Book Notes 07-12-06

Memories of the Misunderstood, Little Wonders and The Road to Nowhere reviewed by Edward O'Hare.
Memories of the Misunderstood

In his spoof memoir of an Irish-speaking peasant, The Poor Mouth, Flann O'Brien hilariously sent up the clichés common to such books by endlessly repeating the three words – ‘rain', ‘potatoes' and ‘eternity' – like some kind of demented primeval chant. When it comes to writing gloomy and despairing personal histories the Irish are certainly the masters of the art. The tendency of all Irish autobiographies to be unbearably depressing made the gigantic poularity of Hugo Hamilton's The Speckled People even more of a surprise than it should have been. This week, The Sailor in the Wardrobe, Hamilton's follow up, appears in paperback for the first time. Hamilton's past is an impossibly tangled business. In The Speckled People he recalled how he lived the childhood of the ultimate outsider. Raised by his fanatically nationalistic Irish-speaking father and guilt-ridden German mother, Hamilton was misunderstood by the Dublin community of the 1950s. The Sailor in the Wardrobe finds him 10 years older but still damaged and facing the same problems. The unbearable weight of history has been passed on and The Sailor in the Wardrobe is the story of how Hamilton found ways to escape the sadness and insecurity that blighted his parents lives.

Little Wonders

Booknotes sympathises with all you parents who try to find a little space for a book or two amidst all the designer clothes, DVDs, credit cards and BMWs your children want for christmas. Though it seems they stand no chance of competing with the latest blood-splattered computer game and will be swallowed by a sea of torn wrapping paper, books often outlive the tacky frenzy of Christmas day. But which is the one for your beloved little torment? Booknotes would not dream of sending you out into the mayhem of Christmas shopping without offering some recommendations. Those aged over eight might enjoy The Horrible History of the World by Terry Deary. This is a compilation of the best of Deary's hugely sucessful series which looks at colourful characters from ancient and modern history. Deary has perfected a deliciously dry sense of humour and his hilariously illustrated introductions to each historical era may ignite a love of the past which will benefit any child in the future. Children a little older might consider Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea by Michael Morpugo. Morpugo has spent a lifetime writing perfectly crafted fiction for children and can always be relied upon for his original, thought-provoking stories.

The Road to Nowhere

Many writers have destroyed the world. From Nevil Shute to HG Wells to John Wyndham, the possibilities of creating global annihilation in print have proven irresistible for  conscientious imaginations keen to illustrate the awesome threat of technology. The latest author to take his readers on a tour of the valley of the shadow of death is Cormac McCarthy in his new novel The Road. McCarthy's more recent books, including No Country for Old Men and The Outer Dark, suggested the authors growing concern about the fragility of our species but in The Road he addresses this directly. The Road begins with the seemingly ordinary story of a father and son as they undertake a journey accross the United States to the coast. As the tale unfolds it becomes clear that devastation on an unimaginable scale has occurred. Every sign of civilization has gone and bands of cannibalistic sub-humans threaten the few survivors. With critics analyzing just about every film, TV series and novel for its post-9/11 subtext, McCarthy's book is bound to receive a similar interpretation. This would underestimate a novel which paints a compelling if terrifying picture of the twilight of humanity. Of the many works of fiction released this year this is one we should all take note of.