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tommooney's review against another edition
4.0
There are some absolute belters in this very fine collection by a modern master of the art of the short story. The theme that runs through them all, I suppose, is loneliness. But, rather than being depressing or dreary, Barry injects violent life into these tales with humour, both gentle and riotous. He's a real gem.
clmckinney's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book of short stories with varying subjects. Some cover, love, lust, death, and madness to name a few. I thoroughly liked Night Boat To Tangier. Barry is at once poetic, and yet completely vulgar and crass. This is why I like him. Some of these stories worked for me. What I have come to in reading short stories is that it is a form that requires some skill, as you have little room to get your point across. It is possible that he works better in the novel form. I prefer short stories that link together in some aspect. I am definitely going to try some of his other novels and see how I get on with those. This one gets a 3.8/5.
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
My Irish fiction book group now meets virtually and it has meant new people can drop in when we read something that interests them. This meeting was the biggest yet with 15 people including someone from the opposite coast (Pacific). Kevin Barry is a club favorite and a friend of the Irish arts organization that sponsors the book club. We have followed him since the beginning of his career - 15 or so years ago. In discussing this volume of short stories, some felt that his novels are better than his short stories. I think that this assessment may be based on a readers' personal preference. I love the short story form and have been reading Irish writers' short story collections for decades. Irish writers excel in writing in this genre.
There were themes that were threaded throughout the collection - love, loss, loneliness, and being lost. The final theme "being lost" was at the heart of my favorite story "St. Catherine of the Fields". The narrator is a researcher of "sean-nós" (old style) singing. This is a kind of singing that thrived for centuries in Irish-speaking (Gaelic) areas. It is plaintiff, moving, and powerful. Our narrator is determined to "save" lost sean-nós songs, and goes in pursuit of an elusive singer. He eventually finds a song that is the story of a tragic seduction, a song that had long been "lost". Sean-nos singing is at the center of the 2017 Irish film, Song of Granite, a candidate for Best Foreign Language Film for an Oscar. It is the story of one of the greatest sean-nos singers of the 20th century, Joe Heaney (1919-1984). Heaney spent most of his life outside of Ireland, mostly in England and America. I met him in Boston when friends of mine, native Irish speakers from Costelloe, Ireland, in the Connemara Gaeltacht, brought him from New York for a house party. At the time, in the late 1970's, Heaney was working as a doorman in New York. At the end of his life, he was invited to the University of Washington in Seattle, as a visiting artist. He died in Seattle in 1984.
Another favorite story was "Roma Kid". Over the decades, visiting Dublin, I noted the change in panhandlers in downtown Dublin. In the 70's and 80's, they were most often Travelers, often women with young children. In the 90's, Travelers disappeared from the streets and Roma women and children replaced them. In this story, a young Roma girl is sent off by her family who can no longer care for all their children. The young girl roams the country before she finds shelter. Throughout her life she thinks about the loss of her family, particularly her four young brothers. Of the 13 stories, the only one that wasn't a favorite was the final story about the American poet, Roethke, who had a mental breakdown on the remote island of Inishbofin, near Galway. There is another Inishbofin island in Donegal. Roethke is committed to a psychiatric hospital on the mainland.
Barry is a masterful user of language, and creator of stories. He is a delight to read, and there are depths to plumb in his stories. Highly recommended.
There were themes that were threaded throughout the collection - love, loss, loneliness, and being lost. The final theme "being lost" was at the heart of my favorite story "St. Catherine of the Fields". The narrator is a researcher of "sean-nós" (old style) singing. This is a kind of singing that thrived for centuries in Irish-speaking (Gaelic) areas. It is plaintiff, moving, and powerful. Our narrator is determined to "save" lost sean-nós songs, and goes in pursuit of an elusive singer. He eventually finds a song that is the story of a tragic seduction, a song that had long been "lost". Sean-nos singing is at the center of the 2017 Irish film, Song of Granite, a candidate for Best Foreign Language Film for an Oscar. It is the story of one of the greatest sean-nos singers of the 20th century, Joe Heaney (1919-1984). Heaney spent most of his life outside of Ireland, mostly in England and America. I met him in Boston when friends of mine, native Irish speakers from Costelloe, Ireland, in the Connemara Gaeltacht, brought him from New York for a house party. At the time, in the late 1970's, Heaney was working as a doorman in New York. At the end of his life, he was invited to the University of Washington in Seattle, as a visiting artist. He died in Seattle in 1984.
Another favorite story was "Roma Kid". Over the decades, visiting Dublin, I noted the change in panhandlers in downtown Dublin. In the 70's and 80's, they were most often Travelers, often women with young children. In the 90's, Travelers disappeared from the streets and Roma women and children replaced them. In this story, a young Roma girl is sent off by her family who can no longer care for all their children. The young girl roams the country before she finds shelter. Throughout her life she thinks about the loss of her family, particularly her four young brothers. Of the 13 stories, the only one that wasn't a favorite was the final story about the American poet, Roethke, who had a mental breakdown on the remote island of Inishbofin, near Galway. There is another Inishbofin island in Donegal. Roethke is committed to a psychiatric hospital on the mainland.
