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Saturday, September 01, 2007

Read Ireland

Read Ireland Book Reviews – Issue 389 – Irish Fiction ----------------------------------------------------- Contents: 1. Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan 2. I Predict a Riot by Colin Bateman 3. 12:23. Paris. 31st August 1997 by Eoin McNamee 4. The Companion by Lorcan Roche 5. According to Luke by Gerard Stembridge 6. The Glass Room by Kate Holmquist 7. The Companion by Lorcan Roche 8. The Midnight Choir by Gene Kerrigan 9. Zoli by Colm McCann 10. The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry 1. Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan (Trade Paperback with dustjacket; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 210 pages) Julius Winsome lives in a cabin in the hunting heartland of the Maine woods, with only his books and his dog for company. That is until the morning he finds that his dog has been shot dead, and not by accident. From this starting point, Gerard Donovan weaves an extraordinary tale that explores ideas of revenge and the threat of the wild, but one that is also a tender and heartbreaking paean to lost love. Narrated by the unforgettable voice of Julius himself - at once compassionate, vulnerable and threatening - it reads like a timeless, lost classic. -------------------------------- 2. I Predict a Riot by Colin Bateman (Trade Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 530 pages) Colin Bateman's hugely witty new novel will take you to the darker corners of a city bursting with intrigue, extortion, greed, love, murder, carrot cake and every twist, turn and outrage of human behaviour in between. A city moves in mysterious ways. Walter has a rubbish job but so has Margaret, a security guard at Primark, and when they meet through a dating agency, neither is who they seem. Margaret's married for a start and Walter's encounter with her husband Billy leaves him black and blue. Billy's a dodgy accountant for politician and racketeer (who can tell them apart?) Pink Harrison who has fingers in so many pies he's about to get them burnt. Superintendent James Mallow, CID, a hardened copper at the end of his career, is determined to nail Pink and when a dismembered body is discovered, Mallow thinks he's got his man. Meanwhile Redmond O'Boyle, professional terrorist and occasional birdwatcher, is languishing in a Columbian jail and his only way out is to kill himself and trust in reincarnation. The delicate threads of the city weave and interweave until its clear somebody's got something on somebody else. ----------------------------------- 3. 12:23. Paris. 31st August 1997 by Eoin McNamee (Trade Paperback; 16 Euro / 22 USD / 11 UK; 235 pages) It's August 1997. As the century grinds to a close, Diana Spencer and her Egyptian lover are visiting Paris. An international fixer puts a team in place to watch the Princess. Former Special Branch man John Harper is recruited as part of the team. Ritz Hotel Deputy Director of Security Henri Paul and paparazzo supreme James Andanson are their surveillance targets. But they are not the only ones watching Spencer, and soon much more sinister forces are on the move... ------------------------------ 4. The Companion by Lorcan Roche (Trade Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 312 pages) In this subversive, comic extravaganza, Dublin-born Trevor washes up in New York as companion to Ed, an impossibly rich, terminally ill young man. A bizarre, twisted friendship develops between the co-dependents but we are also introduced to Ed's bed-ridden, morbidly obese, sexually perverse mother; his guilt-ridden father, the Judge, who rarely emerges from his dusty office; the cold-hearted physiotherapist on whom Trevor becomes fixated, and the pot-smoking Caribbean chef who becomes his confidante. In this tale of obsession, control and madness, the dynamics of love, patience and understanding are explored. Upbeat, defiant, dark and morally ambiguous, this effervescent narrative enters the mind of the film-school dropout whose story it tells. An Irish take on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "A Confederacy of Dunces", it announces an exciting new talent in Irish literature. --------------------------------- 5. According to Luke by Gerard Stembridge (Paperback; 9 Euro / 15 USD / 7 UK; 236 pages) Now that their children are almost reared, Frank and Norma Reid can congratulate themselves on a job well done - the eldest married and settled in their second favourite city, New York; their first boy in a marvellous job in the National Museum, the younger girl with a truly inspiring (if exhausting) passion for social justice, and the baby - well, he may be young, but he shows every sign of being quite the performer, like his Dad. They could pat each other on the back - thirty-odd years of happy marriage is not to be sneezed at - if it wasn't for a vindictive investigation into Frank's legal career. Suddenly, their lovely family starts to behave very strangely, and the elder son, Luke, is worst of all: when it comes to his father's alleged misdemeanours, he appoints himself judge, jury and executioner. And it looks like he will stop at nothing to achieve his version of justice ... ---------------------------------- 6. The Glass Room by Kate Holmquist (Paperback; 9 Euro / 15 USD / 7 UK; 333 pages) On the morning of her thirty-seventh birthday, Louisa Maguire takes a long hard look at her life and doesn't much like what she sees. Her