Quinn's Book

Any time your book contains the sentence, "But as the warmth of the day deepened, those wary Albany water rats (I include my master) were in agreement that the floes' growth in size and frequency, indeed the whole river's present nature, which was one of mild flood, argued that skiffs had no function on water such as this; all agreed, I say, except Carrick, the rotten Scottish hunchback of syphilitic mien, no longer welcome in the brothels of Albany, who had reached no such decision and was firm in his role as Albany's undauntable ferryman, ready to carry the urgent mail, the woeful news, or the intrepid passenger across the waters during storm or flood, and now the only soul at the pier willing to transport this plumed cargo to the far shore," on page TWO, then you've definitely earned my undying loyalty for at least the next 282 pages. ( )

An offbeat and eccentric novel set in 19th century Albany, about the adventures of Daniel Quinn, an orphan boy as he moves through a raucous cast of locales and characters, and attempts to win his way back to Maud Fallon, his one true love. Chock full of uproarious sexual misadventures, violent scenes, politics and feuds. An exhausting but worthwhile read. ( )