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The Cardiff Trilogy #2
Cardiff Dead
The city's booming. The skyline's dominated by a giant new stadium and the derelict docks are being reborn as Cardiff Bay. The Welsh Assembly kicks off in a welter of sexual scandal, fireworks and Shirley Bassey.
Charlie Unger's dead, been lying in his flat for a week. Charlie was old Cardiff through and through. Like Dame Shirley, he was a black kid from Tiger Bay. He found fame and fortune in the fifties as a boxer, lightweight champion of the world. Charlie's funeral brought the Wurriyas back together again - five lost souls looking for a place in their city's brave new millennium.
Charlie Unger's dead, been lying in his flat for a week. Charlie was old Cardiff through and through. Like Dame Shirley, he was a black kid from Tiger Bay. He found fame and fortune in the fifties as a boxer, lightweight champion of the world. Charlie's funeral brought the Wurriyas back together again - five lost souls looking for a place in their city's brave new millennium.
241 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
2 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
John Williams
17 books13 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
John L. Williams was born, lives and works in his hometown of Cardiff. He writes novels, short stories and screenplays set in a Cardiff that is changing fast. Williams celebrates the lives lived beneath the radar, the hustlers and grifters, hookers and guitar players, drug dealers and shoplifters, looking to make a crust or catch a break, looking for love. They are crime novels turned inside out. The police tried (unsuccessfully) to ban his Bloody Valentine (Harper Collins, 1994).
John has also published a number of non-fiction titles including his biographies of Black Power leader Michael X and Shirley Bassey. He currently writes for the Mail on Sunday and the Independent and is co-organiser of the Laugharne Festival. John has also worked for the NME and The Sunday Times, and has been a contributing editor of GQ magazine.
Selected Publications:
Non–fiction:
Into the Badlands (Paladin, 1991)
Bloody Valentine (HarperCollins, 1994)
Michael X: A Life in Black and White (Century, 2008)
Miss Shirley Bassey (Quercus, 2010)
Fiction:
Five Pubs, Two Bars and a Nightclub (Bloomsbury, 1999)
Cardiff Dead (Bloomsbury, 2000)
The Prince of Wales (Bloomsbury 2003)
Temperance Town (Bloomsbury, 2004)
The Cardiff Trilogy (Bloomsbury, 2006)
[http://www.literaturewales.org/writer...]
John L. Williams was born, lives and works in his hometown of Cardiff. He writes novels, short stories and screenplays set in a Cardiff that is changing fast. Williams celebrates the lives lived beneath the radar, the hustlers and grifters, hookers and guitar players, drug dealers and shoplifters, looking to make a crust or catch a break, looking for love. They are crime novels turned inside out. The police tried (unsuccessfully) to ban his Bloody Valentine (Harper Collins, 1994).
John has also published a number of non-fiction titles including his biographies of Black Power leader Michael X and Shirley Bassey. He currently writes for the Mail on Sunday and the Independent and is co-organiser of the Laugharne Festival. John has also worked for the NME and The Sunday Times, and has been a contributing editor of GQ magazine.
Selected Publications:
Non–fiction:
Into the Badlands (Paladin, 1991)
Bloody Valentine (HarperCollins, 1994)
Michael X: A Life in Black and White (Century, 2008)
Miss Shirley Bassey (Quercus, 2010)
Fiction:
Five Pubs, Two Bars and a Nightclub (Bloomsbury, 1999)
Cardiff Dead (Bloomsbury, 2000)
The Prince of Wales (Bloomsbury 2003)
Temperance Town (Bloomsbury, 2004)
The Cardiff Trilogy (Bloomsbury, 2006)
[http://www.literaturewales.org/writer...]
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 18, 2017
I picked this up on a complete whim when browsing one of my favourite second hand book stores and couldn't help but buy it (who could with a cover like that) and I really did not know what to expect. But this turned out to be a great read packed full of humour, fantastic characters and recognisable landmarks (to me at least). Set mainly in 1999 as the Welsh Assembly and the Millennium Stadium open and Wales hosts the Rugby World Cup we follow Mazz as he returns to the city after 20 years to catch up with his old band mates and finding out that some things have changed and some things haven't. This is a very character driven story, complete with flash backs to when they were young, stupid and full of optimism for the future. The writing is engaging and easy to read, sweeping you along as easily as a a pint goes down.
