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This Thing Called Courage: South Boston Stories
Presents a collection of five short stories and two novellas that examine the lives of gay men and youth in the Irish-Catholic, working-class community of South Boston.
252 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 6, 2017
One of my all time favorites. I love the stories - the pointed tragedy of almost every one of them was so inspiring and so beautiful. Even when things don't go well for Hayes' characters, they still show such grace and hope that you can't help but fall in love with everything about this book.
April 25, 2022
9,0
What an enormous disservice the cover art makes. It makes it look like a porn! Don’t be put off by it, really.
A Map of the Harbor Islands shook me good. I felt like I needed to read Hayes’ other works... so I decided to try his first novel: "This Thing Called Courage", a short story collection. And for a first timer, Hayes comes in ready showcasing his incredible ability as a character creator and his mastery on letting them lead their own stories with their own words.
"Regular Flattop" - 8/10
Regular Flattop is a great way to start the conversation. It introduces Hayes’ thematic interests, prose and intensity in a way that it isn’t too upfront but doesn’t shy away, either. The story is great and
"This Thing Called Courage" - 8.5/10
The title story feels like a dramatic Palme D’Or nominee, in good hands it would make a great movie. If you want to introduce Hayes to your friends and you’re unsure what to recommend, this seems like the safest bet. It has everything a short story should have, starting with a great hook, moving forward packing a good punch behind every line, and tying it all up with a really satisfying conclusion - but not without leaving some food for thought.
"Jimmy Callahan, Married, Three Kids" - 9/10
Before this story Hayes was only kicking you in the balls for fun. Now reaching dangerous territories, Jimmy Callahan feels like a castration. I, stupidly, assumed that if the book ever dealt with sad themes again, they’d probably be around This Thing Called Courage's and Jimmy Callahan's standards, not getting any harsher than that...
And then the two following stories came.
"Sister Bennett’s Crystal Ball" & "The Rain" 10/10
Well shit. This is Hayes at his peak.
All stories until here have personality, distinct voices and a lot of charm, but these two take these aspects to another level.
Both read under some sort of spell. Everything is floaty, dreamy, distant... Like you’re a faraway spectator. And it's not for lack of details, but precisely because of how "specificly excessive" he is with his wording. It’s like your brain can’t help it but pull away a bit so it can fit all of those datas into its imaginary canvas. The characters see so much of what they want to see that all the other details pales in comparison. I see these stories in watercolor, the intensity of the center and the watered, faded corners of the surroundings. You feel yourself in these two stories, in their choices, and you couldn’t wish for anything worse than that.
PS.: Sometimes The Rain felt to me like a prototype of A Map of the Harbor Islands. Of course, they're vastly different but at the same time they seemed so similar!
"Peter Pillsbury’s Pride Parade" 7/10
Now that was a weird one? I want to compliment the fact that it came right after The heartbreaking Rain. Though it felt like it belonged at the start of the book I can totally see the reason why it is where it is. And before mentioning what I disliked, I think it's important to mention that all the details in this story are great, really! It feels like the setup of a great 2000s Warner Bros. comedy. It’s easily the funniest and most well-humored story of the book but... like in a movie, where the explanations usually happens at the second arc’s “point of no return”, this story reads as if it’s leading into a second half we’ll never see. It ends exactly where the story feels like it's turning into an actual story.
As the first part of something? This would’ve been great. But as a self contained story? It feels incomplete in an “““unsatisfying””” way - for the lack of a better word.
"When Jesus Came to Town" 10/10
Courage ends with a bang pulling us into a dramatic comedy under idyllic settings and a scorching heat. My mind wandered, imagining this story set into a world like Philip Ridley's The Reflecting Skin . It's a mesmerizing way to end the book, leaving you with enough penance, magical realism and religious zealotry as food for thought.
Conclusion:
Tragic and human but always magical and scintillant, This Thing Called Courage’s stories reads as earthquakes here and there turning houses inside out, cracking pavements, leaving you in the dark; demanding the hardest choices under the most extraordinary circumstances. Their aftermath are always cathartic, bitter and filled with clouds of horror and a heart-aching hope or a mind-breaking fear. Totally worth the read.
What an enormous disservice the cover art makes. It makes it look like a porn! Don’t be put off by it, really.
A Map of the Harbor Islands shook me good. I felt like I needed to read Hayes’ other works... so I decided to try his first novel: "This Thing Called Courage", a short story collection. And for a first timer, Hayes comes in ready showcasing his incredible ability as a character creator and his mastery on letting them lead their own stories with their own words.
"Regular Flattop" - 8/10
Regular Flattop is a great way to start the conversation. It introduces Hayes’ thematic interests, prose and intensity in a way that it isn’t too upfront but doesn’t shy away, either. The story is great and
"This Thing Called Courage" - 8.5/10
The title story feels like a dramatic Palme D’Or nominee, in good hands it would make a great movie. If you want to introduce Hayes to your friends and you’re unsure what to recommend, this seems like the safest bet. It has everything a short story should have, starting with a great hook, moving forward packing a good punch behind every line, and tying it all up with a really satisfying conclusion - but not without leaving some food for thought.