mother didn't want her. Her husband is a womanizer. Her best friend keeps trying to seduce her. All she has left are her two beloved children, a hectic career photographing Dublin's beautiful people...and a longing to turn back time and start all over again. When two long-forgotten faces turn up in her studio, Louisa's mind is flooded with memories of her bohemian childhood in New York and of a summer in the Hamptons when she was seventeen. When her first love also arrives in Dublin, Louisa's life is turned upside-down and she is forced to confront the devastating truth about why she has always put security before passion and sex before love. -------------------------------- 7. The Companion by Lorcan Roche (Trade Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK) In this subversive, comic extravaganza, Dublin-born Trevor washes up in New York as companion to Ed, an impossibly rich, terminally ill young man. A bizarre, twisted friendship develops between the co-dependents but we are also introduced to Ed's bed-ridden, morbidly obese, sexually perverse mother; his guilt-ridden father, the Judge, who rarely emerges from his dusty office; the cold-hearted physiotherapist on whom Trevor becomes fixated, and the pot-smoking Caribbean chef who becomes his confidante. In this tale of obsession, control and madness, the dynamics of love, patience and understanding are explored. Upbeat, defiant, dark and morally ambiguous, this effervescent narrative enters the mind of the film-school dropout whose story it tells. An Irish take on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "A Confederacy of Dunces", it announces an exciting new talent in Irish literature. ------------------------------------ 8. The Midnight Choir by Gene Kerrigan (Paperback; 10 Euro / 14 USD / 7 UK; 340 pages) Tense and expertly plotted, "The Midnight Choir" is a stunning portrayal of life on the edge of society. This title is set in Dublin. Joshua Boyce watches jewellers from a rented flat across the road, noting the comings and goings as he plans a job; Dixie Peyton, desperate for cash, attempts to mug an American tourist, threatening him with a syringe purporting to contain HIV-infected blood; Detective Inspector Synott calls on an alleged rape suspect, already convinced of the boy's guilt; gangland leader Lar MacKendrick is working out, getting back in shape after brother Jo-Jo was viciously murdered. Meanwhile in Galway, Garda Joe Mills apprehends a jumper from a pub roof and discovers that the man is covered in dried blood. In "Little Criminals", Kerrigan gave a small insight into a previously unseen underworld. In "The Midnight Choir", that world explodes. We enter a gritty landscape of characters with questionable and contrary ideals; all struggling to survive in a time and place that's constantly knocking them back. Everyone has an axe to grind; criminals and police alike live by their own code, with both sides resorting to desperate measures as a means to an end. Law enforcement is often murky, and getting away with it is everything, no matter which side you're on. "The Midnight Choir" is a magnificent accomplishment, a powerful and intricate novel, driven to the last page at a tremendous pace by an original voice. -------------------------------- 9. Zoli by Colm McCann (Paperback; 10 Euro / 14 USD / 7 UK; 364 pages) The novel begins in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s when Zoli, a young Roma girl, is six years old. The fascist Hlinka guards had driven most of her people out onto the frozen lake and forced them to stay there until the spring, when the ice cracked and everyone drowned - Zoli's parents, brothers and sisters. Now she and her grandfather head off in search of a 'company'. Zoli teaches herself to read and write and becomes a singer, a privileged position in a gypsy company as they are viewed as the guardians of gypsy tradition. But Zoli is different because she secretly writes down some of her songs. With the rise of the Nazis, the suppression of the gypsies intensifies. The war ends when Zoli is 16 and with the spread of socialism, the Roma are suddenly regarded as 'comrades' again. Zoli meets Stephen Swann, a man with whom she will have a passionate affair, but who will also betray her. He persuades Zoli to publish some of her work. But when the government try to use Zoli to help them in their plan to 'settle' gypsies, her community turns against her. They condemn her to 'Pollution for Life', which means she is exiled forever. She begins a journey that will eventually lead her to Italy and a new life. Zoli is based very loosely on the true story of the Gypsy poet, Papsuza, who was sentenced to a Life of Pollution by her fellow Roma when a Polish intellectual published her poems. But Colum has turned this into so much more - it's a brilliantly written work that brings the culture and the time to life. --------------------- Available Again: --------------- 10. The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry (Paperback; 12 Euro / 18 USD / 9 UK) Following the end of the First World War, Eneas McNulty joins the British-led Royal Irish Constabulary. With all those around him becoming soldiers of a different kind, however, it proves to be the defining decision of his life when, having witnessed the murder of a fellow RIC policeman, he is wrongly accused of identifying the executioners. With a sentence of death passed over him he is forced to flee Sligo, his friends, family and beloved girl, Viv. What follows is the story of