January 8, 2018
In his third work of fiction, Williams returns to the colorfully seedy neighborhood and characters of Butetown in Cardiff, as seen previously in his collection Five Pubs, Two Bars, and a Nightclub, for a crime novel that draws heavily upon the themes of his first novel, Faithless. That story featured Jeff, former punk saxaphonist who is drifting along trying to figure out what to make of his life in the wake of punk. Here, we have Mazz, guitarist for hire and former leader of a Welsh one-hit-wonder ska band from 1981, the Wurriyas. It's now 1999, and Mazz is making his way back to Cardiff for his bandmate Charlie's funeral, where he will encounter everyone from the "good old days" (including a number of characters who appear in Five Pubs, Two Bars, and a Nightclub).
Was Charlie's death an accidental cocaine overdose, or is there something more to it? And what about the mysterious disappearance of Emyr, formerly the Wurriyas' skinhead drummer, and now a brooding alt-rock god? Mazz ends up getting involved in both questions, but only in a meandering way, because what he's really wondering is how his life has gotten so off track, and what-if any-changes he can make. Mazz's struggle with the past is inexorably tied to that of Tyra, his former bandmate, girlfriend, and Charlie's daughter. Williams propels their story with flashbacks to the early '80s showing the formation of the band, their rise and fall, and the relationships between them all. Initially it's a little hard to feel too much sympathy for hard-drinking Mazz, who seems to be able to pull any woman he wants, but as the novel progresses, it becomes sad how these are the only things he can try and fill his emptiness in. What he really wants, he's not made for, and perhaps saddest of all, he knows it.
This is a great book, mixing crime, pulp, tragedy, grim humor, surfing, ska, urban renewal, nostalgia, and desperation. All the characters pop from the page, especially vivid are lesbian singer turned pimp Bobby, and laid-back former footballer turned surfer bum Colonel. Contrary to at least one review, there is very little slang in the book, and it's quite easy to understand from the context. A brilliant look at non-tourist Cardiff. in addition to his his two books mentioned above, also check out Williams' non-fiction tour of American crime writing, Into the Badlands.
Was Charlie's death an accidental cocaine overdose, or is there something more to it? And what about the mysterious disappearance of Emyr, formerly the Wurriyas' skinhead drummer, and now a brooding alt-rock god? Mazz ends up getting involved in both questions, but only in a meandering way, because what he's really wondering is how his life has gotten so off track, and what-if any-changes he can make. Mazz's struggle with the past is inexorably tied to that of Tyra, his former bandmate, girlfriend, and Charlie's daughter. Williams propels their story with flashbacks to the early '80s showing the formation of the band, their rise and fall, and the relationships between them all. Initially it's a little hard to feel too much sympathy for hard-drinking Mazz, who seems to be able to pull any woman he wants, but as the novel progresses, it becomes sad how these are the only things he can try and fill his emptiness in. What he really wants, he's not made for, and perhaps saddest of all, he knows it.
This is a great book, mixing crime, pulp, tragedy, grim humor, surfing, ska, urban renewal, nostalgia, and desperation. All the characters pop from the page, especially vivid are lesbian singer turned pimp Bobby, and laid-back former footballer turned surfer bum Colonel. Contrary to at least one review, there is very little slang in the book, and it's quite easy to understand from the context. A brilliant look at non-tourist Cardiff. in addition to his his two books mentioned above, also check out Williams' non-fiction tour of American crime writing, Into the Badlands.
October 5, 2012
Great, underrated Welsh novel with a little bit of everything; crime, music and surfing.
July 4, 2019
It was an enjoyable little book. Sedate, with a focus on the characters and the interplay between them. The characters and the lives are immediately recognizable and I can't help but feel this is a Horation-cum-Menippean satire of devolution, and one that was, and indeed still is, much needed. There are some wonderfully parochial moments and naming a band the Wurriyas is just what I imagine my mate...would do.
I found the temporal jumping from 1981 to 1999 a bit scratchy. I'm not a fan of this sort of method/device anyway and it just didn't work for me and detracted from the flow of the story, which was a shame.
It is works like this that are laying the foundation of a solid literary base in Wales.
I found the temporal jumping from 1981 to 1999 a bit scratchy. I'm not a fan of this sort of method/device anyway and it just didn't work for me and detracted from the flow of the story, which was a shame.
It is works like this that are laying the foundation of a solid literary base in Wales.
July 15, 2021
Fantastic book, especially as I was brought up in and and frequented many of the places mentioned in the book. This is book 2 of a Cardiff trilogy, but it doesn't matter if you haven't read the first. Great storytelling with a fantastic sense of place.
July 14, 2022
Solidly good! Second book of this trilogy. Difficult to find though.
Feels like an excellent representation of Cardiff. Although I was only in town briefly, I "recognize" it.
And the author LOVES music - lots of music references, of all genres!
