The Luck of Ginger Coffey
by Brian Moore
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“No, for wasn’t this the chance he had always wanted? Wasn’t he at long last an adventurer, a man who had gambled all on one horse, a horse coloured Canada, which now by hook or by crook would carry him to fame and fortune?” Meet Ginger Coffey, the irrepressible fortune-hunter of Brian Moore’s award-winning novel. The Luck of Ginger Coffey is the robust, funny, sometimes tragic tale of one unforgettable Irish immigrant to Montreal. Buoyed by unfailing optimism, Ginger confronts the show more ugly realities of life in the New World. Jobs are scarce, people often inhuman. And dreams of glory do not offer any lasting escape from the hard pinch of poverty. In spite of the battering he receives in his struggle for survival, Ginger Coffey emerges a true hero – the “little” man who can be defeated by anything, except life itself. The Luck of Ginger Coffey was awarded the Governor General’s Award for Fiction in 1960 and was made into a critically acclaimed motion picture. show lessTags
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A somewhat depressing story of a man's struggles and shortcomings in life. Very well written. Made a lasting impression on me.
Sad tale of a disillusioned New Canadian loser. The novel is well-written and painful--Canada comes off as a snowy hell.
Another ‘immigrant’ story, this time of the Irishman James Francis “Ginger” Coffey in 1950s Montreal.
Ginger really is a loser – the ne’er-do-well who got by on his charm and connections at “home” but who isn’t willing to take a step down and make his way by working hard here. Winner of the 1960 Governor-General’s Award for Fiction, and a Canadian classic, this gives a different look at Montreal than the author’s contemporary Mordecai Richler portrayed.
Read this if: you’ve read some Richler and want to compare and contrast the Irish and the Jewish immigrant experiences; or you’re interested in the twentieth century Irish experience in Canada. 4 stars
Ginger really is a loser – the ne’er-do-well who got by on his charm and connections at “home” but who isn’t willing to take a step down and make his way by working hard here. Winner of the 1960 Governor-General’s Award for Fiction, and a Canadian classic, this gives a different look at Montreal than the author’s contemporary Mordecai Richler portrayed.
Read this if: you’ve read some Richler and want to compare and contrast the Irish and the Jewish immigrant experiences; or you’re interested in the twentieth century Irish experience in Canada. 4 stars
an irritating character but perhaps we all are.
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Governor General of Canada's English Fiction Awards
89 works; 3 members
Author Information
31+ Works 5,937 Members
Brian Moore, 1921 - 1999 Brian Moore was born in Belfast on August 25, 1921 to Doctor James Bernard Moore and Eileen McFadden. He attended St. Malachy's College, a Catholic school, where the students where beaten on the hands daily. He left the college without a School Leaving Certificate because he failed Math. In 1941, a bomb damaged the family show more home, so they moved to a house on Camden Street. A year later, his father died. In 1942, he joined the National Fire Service, but knew that he wanted to be a writer. Moore knew some French, so he was hired by the British Ministry of War Transport to go as a port official to Algiers, North Africa. Afterwards, he traveled to Italy, France, and after the war, Warsaw (1945), Spain, Canada (1948), the United States and England, finally settling in California. Moore immigrated to Canada in 1948, where he worked as a proofreader and reporter for the Montreal Gazette. In 1951, he published his first story in the Northern Review and married Jacqueline Sirois, a fellow journalist. His only child, Michael, was born on November 24, 1953. He split with his wife in 1964 and then married Jean Denney, who he stayed married to until his death. Moore published "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" (1955), "The Feast of Lupercal" (1957) and "The Emperor of Ice Cream" (1966), which is his most autobiographical novel. He recounts his school experiences, as well as what is was like during the bombing. In the 1990's, he wrote political fables and four novels. "Lies of Silence" is a thriller set in Belfast and was a more political statement than the previous novels. It was nominated for the Booker Prize and was his bestselling book. Several of his books were made into films such as "The Luck of Ginger Coffey," "Catholics," "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" and "The Temptation of Eileen Hughes" was adapted for television. Moore received many awards, which included the Governor General's Award in 1961 for "The Luck of Ginger Coffey" and again in 1975 for "The Great Victorian Collection," which also won the James Tait Black Award in England. He was short listed for the Booker Prize in 1987 for "The Colour of Blood" and again in 1990 for "Lies of Silence." In July 1987, he conferred an honorary doctorate by Queen's University, Belfast. His film "Catholics" received the W.H. Smith Award in 1973 and the Peabody Award in 1974. In 1999, Brian Moore died at his home in Malibu, California. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- The Luck of Ginger Coffey
- Original title
- No other life
- Original publication date
- 1960; 1993
- Important places
- Montréal, Québec, Canada; Caribbean Region
- Dedication
- To Jacqueline
- First words
- In the old days they would have given me a gold watch.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'No, Petit. Stay here.'
- Original language*
- Englisch
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Members
- 179
- Popularity
- 183,040
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 14
- ASINs
- 10
