How to Murder a Man [Paperback]

Carlo Gebler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

Nineteenth-century Ireland was awash with secret societies, principally rural, and principally Catholic. Their function was to keep tenants on the land as they had always leased. The landlords that evicted the old tenants, and the 'land grabbers' (often Catholic) who took the new leases, were regarded as enemies. The most feared of the societies was the group known as the Ribbonmen, who enforced their ideals with brutal and horrendous practices - they castrated, tarred and feathered and even skinned their victims alive. In HOW TO MURDER A MAN, Carlo Gebler tells of a small rural community in County Monaghan, and the attempts to murder the landlord there. As in Gebler's highly acclaimed previous novel, THE CURE, it is inspired by a true story. His new novel is a fascinating glimpse of an untold part of Irish history, and traces the connections between these societies and the modern para-military groups.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his ninth book of fiction, G?bler, the son of Irish novelist Edna O'Brien, illuminates a melancholy page of Irish history. In the 1850s Thomas French takes employment as estate manager for Mrs. Beaton, responsible for a residential community where many tenants haven't paid rent for several years. He comes to the job with definite ideas of how to proceed; he will not evict delinquent tenants, but will wipe out their arrears in return for their tenant rights. He will allow them to sell their belongings and keep the proceeds, and will pay their passage to America and a new life. These generous resolutions raise the ire of a vigilante organization known as the Ribbonmen, who control and terrorize the local people. The Ribbonmen serve notice that French is to be killed. Two local thugs are hired to do the job, but through bad management and bad luck, several attempts on French's life fail. The subplot concerns Tim, a poor employee of French's, who wants to marry his sweetheart, Kitty, whose family disapproves of him. Compliant Kitty rejects Tim, too, and in a fit of anger and grief, he joins the Ribbonmen in their plot to kill French. But the lovers come together again, defying Kitty's parents; after Tim flees the Ribbonmen, they now need the aid of French and his assistant Micky Laffin. It might surprise readers to learn that there was an equivalent of the witness protection program in 1850s Ireland. Talented storyteller G?bler, writing with a strong, distinctive voice, captures the climate and landscape magnificently: one can smell the burning peat and feel the chill of the fog. (Dec.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

In this unflinching and suspenseful story, Gebler (W9 & Other Lives) has taken a small slice of Irish history and brought it to life. In 1854, land agent Thomas French is dispatched to County Monoghan to assure that the Beatonboro estate becomes profitable once again. Thomas's radical ideas draw the attention of the local Ribbonmen, a brutal secret society motivated by agrarian and occasionally sectarian grievances. Isaac Marron, the leader of the Ribbonmen, places an execution order on Thomas and his bailiff, Mickey Laffin, and hires two men from outside the estate to carry it out. Thomas and Mickey are warned, but that doesn't spare others from the Ribbonmen's viciousness. Inspired by actual events in William Steuart Trench's memoir Realities of Irish Life, this book presents a tragic time in Irish history in a gripping and intense manner. A disturbing and unforgettable story; recommended for all libraries.
-Dianna Moeller, OCLC/WLN Pacific Northwest Service Ctr., Lacey, WA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 373 pages
• Publisher: Abacus (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0349108552
• ISBN-13: 978-0349108551
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,376,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Irish History!, August 5, 2000

By 

Bob "starts w/ 'b' ends w/'b' 0 in the middle" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Murder a Man (Hardcover)

Carlo Gebler, a popular Irish author who is virtually unknown in the US deserves a much wider audience. How to Murder a Man (a terrible title for such a great novel) is wonderfully written. Full is rich historical detail, strong characters and an interesting plot. The year is 1854, and newly appointed land agent Thomas French has the responsibility of collecting rents on an estate in Ireland that hasn't collected a cent in years. A local organization, the Ribbonmen, terrorize anyone who tries and promptly issue a death threat to French. This makes him even more determined to carry out his duties. A subplot involving two teenage lovers beautifully intertwines the dilemmas of all the characters.

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning novel from one of Ireland's most gifted authors, September 15, 2011

By 

Jack Ward, Ireland "jack_wardjw" - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Murder a Man (Paperback)

I read this book after being introduced to Carlo Gebler by my dad, and was absolutely blown away by the immense quality of Gebler's penmanship. He is able to vividly evoke 19th Century Ireland and the narrative is as engrossing as it is disturbing. Gebler describes scenes of horrific brutality and violence matter-of-factly, carefully avoiding the sensationalism and good guy versus bad guy stuff that is endemic in other, poor, works of fiction. The stories of the various personalities in the novel are gripping, and, in the case of the heinous Ribbonmen, as appalling as they are fascinating.

For any lover of fiction, who is not queasy, and who loves a fantastically woven story, containing sympathetic and also atrocious characters, steeped in Irish history, this is a must-have for your library.