Feels like an excellent representation of Cardiff. Although I was only in town briefly, I "recognize" it.
And the author LOVES music - lots of music references, of all genres!
March 5, 2008
Sharp and funny rock-and-roll elegy to youth and a way of life that's disappearing as Wales joins Europe's shiny future.
Unfolding simultaneously in 1980 and 1999, Williams continues his fond and vivid portrait of Cardiff, last seen in his short story collection FIVE PUBS, TWO BARS AND A NIGHTCLUB (1999), in this tale of the Wurriyas, a one-hit ska band. After nearly twenty years, ex-Wurriyas' guitarist (and womanizer--art students and "little goth girls," mostly) Mazz, approaching forty, returns to Cardiff, where his career began. While Mazz toured with second-billed bands, erstwhile singer Bobby, now lesbian pimp, bassist Tyra, now single mom, and guitarist Col all remained, as did Charlie Unger, drummer, local character, washed-up prizefighter, and Tyra's absentee dad, whose death brings them together again. In 1980, with Bobby Sands' hunger strike in the background, the band goes from local pubs to a brief moment in the spotlight, while Mazz and Tyra fall in love. When Tyra ends a pregnancy, though, they give up, as the band falls apart. In 1999, Mazz and Tyra, both lonely and aware of their age, fall together, as they pursue the odd circumstances of Charlie's death. Scarily thuggish but goodhearted Jason Flaherty, once the Wurriyas's manager, is now a real-estate developer riding high on Cardiff's building boom, which is turning the gritty docks and pubs of the Wurriyas heyday into a touristy, waterfront mall. He pays Mazz to find Wurriya's drummer Emyr, who has famously disappeared, but was seen with Charlie shortly before his death. While making a go of it with Tyra, Mazz tours the surfing beaches of Wales, where rumor places Emyr, and uncovers the heartless real-estate maneuvering that led to the death of Charlie (and the Cardiff he once knew).
The "mystery" here reflects larger truths and keeps pages turning, but the texture, character and observation Williams gives us are by themselves captivating and rewarding enough.
Unfolding simultaneously in 1980 and 1999, Williams continues his fond and vivid portrait of Cardiff, last seen in his short story collection FIVE PUBS, TWO BARS AND A NIGHTCLUB (1999), in this tale of the Wurriyas, a one-hit ska band. After nearly twenty years, ex-Wurriyas' guitarist (and womanizer--art students and "little goth girls," mostly) Mazz, approaching forty, returns to Cardiff, where his career began. While Mazz toured with second-billed bands, erstwhile singer Bobby, now lesbian pimp, bassist Tyra, now single mom, and guitarist Col all remained, as did Charlie Unger, drummer, local character, washed-up prizefighter, and Tyra's absentee dad, whose death brings them together again. In 1980, with Bobby Sands' hunger strike in the background, the band goes from local pubs to a brief moment in the spotlight, while Mazz and Tyra fall in love. When Tyra ends a pregnancy, though, they give up, as the band falls apart. In 1999, Mazz and Tyra, both lonely and aware of their age, fall together, as they pursue the odd circumstances of Charlie's death. Scarily thuggish but goodhearted Jason Flaherty, once the Wurriyas's manager, is now a real-estate developer riding high on Cardiff's building boom, which is turning the gritty docks and pubs of the Wurriyas heyday into a touristy, waterfront mall. He pays Mazz to find Wurriya's drummer Emyr, who has famously disappeared, but was seen with Charlie shortly before his death. While making a go of it with Tyra, Mazz tours the surfing beaches of Wales, where rumor places Emyr, and uncovers the heartless real-estate maneuvering that led to the death of Charlie (and the Cardiff he once knew).
The "mystery" here reflects larger truths and keeps pages turning, but the texture, character and observation Williams gives us are by themselves captivating and rewarding enough.
November 3, 2016
Mazz rentre à Cardiff pour rendre hommage à son vieil ami décédé seul dans son appartement, abandonné de tous et surtout de sa fille, Tyra. Mais la ville n'est plus ce qu'il était quand le jeune homme a fui une histoire d'amour ratée et un échec professionnel cuisant. La vieille cité de pauvres travailleurs est en train de se transformer en une ville moderne et les entrepreneurs se font la guerre. Et c'est alors que le soupçon naît dans l'esprit des anciens membres du groupe ska: et si Charlie n'était pas mort par accident?