this flight, his subsequent wanderings, and the haunting pull of home that always afflicts him. Tender, witty, troubling and tragic, "The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty" tells the secret history of a lost man. ------------------------------------- Avoca Café Cookbook by Hugo Arnold with Lelie Hayes and photographs by Georgia Glynn Smith (Large Format Paperback with Laminated Cover with Endflaps; 25 Euro / 35 USD / 20 UK; 190 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout) The Avoca Café Cookbook is much more than a collection of appetising recipes: it is a mirror to a fresh, new Ireland. It draws from tradition, from what’s wholesome, natural, instinctive, and reinvents it with colour, taste and confidence. Over 120 delicious recipes are only part of the menu. The book goes behind the scenes to the most precious ingredient, its people, and unfolds the inspiring tale of one of Ireland’s business successes, the family-run Avoca Handweavers. It charts the evolution of the Avoca café from four tables with home-made soup as the most elaborate offering to the terrace cafes at Kilmacanogue and Powerscourt House in County Wicklow, with their extensive gardens where over 1000 people daily can enjoy the freshest ingredients, lovingly prepared. The Avoca cafes continue to flourish, garnering awards, critical acclaim and an ever-increasing host of appreciative customers. In this book the reader and cook will find exciting recipes for crispy salads and Mediterranean tarts, for aromatic soups and crusty breads, light lunches and family dinners, summer picnics and late-night suppers. This book is stunning addition to any contemporary kitchen. ----------------- Avoca Café Cookbook 2 by Hugo Arnold with Lelie Hayes and photographs by Georgia Glynn Smith (Large Format Paperback with Laminated Cover with Endflaps; 25 Euro / 35 USD / 20 UK; 260 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout) Following on the best-selling success of the first book comes another exciting collection of much-requested recipes and fresh ideas from the award-winning kitchens of the Avoca cafes. Even bigger and brighter than its predecessor, it is infused with a passion for fresh ingredients and wholesome, creative cooking. With over 170 new recipes, a whole chapter planning your menus, and a guide to deli shopping, this book is sure to become a dog-eared favourite in kitchens worldwide. It is a treasure trove of inspiring meals, simple techniques and useful information. Above all, it’s about good food making great meals. -------------------------------- Previous Issue: -------------- Read Ireland Book Reviews – Issue 388 -------------------------------- Contents: 1. Sean Scully: Walls of Aran with an introduction by Colm Toibin 2. Stones of Adoration: Sacred Stones and Mystic Megaliths of Ireland by Christine Zucchelli 3. Jack’s World: Farming on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula, 1920-2003 by Sean Sheehan 4. History of Dublin Cinemas by Marc Zimmermann 5. Social Movements and Ireland edited by Linda Connolly and Niamh Hourgan 6. Mother and Child: Maternity and Child Welfare in Dublin, 1922-60 by Lindsey Earner-Byrne 7. Diary of an Irish Countrywoman translated and edited by Tomas de Bhaldraithe 8. Decieved: A True Story by Sarah Smith 9. Michael O’Leary: A Life in Full Flight by Alan Ruddock 10. A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School by Darina Allen ------------------------------------ 1. Sean Scully: Walls of Aran with an introduction by Colm Toibin (Hardback; 30 Euro / 40 USD / 20 UK; 150 pages) In a tiny land where music is sung and played in pubs and in the air daily, these walls are silent. And yet this sculpture is like the music of this place: austere and elemental. – Sean Scully The Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland, hold a unique place in the Irish imagination. For centuries artists and writers have travelled there to record the stark beauty of the landscape or to find inspiration in the mythic way of life. Among them is Irish-born painter Sean Scully, who has made regular visits to the islands over a number of years. One of today’s most esteemed abstract artists, whose signature style of lines or bands of colour is instantly recognizable, he is also an accomplished photographer, his eye drawn to architectural shapes that have affinities with his painted work. For him the hundreds of ancient dry-stone walls that criss-cross Aran are much more than functional barriers on the land. They are anonymous sculptures that reflect the elemental nature of life on this windswept and rocky terrain. This book brings together for the first time his sensitive and poetic images of the walls of Aran, revealing the unexpected yet monumental beauty of these centuries-old structures that meander across the austere and exposed landscape. Like Scully, award-winning Irish writer Colm Tóibín has visited Aran many times over several decades. His evocative text accompanying Scully’s photographs conveys the islands’ mystery and beauty, and considers some of the literary precursors who have made Aran the subject of their work. An account by Scully of his own experience of the islands completes this exquisite book. ----------------------------------- 2. Stones of Adoration: Sacred Stones and Mystic Megaliths of Ireland by Christine Zucchelli (Hardback; 25 Euro / 34 USD / 17 UK; 222 pages, 140 full colour photos) Ireland’s landscape is dotted with sacred stones, from Maedbh’s Grave in Sligo to