Customer Reviews

The Wild Colonial Boy: A Novel

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

 

 

So timeless is James Hynes's story of IRA terrorism and the people it ensnares that I never suspected the book was originally written ten years ago and just recently reprinted--or that it was a first novel. Beautifully plotted and extremely sensitive to the differing viewpoints of those who seek to reunify the Six Counties with the rest of the Ireland, the novel offers a fresh look at the continued violence, those who plan it, those who support it indirectly through their inaction, those whose financial contributions allow it to affect successive generations, and those who oppose it. Hynes is particularly adept at reducing the complexities of IRA internal politics to manageable levels so that the plot speeds along, sweeping up the reader in the excitement of the moment, just as the main characters are swept up in the emotional rollercoaster of their struggles.

Brian Donovan is a twenty-year-old American delegated by his grandfather, an Irishman who fled the country after he assassinated a British policemen many years ago, to take $10,000 to Irish relatives engaged in IRA activities. A callow young man with no sense of purpose or commitment, he is easy prey for those who would use his ability to cross borders at will to further their own goals. His cousin Maire supports the IRA's new, more moderate position by being elected Sinn Fein city councillor from West Belfast, speaking out and collecting funds, such as those from her relatives in the U.S. Her extremist husband, Jimmy Coogan, however, feels that the moderate position is a sellout. He's stolen 10 pounds of plastique explosives and intends to "make a statement" when the moderate Provos have their national conference. He intends to use Brian to help him.

Hynes's depiction of Brian and Clare, the equally young American girlfriend Brian acquires in his travels, is spot-on. Having never had to deal with the hard truths, Brian and Clare are naïve, looking at the deadly predicament in which they find themselves as if it were part of a virtual reality game. As the conflicts within the IRA become more and more violent, the reader waits for Brian, a Guinness-drinking fun seeker, to grow up and take a stand. A thrilling and exciting can't-put-it-downer, this novel goes beyond the all-or-nothing conflicts we've come to associate with The Troubles in Northern Ireland and IRA violence in England. Here we also come to know some of the real, flawed humans from all sides who've become involved, however unwittingly--often by making emotional, rather than rational, choices about life-and-death issues. As the struggle reaches its violent culmination here, freedom and responsibility take on new meaning. Mary Whipple

This is a book I read about ten years ago and re-read periodically with undiminished appreciation. The author lets us see the IRA struggle from the inside and through the lense of a young, not particularly compassionate American. But, caught in a scheme that exploits his unsophisticated self-absorption, he becomes a central character in a deadly plot. This is not a spy thriller, but a thriller that is extraordinarily powerful because it thrusts an ordinary American into circumstances beyond his ability to control and does not devolve into a Tom Clancy fantasy. Suspenseful, funny, and insightful; I've never given the book to a friend who didn't love it. Too many books get rated a "10" in these reviews; this one deserves it

. . .novel about the ongoing violence in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, written from the perspective of an accidental, and not particularly sympathetic participant.

I found the plot to be, for the most part, well-written, with 'twists' that made sense; I found the descriptions of Ireland to be beautiful; I found the arguments both for and against violence in the North to be both sad and compelling. Finally, I found the climax to be appropriately dramatic yet believable.

However, the book is not without it's flaws. The finding of Clare by Brian on the ferry seemed to be a forced coincidence to make the story work. I didn't find it to be particularly effective or believable. The depth of the emotions between these two characters I also found to be not quite believable. After all, their relationship was little more than a one-night stand. Finally (and related to the previous objection) I found the conclusion to be extremely unsatisfying and unbelievable.

This book is definitely worth a read. But it's not going to go down in history as a work of genius. I can't imagine re-reading it.

A solid three stars.

James Hynes's debut novel is a political thriller set in the British Isles. Like all his books, it's a swift read with a perfect balance between dialogues, description and commentary. Snip: (...)

Brian Donovan, The Wild Colonial Boy of James Hynes novel is a footloose idealistic soul who has long worshiped his grandfathers revolutionary roots. Donovan's grandfather was long ago forced to flee to America because of his activity in the IRA. He has continued to support it. When he finds he needs a courier to deliver $10,000 to the IRA, Brian willingly obliges. Brian sees this as an adventure of a life and soon finds out that it is more of an adventure than he anticipated. Jimmy Coogan, Brian's cousins husband and a violent extremist who is on the outs with the moderates of the IRA, forces Brian to assist him in the delivery of explosive plastique.

Along the way Brian meets Clare another young American, who he is romantically interested in. The two become caught up in a dangerous game with varying factions of the IRA. Clearly Brian's idealism and mythism about the IRA have not prepared him for the harsh realities which coexist in Ireland today. Brian is a boy playing a man's game and ill-prepared for the test of courage that he faces in making crucial moral decisions.

Clare and Brian serve as symbols of contrasting visions of morality and courage. Both are young and idealistic, but they have different ideals of loyalty, courage and ethics. It is interesting to follow them on their journey to see their evolving definitions of these issues. The tale is a very exciting one, but a very real one in which young people in Ireland today have to face these decisions on a daily basis. It is clear from the novel that the average American has little understanding of the scope of the movement.

I suggest this book for reading for anyone who enjoys a tale of adventure or who is interested in Ireland today.