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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
Desperately, obsessively ragged with life. Possessed of a willing delusion of grandeur lovingly coloured against the grim winds and water of Western Ireland, Barry's characterization of John Lennon travels by fits and starts into his future, one way or another. While I'm not a fan of the Beatles, even I can see that this is a striking - if, perhaps, not a major - novel. Deathhauntedness and Screaming, Cornelius and John himself: these are characters and concepts you won't find yourself forgetting in a hurry.
A trippy and poetic journey into the myth of John Lennon. Drugs, self, identity, muse and rage. Lots of wierd shit, but it's quite enjoyable. Really nicely mixes in lots of lyrical references to Lennon's music.
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
Beatlebone by Kevin Barry is a free NetGalley ebook that I began reading during an early morning in November, due to the advent of an autumn Daylight Savings Time.
The first 70% of this book is pure inspiration, an impressive and the best interpretation of John Lennon in any medium after his death that I've yet seen. It's not mockery, parrotry, or silly at all, but transportive and pathos-wrenching at the same time.
Then comes an entire chapter of author's note. It breaks the revelry and, even though there's 10% of back-to-the-good-stuff narration afterward, it doesn't bring you back to the original giddy feeling that you began the book with.
The first 70% of this book is pure inspiration, an impressive and the best interpretation of John Lennon in any medium after his death that I've yet seen. It's not mockery, parrotry, or silly at all, but transportive and pathos-wrenching at the same time.
Then comes an entire chapter of author's note. It breaks the revelry and, even though there's 10% of back-to-the-good-stuff narration afterward, it doesn't bring you back to the original giddy feeling that you began the book with.
„What about this island then?“
„Turns out the thought of it's the thing, Charlie. The reality is slippery rocks and freezing fucking sea and creamy fucking gull shit.“
Effortless lyricism, cinematic paragraphs, brilliant dialogue. But the real surprise is the meta-chapter — both in style and substance.
„Turns out the thought of it's the thing, Charlie. The reality is slippery rocks and freezing fucking sea and creamy fucking gull shit.“
Effortless lyricism, cinematic paragraphs, brilliant dialogue. But the real surprise is the meta-chapter — both in style and substance.
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This would have been a four star book if Barry hadn’t included an unnecessary CNF chapter about how much research he’d done. That might have been interesting to read after experiencing the actual novel into which it was inserted, but it broke the spell and flow and it was difficult to unsee the ‘animator’s hand’ after that, so rather spoiled the last few parts which came after it.
The rest of the novel is beautifully written, experimenting with various forms to express different sections and aspects of the narrative. Barry does a good job with showing how John’s Liverpudlian accent contrasts with all the Irish ones.
It’s occasionally a bit fey and sentimental for my tastes, but the bleakness is beautifully done. Mostly it’s a quest, a journey like Pilgrim’s Progress, therefore episodic, but sipping between memories and hyper-realities along the way, which adds depths and variety of tone/texture.
I’m not a huge Beatles fan, but my husband is so I knew enough about Lennon’s life to grasp most (I think) of the references and background underpinnings. This is an interesting form of historical novel, always open about being a description of something which never happened but could have done, featuring characters based on, but not claiming to be exactly like, real people.
It’s an interesting experiment with some gorgeous prose but one unnecessary chapter.
The rest of the novel is beautifully written, experimenting with various forms to express different sections and aspects of the narrative. Barry does a good job with showing how John’s Liverpudlian accent contrasts with all the Irish ones.
It’s occasionally a bit fey and sentimental for my tastes, but the bleakness is beautifully done. Mostly it’s a quest, a journey like Pilgrim’s Progress, therefore episodic, but sipping between memories and hyper-realities along the way, which adds depths and variety of tone/texture.
I’m not a huge Beatles fan, but my husband is so I knew enough about Lennon’s life to grasp most (I think) of the references and background underpinnings. This is an interesting form of historical novel, always open about being a description of something which never happened but could have done, featuring characters based on, but not claiming to be exactly like, real people.
It’s an interesting experiment with some gorgeous prose but one unnecessary chapter.