the Royal Pillars of Tara in Meath. Since prehistoric times people have acknowledged their special nature. This book explores their secrets and their myths, legends and folktales, which persist to this day. This is a wonderful reminder of our spiritual past, as some of these stones and monuments enter their fifth millennium. ------------------------------- 3. Jack’s World: Farming on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula, 1920-2003 by Sean Sheehan (Hardback; 39 Euro / 50 USD / 25 UK; 230 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout) Jack Sheehan was one of eleven children born into an impoverished farming family on the Sheep's Head peninsula in southwest Ireland. Growing up in hungry times, he stayed on the farm all his eighty-three years, taking it over when his father died and steadfastly caring for its fields through the dormant 1950s and the better times that came in the decades that followed. He lived to see the eclipse of his farming world and to view with dismay the way encroaching property speculators and consumerism were changing the nature of his landscape. Jack Sheehan was born just as the Irish state was coming into existence and his life is as revealing of that country's history as the more familiar accounts of national figures. "Jack's World's" is illustrated in colour with specially commissioned photographs taken by three people, Danny Gralton, Ciaran Watson and Danny Levy Sheehan, who all knew Jack and know his farm. The book is also illustrated with maps, including one showing the farm's fields and their Irish names that were preserved by Jack, and photographs of early documents relating to his farm's history. The book's unique sources, in addition to the memories of friends and family who knew Jack and shared aspects of his world, include diaries kept by Jack from the early 1930s onwards. --------------------------------- 4. History of Dublin Cinemas by Marc Zimmermann (Trade Paperback; 18 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 220 pages, with black-and-white illustrations throughout) This comprehensive account of "The History of Dublin Cinemas" showcases in detail more than one hundred and twenty Dublin venues and their often turbulent history in the course of over 100 years of film exhibition. It offers an in-depth view of a significant part of Dublin's social and architectural heritage, and features numerous historic and current photographs. --------------------------------- 5. Social Movements and Ireland edited by Linda Connolly and Niamh Hourgan (Trade Paperback; 22 Euro / 30 USD / 15 UK; 240 pages) Social movements and Ireland is an innovative new text that aims to provide a comprehensive introduction and critical analysis of collective action in Irish society. Participation in social protest in Ireland has become a widely utilized form of political expression and has played a profoundly important role in generating the wide-ranging cultural, political, social and economic changes that have shaped Irish society in the 21st century. ------------------------------- 6. Mother and Child: Maternity and Child Welfare in Dublin, 1922-60 by Lindsey Earner-Byrne (Hardback; 75 Euro / 100 USD / 50 UK; 245 pages) Irish women, as actual or potential mothers, were frequently the direct or indirect targets of much debate and welfare legislation during the first half of the twentieth century. Considerable research has been carried out in relation to welfare development and the centrality of maternal welfare in often Western European countries. This book provides an analysis of maternity policy and provision in Dublin thus adding the history of Ireland's maternal welfare to the growing corpus of international research on the topic. It also places maternity and child welfare in the context of twentieth century Irish history offering one of the only accounts of how women and children were viewed, treated and used by key lobby groups in Irish society and by the Irish state. This book re-evaluates the role of various lobby groups in the formation of welfare policy and reveals a much more complex relationship between church, state, the medical profession, voluntary groups and mothers. It also provides fascinating insights into central personalities in modern Irish history such as Eamon de Valena and John Charles McQuaid. As such it makes a valuable contribution to Irish social, political, medical and gender history. -------------------------------- 7. Diary of an Irish Countrywoman translated and edited by Tomas de Bhaldraithe (Paperback; 13 Euro / 17 USD / 8.50 UK; 158 pages) Little St. John's Day. Fair Day in Thomastown. Feast Day of St. Peter and St. Paul, apostles... Cherries and red and black currants for sale at Crois. A sultry day. Hurling on Fair Green. I was knocked down by a young brat, but it was nothing to be ashamed of, as I brought him down as well. Cow-dung oft knocked a good man. Everything is growing now as fast as ferns. Keeping a personal diary was not a practise among writers of Irish before O'Sullivan's time and contemporary Irish scholars saw no future for the language and consequently wrote in English. Hence, Humphrey O'Sullivan (Amhlaoibh O Suilleabhain) showed remarkable originality and courage in undertaking a diary in the Irish language. He lived a full life as a successful businessman, a fearless worker in the cause of freedom and social justice, a lover of nature, an antiquarian, collector of manuscripts and enjoyer of good food and drink. By jotting down notes on daily