Ce roman tente de donner un aperçu de ce que Cardiff, capitale du Pays de Galles, était dans les années '80 et de ce qu'elle devient 20 ans plus tard. Des quais, repères de la communauté noire, au centre-ville peuplé de pubs typiques où se mélangent travailleurs souvent pauvres et alcooliques et étudiants révolutionnaires, l'auteur tente de nous emporter dans un monde où la musique fait son époque. Drogue, sexe et alcool sont omniprésents dans le paysage, avec en fond: un meurtre, une histoire d'amour et de la tragédie pour tous.
Je n'ai pas été transportée par ce roman, bien qu'ayant passé un semestre inoubliable à Cardiff, je désirais me replonger dans l'atmosphère de la ville, qui pour moi était un mélange intéressant de tradition et de modernité. Malheureusement, j'ai trouvé l'ambiance trop sombre et morose pour une histoire qui manquait cruellement d'énergie. Le meurtre et la résolution de l'énigme se perdent dans les descriptions, les états d'âmes et les regrets des personnages qui tournent un peu en rond. Je n'ai pas pu m'attacher à aucun d'entre eux, que ce soit le 'héros', un pauvre type alcoolique, la belle femme noire qui cherche un coup d'un soir/père pour ses enfants tout en pensant que la vie qu'elle donne l'impression de détester est son lot, le bon pote qui passe sa vie à boire et à traiter sa femme comme un objet, l'homme riche qui s'éprend de la demoiselle en détresse, etc. Un drame social en somme, un peu lent.
Ce roman tente de donner un aperçu de ce que Cardiff, capitale du Pays de Galles, était dans les années '80 et de ce qu'elle devient 20 ans plus tard. Des quais, repères de la communauté noire, au centre-ville peuplé de pubs typiques où se mélangent travailleurs souvent pauvres et alcooliques et étudiants révolutionnaires, l'auteur tente de nous emporter dans un monde où la musique fait son époque. Drogue, sexe et alcool sont omniprésents dans le paysage, avec en fond: un meurtre, une histoire d'amour et de la tragédie pour tous.
Je n'ai pas été transportée par ce roman, bien qu'ayant passé un semestre inoubliable à Cardiff, je désirais me replonger dans l'atmosphère de la ville, qui pour moi était un mélange intéressant de tradition et de modernité. Malheureusement, j'ai trouvé l'ambiance trop sombre et morose pour une histoire qui manquait cruellement d'énergie. Le meurtre et la résolution de l'énigme se perdent dans les descriptions, les états d'âmes et les regrets des personnages qui tournent un peu en rond. Je n'ai pas pu m'attacher à aucun d'entre eux, que ce soit le 'héros', un pauvre type alcoolique, la belle femme noire qui cherche un coup d'un soir/père pour ses enfants tout en pensant que la vie qu'elle donne l'impression de détester est son lot, le bon pote qui passe sa vie à boire et à traiter sa femme comme un objet, l'homme riche qui s'éprend de la demoiselle en détresse, etc. Un drame social en somme, un peu lent.
February 2, 2012
I had high hopes for this one.... thought it might be for cardiff what trainspotting was for Eburgh.
It isnt, although it's set in a similar world.
Told in intertwining timeframes of 1999 and 1981. Mazz is returning to cardiff with nowhere to go and a funeral to attend... he meets up with old friends and the story is told of his 1981 ska band the worriyas. Charlie from the band is the deceased.
1981 and the band are built up and the hunt for a missing band member (manics) is completed in the present. This takes in the changing face of cardiff, wales and various working class heros.
Next to no use of venecular and the characterisations doesnt really work.
Story is not strong enough - there are hints of a murder mystery for charlie which disappears to nothing and the seach for Emyr the band member goes nowhere.
Not great.
It isnt, although it's set in a similar world.
Told in intertwining timeframes of 1999 and 1981. Mazz is returning to cardiff with nowhere to go and a funeral to attend... he meets up with old friends and the story is told of his 1981 ska band the worriyas. Charlie from the band is the deceased.
1981 and the band are built up and the hunt for a missing band member (manics) is completed in the present. This takes in the changing face of cardiff, wales and various working class heros.
Next to no use of venecular and the characterisations doesnt really work.
Story is not strong enough - there are hints of a murder mystery for charlie which disappears to nothing and the seach for Emyr the band member goes nowhere.
Not great.
February 5, 2014
A suprising read that opens a fictional window on the city and culture of Cardiff Wales at the end of the last Century. There's a great underpinning story line of the doomed love affair between two members of a once promising ska band of the early 80s. Plus a mild murder mystery of sorts. I learned that they surf off the southern coast of Wales too. Who knew!
July 14, 2010
7/10. Quite good. Recognised many of the places in the book.
August 22, 2012
Sad and funny in places. But lacking in depth; some characters needed much more development.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews