Product Description

Harington returns to "Stay More" to document the uproarious attempt of native son, Vernon Ingledew to earn the governorship of his great, if sometimes much-maligned, state. But, to his own shock, Ingledew - a handsome but less than telegenic ham magnate and self-educated polymath - is hampered by what his opponents refer to as his Thirteen Albatrosses. Among them: he is an atheist; he never attended college; he lives in sin with his first cousin, Jelena; he displays a hysterically cryptic vocabulary. Not to mention the fact that he also supports "extirpating" - that is, getting rid of - hospitals, schools, prisons, tobacco, and handguns. Nevertheless, his candidacy quickly attracts the heaviest political hitters. This battle-tested band, known as Ingledew's Seven Samurai, are challenged not only by Vernon's extensive and dazzling liabilities, but also by kidnappings, the advent of adulterous liaisons within their own camp, and the unrelenting evil-doing of detested adversary Governor Shoat Bradfield, a model of corruption who purchased his high school equivalency certificate from a later-jailed school official. Moving from the shady lanes of "Stay More" and Vernon's palatial, double-domed retreat to the smoky warrens of cosmopolitan "Little Rock", "Thirteen Albatrosses" knowingly chronicles the dizzying display of nonsense and idealism that is contemporary politics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #194209 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 382 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This uneven and somewhat disappointing 11th novel by Harington, a University of Arkansas art history professor who has become a cult figure among noted literati, resumes the whimsical and ribald history of the denizens of Stay More, a mythical backwater in the Arkansas Ozarks. Revisiting Vernon Ingledew and Vernon's first-cousin common-law wife, Jelena (from Harington's 1975 novel, The Architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks), the tale picks up 27 years later as Vernon, now 48 and wealthy from his Ingledew Ham business, decides to run for governor. Among his albatrosses are his atheism, his relationship with Jelena and the fact that he wants to do away with hospitals and handguns. With virtually unlimited financial resources, Vernon sets out to win the election by assembling the Seven Samurai, a group of top political professionals recruited from a team that masterminded fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton's move to the White House. The outlandish cast includes a sexy Osage Indian millionairess and her gay seven-foot chauffeur, who has the hots for Vernon's aging factotum, George Dinsmore. Thrown into the mix are some real-life figures (U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers and Tyson Foods exec Archie Schaffer), and the author himself makes some intrusive cameo appearances. Striving too hard to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, much of the novel's first half wallows around in a mire of boorish references to the author's earlier novels, interlaced with clumsy drivel about the characters and the Ozarks. Happily, however, the second half steers back toward its satiric mark, acquiring the momentum of expert storytelling and showing flashes of vintage Harington. (Apr. 1)Forecast: Perennially underappreciated, Harington deserves to break out. Chances are, however, that this novel won't do the trick, despite the promising Clinton spoof and political hijinks (and a striking red, white and blue jacket).
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Harington (art history, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville) here continues his long-running series about his mythic place in the Ozarks, the village of Stay More. This time, he tracks the gubernatorial campaign of Vernon Ingledew, whose 13 campaign killers his atheism, lack of college education, relationship with his first cousin, and so forth have been uncovered by the opposition. Side by side with the real issues of a modern political campaign are such delightful rambles as an examination of whether one person can love two people equally at the same time (with attendant sexual frolicking) and discourses into the history of the Osage people (with attendant mythology). Readers who love to return to special corners of the world and really get to know the folks should be thrilled to meet Harington and the characters at Stay More. Harington is a wry, playful novelist who tweaks reality by invoking allegory and making appearances in this novel. Most public libraries, especially those with a bent for local history and its eccentricities, will want not only this newest work but also the backlist. Barbara Conaty, Library of Congress
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Harington's delightful novels of life in Arkansas are far too little known, even by those who treasure the winsome eccentrics and graceful storytellers of the fictional South. This time out, Harington focuses on wealthy ham producer Vernon Ingledew and his quest for the governorship of his state. The avian title refers to the number of Vernon's electability-in-Arkansas handicaps: among others, he's an atheist, he has a vast and arcane vocabulary, and his significant other is his first cousin. Despite his albatrosses, however, Vernon attracts a cadre of America's smartest and best political strategists and campaign operatives, and therein lies a tale. This is a wonderful entertainment in all senses. Its characters are interesting, engaging, funny, and memorable. Vernon and his lady, Jelena, are almost unforgettable. The political milieu is knowing, and the storytelling is as fine as a tall glass of sweet tea on a sultry afternoon. Thomas Gaughan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Another great novel from AR and America's finest writer
A new novel from Donald Harington is always a cause for celebration. But 13 Albatrosses is even better than we deserve. Full of vivid characterizations and his trademark rollicking, ribald humor, this new novel should be necessary reading for anyone who can read.

The best novel to come out of Arkansas in many years, 13 Albatrosses should win Donald Harington a legion of new fans.

And be sure to check out his earlier work. You won't be disappointed.

S**t Fire Good
This is a another great book in the Stay More saga. An author who has accomplished wonders in the the narrative form.I read TAOTAO in the Ozarks about 30 years ago and my reaction was the same when I read Confederacy of the Dunces while living in New Orleans. Mr. Harington is one of my favorite contemporary authors and the other one is John Berger.

Another winner
This book carries on the Harington Stay More saga and depicts one of the strangest elections ever held. Quite funny and satirical at the same time. I've read this one twice, and will probably pull it off the shelf again at some point.