Barry is a masterful user of language, and creator of stories. He is a delight to read, and there are depths to plumb in his stories. Highly recommended.
alba_marie's review against another edition
4.0
{3.5 stars}
As per usual, Kevin Barry's stories are addictingly weird. His writing is focussed mostly on Sligo, the region in which he (and I!) live. (He's my neighbour and I hope to meet him one day...). This in itself is pretty cool because he's writing about places I go on a daily basis. My local Lidl (which I need to go to soon actually) is mentioned, as is my local pub/petrol station shop (which sadly closed just before the pandemic), and the road through the Curlew mountains which I have traumatic memories of biking up one day last year (it was an exhaustingly long ride). The Ox Mountains and coastal towns like Easkey and Aughris and Enniscrone are mentioned - our local beaches. And Keash mountain up in the Brickleives which I can nearly see from my house! I'm up at the caves nearly every month. It's cool to see this half forgotten region get a little bit of notice!
My favourite stories are:
- The Coast of Leitrim - a story of love and obsession and fear of commitment. It's both tragic and uplifting and shows the changing face of Ireland.
- Extremadura - a tale of a homeless Irish man in Spain, too proud to go home, lonely, ashamed and his newfound four legged companion.
- Who's Dead McCarthy - which I read at first as a sort of personification of Death though that might be wishful thinking on my part. Rather just a tale commenting on the strange relationship that Irish people have with death (something to be feared but also a great party!)
- Saint Catherine of the Fields - which is about collecting and keeping the old traditions alive, in this case, traditional Sean-nos singing.
- That Old Country Music - whose story wasn't that interesting but it was set in my village of Castlebaldwin!
- Roma Kid - which is about a runaway refugee child.
Some of the other stories I kind of glossed over, but all serve to show an Ireland in flux, the rift between east and west, urban and rural, traditional and new. Collectively, the stories address questions of identity and tradition - searching for a balance with this new, worldly Ireland while still keeping hold onto the traditions that make this place special. There are a lot of comments on the state of rural Ireland and how it's been somewhat neglected by the wealthier urban centres in the east and south. Some of the earlier stories I had more trouble connecting with, but overall I really enjoyed this strange little collection of stories.
As per usual, Kevin Barry's stories are addictingly weird. His writing is focussed mostly on Sligo, the region in which he (and I!) live. (He's my neighbour and I hope to meet him one day...). This in itself is pretty cool because he's writing about places I go on a daily basis. My local Lidl (which I need to go to soon actually) is mentioned, as is my local pub/petrol station shop (which sadly closed just before the pandemic), and the road through the Curlew mountains which I have traumatic memories of biking up one day last year (it was an exhaustingly long ride). The Ox Mountains and coastal towns like Easkey and Aughris and Enniscrone are mentioned - our local beaches. And Keash mountain up in the Brickleives which I can nearly see from my house! I'm up at the caves nearly every month. It's cool to see this half forgotten region get a little bit of notice!
My favourite stories are:
- The Coast of Leitrim - a story of love and obsession and fear of commitment. It's both tragic and uplifting and shows the changing face of Ireland.
- Extremadura - a tale of a homeless Irish man in Spain, too proud to go home, lonely, ashamed and his newfound four legged companion.
- Who's Dead McCarthy - which I read at first as a sort of personification of Death though that might be wishful thinking on my part. Rather just a tale commenting on the strange relationship that Irish people have with death (something to be feared but also a great party!)
- Saint Catherine of the Fields - which is about collecting and keeping the old traditions alive, in this case, traditional Sean-nos singing.
- That Old Country Music - whose story wasn't that interesting but it was set in my village of Castlebaldwin!
- Roma Kid - which is about a runaway refugee child.
Some of the other stories I kind of glossed over, but all serve to show an Ireland in flux, the rift between east and west, urban and rural, traditional and new. Collectively, the stories address questions of identity and tradition - searching for a balance with this new, worldly Ireland while still keeping hold onto the traditions that make this place special. There are a lot of comments on the state of rural Ireland and how it's been somewhat neglected by the wealthier urban centres in the east and south. Some of the earlier stories I had more trouble connecting with, but overall I really enjoyed this strange little collection of stories.
eyeball83's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
leahhh1's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual content and Misogyny
laurakavanagh123's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
msjg's review against another edition
5.0
If at all possible, experience this book as an audiobook read by the author. His voice is unforgettable. It will haunt your dreams. Some of these stories are so simultaneously bleak and hilarious that I felt guilty for laughing at them.