"Jimmy Callahan, Married, Three Kids" - 9/10
Before this story Hayes was only kicking you in the balls for fun. Now reaching dangerous territories, Jimmy Callahan feels like a castration. I, stupidly, assumed that if the book ever dealt with sad themes again, they’d probably be around This Thing Called Courage's and Jimmy Callahan's standards, not getting any harsher than that...
And then the two following stories came.
"Sister Bennett’s Crystal Ball" & "The Rain" 10/10
Well shit. This is Hayes at his peak.
All stories until here have personality, distinct voices and a lot of charm, but these two take these aspects to another level.
Both read under some sort of spell. Everything is floaty, dreamy, distant... Like you’re a faraway spectator. And it's not for lack of details, but precisely because of how "specificly excessive" he is with his wording. It’s like your brain can’t help it but pull away a bit so it can fit all of those datas into its imaginary canvas. The characters see so much of what they want to see that all the other details pales in comparison. I see these stories in watercolor, the intensity of the center and the watered, faded corners of the surroundings. You feel yourself in these two stories, in their choices, and you couldn’t wish for anything worse than that.
PS.: Sometimes The Rain felt to me like a prototype of A Map of the Harbor Islands. Of course, they're vastly different but at the same time they seemed so similar!
"Peter Pillsbury’s Pride Parade" 7/10
Now that was a weird one? I want to compliment the fact that it came right after The heartbreaking Rain. Though it felt like it belonged at the start of the book I can totally see the reason why it is where it is. And before mentioning what I disliked, I think it's important to mention that all the details in this story are great, really! It feels like the setup of a great 2000s Warner Bros. comedy. It’s easily the funniest and most well-humored story of the book but... like in a movie, where the explanations usually happens at the second arc’s “point of no return”, this story reads as if it’s leading into a second half we’ll never see. It ends exactly where the story feels like it's turning into an actual story.
As the first part of something? This would’ve been great. But as a self contained story? It feels incomplete in an “““unsatisfying””” way - for the lack of a better word.
"When Jesus Came to Town" 10/10
Courage ends with a bang pulling us into a dramatic comedy under idyllic settings and a scorching heat. My mind wandered, imagining this story set into a world like Philip Ridley's The Reflecting Skin . It's a mesmerizing way to end the book, leaving you with enough penance, magical realism and religious zealotry as food for thought.
Conclusion:
Tragic and human but always magical and scintillant, This Thing Called Courage’s stories reads as earthquakes here and there turning houses inside out, cracking pavements, leaving you in the dark; demanding the hardest choices under the most extraordinary circumstances. Their aftermath are always cathartic, bitter and filled with clouds of horror and a heart-aching hope or a mind-breaking fear. Totally worth the read.
September 2, 2007
A Constant Reader, since gone AWOL, suggested Joe Hayes come and introduce himself and talk about his book -- this one. Hayes did and when I looked over the Amazon info, I ordered it and read it. The stories range from causing barely a discernible ripple to being difficult to some degree and yet -- at the same time drawing me in and allowing me to see/feel the joy or sorrow in each. Several of these stories remain etched in memory and I'm sure I will re-read either all or part of the book eventually. Hayes has another out which I have not read as yet.
January 10, 2010
What a Revelation!
Literary world take note: JG Hayes has arrived and with his appearance comes a voice utterly honest and unique, a style that carries signature traits that are never cloying, never 'au courant', and never for self indulgent effect. This gifted man knows that elusive skill of storytelling, a skill that is sadly lacking from many better known authors writing in this country today. For the uninitiated, and for the sport of comparison, think Jamie O'Neill ('At Swim, Two Boys'), K.M. Schoelein ('The World of Normal Boys'), and other writers of equal dollops of skill and courage in writing about gay culture, but the comparisons don't stop there. I think Hayes has opened the door to the ranks of Richard Russo, Annie Proulx, Seamus Heaney, Flannery O'Connor, Frank McCourt, JD Salinger, James Joyce, and a throng of others whose voices are unique and timeless.
THIS THING CALLED COURAGE: SOUTH BOSTON STORIES is a rich collection of short stories and novellas that dare to explore a corner of the world that includes a re-evaluation of the macho South Boston Irish image of a 'normal' man, challenging the Catholic Church from a stance of a believer instead of a critic, articulating the wholeness of mental and physical response of young lads coming to grips with their longings/lusts/fears and scintillations/passions/joys of that first encounter with same sex love. A huge bit of information to relate and explore, but Hayes does so successfully in this extraordinary first novel.