activities he has left us a lively and frank account of life in a small town during a particularly turbulent and important period in Irish history, which included the struggle for Catholic Emancipation, the Tithe War, the foundation of the National Schools, the secret societies, famine, plague, evictions and faction fighting. O'Sullivan has left us with a remarkable contribution to the social history of Ireland as seen from the inside by a man of wide interests and deep understanding. ----------------------------------- 8. Decieved: A True Story by Sarah Smith (Trade Paperback; 16 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 320 pages) In 1993 Sarah Smith was a happy and successful student. At her local pub, she met barman Robert Freegard. Peace was shattered when an IRA bomb went off close to her college and in the aftermath of this terrorist attack Freegard revealed his 'true' identity to Sarah and two of her friends - he was a MI5 spy investigating IRA cells in the area. Because of the time they had spent together and their knowledge of his true identity, Sarah, John and Maria were in mortal danger. Freegard convinced the students that they needed to go into hiding or risk being killed. Thus began a spine-chilling story. For Sarah became a fugitive on the run - living in slums, in cars, sleeping rough in parks, half starved - for ten years. During this time she lived under multiple pseudonyms and worked menial jobs. Freegard seemed the only person she could trust; he became her lifeline, her saviour and her keeper. So when, ten years later, police arrived at the house Sarah was cleaning, she could not believe what they were telling her: Freegard was not an MI5 agent, he was a conman and she was one of many victims. He had brainwashed her by using such sophisticated techniques that psychologists are still baffled. He had stolen ten precious years and 300,000 from Sarah, and in the process ruined her life; from others he had conned even more money. This is Sarah's roller-coaster true story. It is a powerful memoir and a profile of a modern-day criminal genius and master manipulator. ---------------------------------- 9. Michael O’Leary: A Life in Full Flight by Alan Ruddock (Trade Paperback; 17 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 440 pages) Michael O'Leary has made Ryanair the most valuable airline in Europe - and the second most valuable in the world. He has revolutionized the way Europeans travel and the very nature of commercial aviation. But for all the publicity, little is known about Michael O'Leary beyond the carefully constructed image that he chooses to present. In this, the first biography of O'Leary, Alan Ruddock portrays the man in three dimension and examines the business miracle whereby Ryanair's passenger numbers and profits have continued to grow while the rest of the airline industry has been forced to retrench. ---------------- Available Again: ---------------- 10. A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School by Darina Allen (Large Format Paperback; 24 Euro / 30 USD / 15 UK; 192 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout) "A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School" is a gastronomic journey through the year with a personal introduction for each season, highlighting Darina's garden and landscape achievements as well as to record the changing scenery of Ballymaloe and which produce are at their peak. Darina offers simple seasonal recipes for first courses, main courses, vegetables and desserts, taking advantage of her local produce, whether it is from one of her favourite fishermen for her Pan-fried Scallops with Beurre Blanc, the surrounding countryside for her Blackcurrant Leaf Sorbet or her bountiful organic garden for a Frittata with Oven-roasted Tomatoes and Summer Herbs. More than just another cookbook, this book focuses on creative new ways to prepare and present meals, while inspiring readers to grow, harvest and delight in good quality produce. ------------------------------------ Thank you for your continued support. It is vital for the continuation of this service! If you appreciate receiving theseregular emails, I respectfully request that if you are considering ordering any of these books that you do so through Read Ireland. Using these emails to order books from other suppliers does NOT support Read Ireland nor the continuation of the service. I very much appreciate your patronage. To order books from the Read Ireland Book Review – simply return the Newsletter by clicking your reply button. Please DELETE the books you do NOT want and LEAVE the books you DO WANT to order. Please note that prices for these books on the Read Ireland website may differ from those quoted above. Alternatively, you can send an email to the order department at: gregcarr@readireland.ie Please be sure to include your full mailing address and credit card details including expiration date. You might like to split this information into 2 or 3 emails for security. You can of course also post your order to: Read Ireland, 392 Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3,Ireland. Telephone and Facsimile number is: +353-1-853-2063. Read Ireland Web Site Home Page: www.readireland.ie or www.readireland.com Please visit often! If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your continued support and custom. Sincerely, Gregory Carr @ Read Ireland --------------------------------------------------------
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