THE GYPSY'S CURSE. Hardcover – January 1, 1974
by Harry Crews
 
A novel about the utter and total unfairness of life.
 
Reviews

" The Gypsy's Curse is set in a gym in Florida. Marvin Molar, a deaf-mute, was abandoned at the gym's doorsteps when he was a baby. His legs are no good, so he works on his upper body and performs shows with the help of gym owner Al, who was a performer himself. Leroy, a young boxer and Pete, an ageing drunk boxer complete the quartet at the gym. Russell Muscle Morgan, a well known bodybuilder works out at the gym. The arrival of the sweaty and voluptuous Hester, Marvin's girlfriend sends the underachieving men into a frenzy. When his jealousy for Hester becomes unbearable, Marvin gets into bed and reads Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory. I have not read anything like The Gypsy's Curse. The setting and characters reek of unfulfilled potential. Marvin Molar must be one of the greatest underdog heroes in American literature. It is a small hilarious novel in which bitterness and rage fly off the pages, spraying salt on your own wounds. "
 
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