A terrifyingly realistic view of a dreadful time in terms of both history and growing up that is nevertheless often very funny. The good son by paul mcveigh, a humorous and moving comingofage novel set in belfast during the troubles, is this months irish times book club choice. Read the good son, by paul mcveigh online on bookmate mickey donnelly is smart, which isnt a good thing in his part of town. The young mickey donnelly is a superb creation, his thoughts and feelings bubbling onto the page in an immaculatelyrendered voice, droll, cheeky and authentic. He doesnt think much of his older brother paddy and really doesnt like his da. The good sons early80s backdrop is one of poverty, paranoia and violence, both. May 10, 2016 in the good son paul mcveigh traces the physical geography of ardoyne with as much precision as he depicts the geography of the human heart.
Mickey donnelly is smart, which isnt a good thing in his part of town. Mickey donnelly is smart, which isnt a good thing in his part of tow. His characters burst with truth and authenticity and his dialogue had me laughing out loud which doesnt happen often. The good son, by paul mcveigh, tells the story of eleven year old mickey donnelly, who lives in belfasts troubled ardoyne but has problems in his life. It was you that started them, son, says she, and we all laugh, except our paddy. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The good son s early80s backdrop is one of poverty, paranoia and violence, both sectarian and domestic, a terrifying world for a boy whose best friend is his little sister and whose favourite film is the wizard of oz. Mcveighs debut novel the good son salt publishing, april 2015 is a triumph of vivid recall, a wrenchingoff of the protective scabs that i, and many like me. The good son by paul mcveigh close, but no paddy clarke. The good son by paul mcveigh close, but no paddy clarke ha. Shortlisted for the authors club best first novel award 2016. Mickey donnelly is smart, which isnt a good thing in his part. This was because author paul mcveigh is fearless in showing a world in. All this attention is very much deserved, the good son doing everything it says on the tin and more.
Its ironic the two books i did the most research for i ended up not writing why the good son is. May 17, 2015 but the full horror of that saturday in 1988 came back to me as i read paul mcveighs the good son. The good son, his first novel, was brightons city reads for 2016, shortlisted for the authors club best first novel award, finalist for the peoples book prize and longlisted for the polari prize. Paul mcveigh s the good son has earned expected comparisons to roddy doyles paddy clarke ha ha ha, mainly as both are a comingofage tale featuring a likeable main character surviving in difficult circumstances. May 15, 2015 this isnt the only cloud hanging over the delightful narrator of paul mcveighs debut novel, however. Apr 12, 2017 in which i try to talk about this fantastic book. Winner of the polari first book prize 2016 finalist for the peoples book prize 2016 shortlisted for the authors club b.
Its a finely delineated depiction of a brutal and brutalising environment, rotten with machismo, creaking under various layers of. It was also shortlisted for the guardians not the booker prize in 2015. Set in ardoyne, a mainly catholic district of north belfast, during the troubles in the 1970s, the story follows mickey donnelly, one summer as he prepares to leave junior school and across the holidays before he starts at a secondary. Set in northern ireland in the 1980s, the good son is a funny, frightening and ultimately moving story centred around mickey donnelly, a boy struggling to come of age against the backdrop of bitter and brutal surroundings. Also, i seem to suffer from isf inappropriately smiling face. This extract from the novel the good son by paul mcveigh is presented as part new writing from the uk.
The good son is so much more than a comingofage story. It was shortlisted for the guardians not the booker prize 2015, shortlisted for the authors club best first born in belfast, i studied theatre at university and cofounded a. Paul mcveighs debut new novel is everything its fans say it is funny, raw, sometimes distressing, always wonderfully entertaining. Mickey is different from the other kids and they make is life miserable because of it.
In the book, mickey donnelly, the main character, is accidentally caught up in a similar incident. I do love a good hard northern ireland queer read and down here in the soft bubble of the south east we often overlook fiction set in the fourth part of our lovely untied magic kingdom. The good son, pauls debut novel, won the polari first novel prize and the mccrea literary award. But in fact he is the good son of the title, the one who loves and cares about the traumas to which the whole family is subject. This is just one in a pile of books i have read recently with a young boy as the narrator.
The good son by paul mcveigh is irish times book club choice for july. This isnt the only cloud hanging over the delightful narrator of paul mcveigh s debut novel, however. Apr 15, 2015 this isnt the only cloud hanging over the delightful narrator of paul mcveigh s debut novel, however. The good son is a brilliant portrait of both political and familial unrest, and paul mcveigh is a wildly important new talent. Review of the good son by paul mcveigh gregoryhaymanartist. Paul mcveigh neednt feel embarrassed by comparisons. He dreams of going to america, taking wee maggie and ma with him, to get them away from belfast and da.