For this reader the amazing contribution here is his ability to tell seven stories about South Boston people, give each of the stories its own vocabulary and flavor, keep the stories tied together by soft references to names in other stories within the collections that gives the sense of community to the book, and tells each tale through the eyes of distinctly varied characters from Irish gang members to sexually repressed young adult males, to little girls, to narcissistic gym boys, to the mentally disturbed. Yet even more unique in the field of coming of age/coming out novels, Hayes knows how to describe the strange mixture of dreamy desire, sexual arousal, and abject terror that accompanies first physical encounters whether those encounters be heterosexual or bisexual or homosexual. This writing could never be construed as pornographic: this is sensual, erotic, and yet amazingly pure feeling that all authors attempt, few succeeding because of word traps like 'member' or 'manhood' or 'enter' that act as clods in the path of writing about sexuality. These 'clods' never even come into view with Hayes' stories. He maintains the dignity of his characters while allowing us to sense their passions.
To isolate a portion of this collection as 'best' is not possible for this reader. THE RAIN stands with the finest of tales about the various etiologies of mental illness (or reactive madness) in a completely credible manner. WHEN JESUS CAME TO TOWN slowly unfolds a richly charactered story as related by a cunning little sister with the courage to travel the tightrope of love for two brothers and the discovery of a family secret that threatens alienation from parents and church and the world at large. It is a graceful, tightly integrated story that ends this treasure trove book with lingering food for thought. Personal favorites will arise for the reader of JG Hayes: I was captivated with the title story (THIS THING CALLED COURAGE) and with JIMMY CALLLAHAN, MARRIED, THREE KIDS and REGULAR FLATTOP. I am left in deep admiration for this gifed writer and eagerly await his next book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED reading for everyone.
Literary world take note: JG Hayes has arrived and with his appearance comes a voice utterly honest and unique, a style that carries signature traits that are never cloying, never 'au courant', and never for self indulgent effect. This gifted man knows that elusive skill of storytelling, a skill that is sadly lacking from many better known authors writing in this country today. For the uninitiated, and for the sport of comparison, think Jamie O'Neill ('At Swim, Two Boys'), K.M. Schoelein ('The World of Normal Boys'), and other writers of equal dollops of skill and courage in writing about gay culture, but the comparisons don't stop there. I think Hayes has opened the door to the ranks of Richard Russo, Annie Proulx, Seamus Heaney, Flannery O'Connor, Frank McCourt, JD Salinger, James Joyce, and a throng of others whose voices are unique and timeless.
THIS THING CALLED COURAGE: SOUTH BOSTON STORIES is a rich collection of short stories and novellas that dare to explore a corner of the world that includes a re-evaluation of the macho South Boston Irish image of a 'normal' man, challenging the Catholic Church from a stance of a believer instead of a critic, articulating the wholeness of mental and physical response of young lads coming to grips with their longings/lusts/fears and scintillations/passions/joys of that first encounter with same sex love. A huge bit of information to relate and explore, but Hayes does so successfully in this extraordinary first novel.
For this reader the amazing contribution here is his ability to tell seven stories about South Boston people, give each of the stories its own vocabulary and flavor, keep the stories tied together by soft references to names in other stories within the collections that gives the sense of community to the book, and tells each tale through the eyes of distinctly varied characters from Irish gang members to sexually repressed young adult males, to little girls, to narcissistic gym boys, to the mentally disturbed. Yet even more unique in the field of coming of age/coming out novels, Hayes knows how to describe the strange mixture of dreamy desire, sexual arousal, and abject terror that accompanies first physical encounters whether those encounters be heterosexual or bisexual or homosexual. This writing could never be construed as pornographic: this is sensual, erotic, and yet amazingly pure feeling that all authors attempt, few succeeding because of word traps like 'member' or 'manhood' or 'enter' that act as clods in the path of writing about sexuality. These 'clods' never even come into view with Hayes' stories. He maintains the dignity of his characters while allowing us to sense their passions.
To isolate a portion of this collection as 'best' is not possible for this reader. THE RAIN stands with the finest of tales about the various etiologies of mental illness (or reactive madness) in a completely credible manner. WHEN JESUS CAME TO TOWN slowly unfolds a richly charactered story as related by a cunning little sister with the courage to travel the tightrope of love for two brothers and the discovery of a family secret that threatens alienation from parents and church and the world at large. It is a graceful, tightly integrated story that ends this treasure trove book with lingering food for thought. Personal favorites will arise for the reader of JG Hayes: I was captivated with the title story (THIS THING CALLED COURAGE) and with JIMMY CALLLAHAN, MARRIED, THREE KIDS and REGULAR FLATTOP. I am left in deep admiration for this gifed writer and eagerly await his next book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED reading for everyone.
September 26, 2008
Quote from reading of Map of the Harbor Islands:
"The definition of a sacrament is an outward ritual signifying an inner chance."
"The definition of a sacrament is an outward ritual signifying an inner chance."
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews