Customer Reviews

Carn

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a brilliantly written book that gives a literary portrayal of an Irish town. In reading this, one gets a feel for the places, political issues and people of Ireland in the early 1960s.

This author also has a flair for providing full descriptions of his characters. One of my favorite parts in the book was when he described one character as having a Beatle moptop "like George Harrison" (the youngest Beatle who was also known for having the longest hair during the Moptop Era) and making Beatle references. I loved the nod to George Harrison's beautiful wavy hair. (The Beatles with the exception of Ringo were of Irish extraction).

All in all, an excellent work and a "yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Patrick McCabe is one of the more extroadinary writers to emmerge from Ireland in recent times, anybody who experienced his sadistic tale, The Butcher's Boy will understand what I mean by this. In Carn, he beautifully unvails his microcosm of Irish life through the inhabitants of one town. McCabe traces the town through poverty, prosperity and finally utter chaos. Blending together a stong Irish dialect, McCabe tells a tale that may sound familar or completely alien. Definately a good read, especially for those political types.