And if that werent enough, his is mocked and tormented because, in his own words, everyone says im gay. My debut novel the good son was been chosen for world book night 2017. Praise for this book i was knocked out by this stunningly intelligent, compassionate, and mordantly funny debut novel. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. Buy the good son unabridged audiobook by paul mcveigh isbn. The good son the book begins with a joke, a tease by ma that her son is the origin of the troubles. It was shortlisted for the authors club best first novel award, the prix du roman cezam in france and a finalist for the peoples book prize. The good son is a hopeful and sweet book that doesnt shy away from harsh realities and reads as honest as you could wish. Paul mcveigh audio books, best sellers, author bio.
Lisa mcinerney, lucy caldwell, danielle mclaughlin and other writers will explore this humorous, moving comingofage novel about a boy. As a reader you run up and down those streets with mickey, onto the wastelands where kids sniff glue and bombs explode unpredictably. The good son, by paul mcveigh, tells the story of eleven year old mickey donnelly, who lives in belfasts troubled ardoyne but has problems in his life far greater than those caused by sectarian violence. I put that down to his pimples and general ugliness. With a good dose of survivor guilt, and a shamefaced glance in. The good son by paul mcveigh read online on bookmate. Born in belfast, i studied theatre at university and cofounded a theatre company to write and direct plays. Browse paul mcveighs bestselling audiobooks and newest titles. The good son spans a difficult summer where he dreads starting secondary school in the autumn. May 08, 2015 the good son by paul mcveigh salt publishing blurb. The good son by paul mcveigh close, but no paddy clarke ha ha. Mickey donnelly, the central protagonist of paul mcveighs debut novel, was born on the first day of the troubles it was you that started them, son, his ma says with typical black humour, meaning that sectarian belfast is the only reality that he has ever known. Mcveigh s debut novel the good son is a triumph of vivid recall, a wrenchingoff of the protective scabs that i, and many like me, have allowed to grow over the wounds of an upbringing in the sectarian streets of northern. Im inspired by the different ways authors do it and impressed when writers really pull it off.
It was city reads 2016 book for brighton and was the winner of the polari first novel prize. The good son by paul mcveigh is irish times book club choice for. The good son by paul mcveigh is irish times book club choice. Read the good son by paul mcveigh available from rakuten kobo. Mar 02, 2020 paul mcveighs the good son has earned expected comparisons to roddy doyles paddy clarke ha ha ha, mainly as both are a comingofage tale featuring a likeable main character surviving in difficult circumstances. The good son is bursting with action, love, loss, betrayal and so much more it is the sort of book you pick up and hours later emerge from, wondering where the time went. I knew i was going to like it but i had no idea it was going to be this good. The good son by paul mcveigh overdrive rakuten overdrive. The good son by paul mcveigh nook book ebook barnes. The good son by paul mcveigh salt publishing blurb. Both books are firstperson narrations from deep inside the heads. The belfast authors spirited debut delivers a real sense of a broken family living in a broken society.
Paul mcveigh s debut new novel is everything its fans say it is funny, raw, sometimes distressing, always wonderfully entertaining. The minibus in which he is travelling is stopped at a protestant checkpoint and for one nervewracking moment it is uncertain what will happen. The belfast author paul mcveigh brings this plight to life in a spirited debut novel that at times, so loaded with action, veers off course and. Mickey, the narrator, is 11 years old, intelligent, gentle and living in the ardoyne at the height of the troubles. Mcveigh s debut novel the good son salt publishing, april 2015 is a triumph of vivid recall, a wrenchingoff of the protective scabs that i, and many like me, have allowed to grow over the wounds of an upbringing in the sectarian streets of northern ireland during the troubles. The good son by paul mcveigh is irish times book club.
The good son spans a difficult summer where he dreads starting secondary. And sometimes, you have to be a bad boy to be a good son. Apr 23, 2015 this isnt the only cloud hanging over the delightful narrator of paul mcveigh s debut novel, however. The good son is its own story though, set as it is, in the ardoyne in belfast in the 80s, with the troubles as its backdrop. Jan 04, 2016 paul mcveigh had me at the first sentence of this wonderfully witty and highly original book. The good son is a swift and savage reminder that for so many of my countrymen and women, it really was that bad and there is little need for exaggeration. Like a fine point of light, the desire to be loved and accepted drives the good son toward an ending that leaves the reader satisfied, if somewhat unsettled. For a first novel, this is a pretty mean achievement and i cant help wonder what mr mcveigh will hit us with next.
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