The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe- 2 stars **
This book was actually one of the set books for my course. We had to read the beginning and comment on the use of voice within it. I must admit, I didn't particularly enjoy it to begin with, but forced myself to continue reading it and I'm really glad I did.
It is about a young boy called Francie Brady growing up in Ireland. He has a hard childhood, with his mother committing suicide after being released from a mental hospital and his father being an alcoholic who leaves Francie to fend for himself. That's not to say that he can't do so though. A large part of why I liked this novel was the fierceness that Francie continuously shows despite being thrown obstacles on all sides. The town mischief, he is constantly getting into trouble with the law and his neighbours until he is sent to an industrial school run by priests.
The book as a whole is quite disturbing, and contains some issues that may be upsetting to some readers. However, I found this grittiness paired with the strong first person narrative of the story made a terrific read, and the twist at the end was totally unexpected and brilliant. The characters are all seen through Francie's eyes, but they are well crafted and described so that you get a proper picture of the people in the town.
There is a lack of 'standard' grammar throughout, as it is written like a long conversation that Francie is having with the reader, 'Big strings of toffee and a beard of chocolate all over your face...He had a big breeze block of a head and a pair of eyebrows like two slugs trying to stand up. I wouldn't have fancied a scrap with him.' It does take some getting used to, but is an interesting concept that I felt added to the overall feel of the novel, and moulds Francie into a character that the reader really empathi
ses with.
I enjoyed the way McCabe describes things, despite it not being the 'norm', and I thought it did the job just as well. 'My legs went into legs of sawdust. Trot trot goes the sadeyed ass pulling the cart and away off into the misty green mountains and the blue clouds of far away.'
Overall, I would say this book is great if you want a challenging read with an adventurous plot and an ending that is worth reading all night for!
This book was actually one of the set books for my course. We had to read the beginning and comment on the use of voice within it. I must admit, I didn't particularly enjoy it to begin with, but forced myself to continue reading it and I'm really glad I did.
It is about a young boy called Francie Brady growing up in Ireland. He has a hard childhood, with his mother committing suicide after being released from a mental hospital and his father being an alcoholic who leaves Francie to fend for himself. That's not to say that he can't do so though. A large part of why I liked this novel was the fierceness that Francie continuously shows despite being thrown obstacles on all sides. The town mischief, he is constantly getting into trouble with the law and his neighbours until he is sent to an industrial school run by priests.
The book as a whole is quite disturbing, and contains some issues that may be upsetting to some readers. However, I found this grittiness paired with the strong first person narrative of the story made a terrific read, and the twist at the end was totally unexpected and brilliant. The characters are all seen through Francie's eyes, but they are well crafted and described so that you get a proper picture of the people in the town.
There is a lack of 'standard' grammar throughout, as it is written like a long conversation that Francie is having with the reader, 'Big strings of toffee and a beard of chocolate all over your face...He had a big breeze block of a head and a pair of eyebrows like two slugs trying to stand up. I wouldn't have fancied a scrap with him.' It does take some getting used to, but is an interesting concept that I felt added to the overall feel of the novel, and moulds Francie into a character that the reader really empathi
ses with.I enjoyed the way McCabe describes things, despite it not being the 'norm', and I thought it did the job just as well. 'My legs went into legs of sawdust. Trot trot goes the sadeyed ass pulling the cart and away off into the misty green mountains and the blue clouds of far away.'
Overall, I would say this book is great if you want a challenging read with an adventurous plot and an ending that is worth reading all night for!
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