. Constantly people are blathering their contrary opinions to Studs and he finds himself agreeing with everyone, waiting for someone to explain how things truly are. And he continues to wait, continues to yearn all the while growing older and coming to realize that nothing he hopes for will ever come true. The prose is lingo-heavy, filled with scattered phrases from the era in which it was written which adds greater verasimillitude to the situations. The emotional intensity of the story builds progressively and I found myself growing increasingly moved by the multiplying disappointments and the ruin of everyone involved. What comes as the sharpest stroke of the novel is that Studs, for all his failings, comes across as fundementally the most decent person in the world of the book. He doesn't truly love or hate anything, only focuses his interest on people long enough to see how they fit in to his view of reality, but this is not so much from selfishness but from a need to be told how to live. He joins in with hating blacks or Jews or Communists or anyone causing apparent trouble to any of his friends but also can turn around and sympathize with the plight of the underprivilaged and the down-on-their-luck. He is a contradiction, fundamentally, as it is as a result of this, as a result of his timid acceptance of everything that happens, that keeps him in the same place he was when he was an ignorant child dreaming of being the toughest kid on the block. A wonderful book that will leave me depressed for quite some time, no doubt.
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