City of Bohane - Author Reading this Friday (free!)

hooplah

Has anyone been reading 'City of Bohane' by Kevin Barry? (not the dead 18 year old who "gave his young life for the cause of liberty" but the short story and travel writer recently published in the New Yorker). I'm nearly finished and reckon its pretty deadly.



"Forty years in the future. The once-great city of Bohane on the west coast of Ireland is on its knees, infested by vice and split along tribal lines. There are the posh parts of town, but it is in the slums and backstreets of Smoketown, the tower blocks of the Northside Rises and the eerie bogs of Big Nothin’ that the city really lives.

For years, the city has been in the cool grip of Logan Hartnett, the dapper godfather of the Hartnett Fancy gang. But there’s trouble in the air. They say his old nemesis is back in town; his trusted henchmen are getting ambitious; and his missus wants him to give it all up ... And then there's his mother."

Its had some excellant reviews and the cover and back blurb are covered with rave reccomendations from writers like Irvine Welsh, Hugo Hamilton and Roddy Doyle. I'm not sure how useful this is for promoting a book though, it'd nearly put me off, or by raising my expectations, would have me feeling let down when I read the actual book.

This Friday the author will be giving a reading in the Central Library, Ilac Centre at one o'clock. Booking advised but you can just show up if it isn't booked out - see here for more details.

You can read a review that appeared in the Guardian here, see a preview of the book here and check out an interview with the author over on the Irish Times website.

pog it

I haven't read this yet, and sadly it's not a story/plot I'd like to read myself but have read some of his short stories and they are really excellent.. Have seen him on TG4 Arts show Imeall also and he is really engaging as he reads.

Brilliant Irish writer for sure.

fisgon

This is great. It makes me think of one of those films made based on a graphic novel, like Sin City, or Watchmen, really dark, slightly futuristic, amoral, vibrant, colourful.

The language too is unique, the city is obviously based loosely on Limerick City, and the dialogue is with a kind of invented dialect that combines west of Ireland with black American with some West Indian. It's wild and inventive and lyrical, and like nothing else you will read.