It’s an old book at this stage. He goes around the world to places where one wouldn’t usually go as a tourist, or visits places where horrible shit happened, such as Cambodia, where JFK was shot, Lebanon, goes skiing in Iran etc. Good read so far.
You’ll enjoy it. I certainly did.
The movie of Last Orders is on Amazon Prime should the book pass…
Saw the movie years ago , an enjoyable watch .
Just finished this. Magnificent. Some of the dialogue and sentences you’d read over and again.
Joseph O’Connor new one Ghosts of Rome is out now
Yeah I have it here. I’ll start it when I finish the book I’m on.
A few books I’ve finished recently.
Patrick Kavanagh, by Antoinette Quinn. Second time I’ve read this edition (not aware if it’s been updated) from 2008. As good a biography as you’ll read. Meticulously researched, very well written. Not a huge amount of criticism of Kavanagh’s actual poetry (Quinn has written dedicated books and papers on Kavanagh’s poetry). Quinn paints a very interesting picture of the literary scene in Dublin (and indeed London) in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.
Kavanagh was not a pleasant person and I think his contribution to Irish literature is perhaps amplified by reputation than anything else. But Quinn makes his life interesting. The only criticism I’d have is that there is really no summation at the end or summary of what happened to those around him after (spoiler alert) he died. What became of Katherine? A small point.
An excellent book.
Goodbye to Russia - A personal reckoning from the ruins of war, by Sarah Rainsford.
This is a very interesting read where the BBC correspondent tracks Putin’s rise through her relationship with Russia, from being an exchange student in the early 90’s, becoming a producer and then journalist with the BBC, right up to her expulsion in 2021 and then reportage from Ukraine.
I’ve always thought she was a very good reporter. She’s also a good and engaging writer, definitely recommend this.
In the Forest by Edna O’Brien.
I’d never actually read an Edna O’Brien book and found this in the house, apparently Mrs Fitzy had bought it.
Based on the murders carried out by Brendan O’Donnell in 1994.
I do remember a lot of controversy when this book was published. Outrage in particular from Fintan O’Toole that O’Brien was profiting from the grief of others. Which I still find to be a ridiculous line of thought. She was perfectly entitled to write about it.
The problem however, is that she hasn’t written a good book. It’s actually a bloody awful book. She’s clearly a very good writer, but the characterisation in this just veers into caricature and very quickly.
There’s really nothing new, no real exploration of what happened. Other than using it as a vehicle to express hatred of sections of Irish society, I really can’t see the point of this book. Dreadful.
We had that edition in the house one time, I think it came free with the times or indo?
Do you know something, that’s where we got it, sometime we were home around 2005?
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book written by a woman of my own free will… Emma for the leaving cert is possibly the last one.
I found edna o brien to be chronically overrated. I think her reputation was built on her books being banned.
Plenty of good Irish female writers. Anne Enright, Clare Keegan, Sally Rooney
Is Quinn related to him? I think his mother was Quinn and his sister married another Quinn.
Kavanagh was a masterful writer and poet. Tarry Flynn, his novel based on himself, is as fine of written prose as you’d get. Very disturbing in terms of its content but no doubting his brilliance for me.
Is there a reason for that?
Liz Nugent
Emma Donoghue
Anna Burns
After Jane Austen that was that… with their smaller brains i don’t think they can reach the same heights as men… its largely love stories and gossip.
But i gave up reading fiction a good while ago as i find it quite juvenile and there’s an awful bang of look how clever i am from author and reader alike. I prefer to learn about the world and events that happened…but maybe women have come on a bit in recent years?