The Salesman

by Joseph O'Connor

During the hottest summer in Dublin's history, a troubled salesman decides to take the law in his own hands when his daughter falls victim to a mysterious attacker, with frightening and often humorous results. 15,000 first printing. Tour.

Genres: Fiction, Ireland, Thriller, Literary Fiction, Irish Literature, Contemporary, Novels

393 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. He is the author of the novels Cowboys and Indians (short-listed for the Whitbread Prize), Desperadoes , The Salesman , Inishowen , Star of the Sea and Redemption Falls , as well as a number of bestselling works of non-fiction.

He was recently voted ‘Irish Writer of the Decade’ by the readers of Hot Press magazine. He broadcasts a popular weekly radio diary on RTE’s Drivetime With Mary Wilson and writes regularly for The Guardian Review and The Sunday Independent. In 2009 he was the Harman Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at Baruch College, the City University of New York.

Reviews

[Bill Muganda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful…

Set in Dublin Ireland 1994, the town is infested with drug addicts and crime is at its peak… We follow Billy, a salesman whose only daughter ends up in a coma after a dastardly robbery. The culprits are apprehended and set to be a charged in court but on the day of the sentence the gang leader escapes. Billy decides to take justice into his own hand by tracing the young culprit’s every move as he plans his revenge. But soon things spiral out of control in a very disastrous way. One small decision can ruin everything or make it better? You have to read to find out.




The narration style was executed flawlessly and the main protagonist voice was so strong that you instantly felt a connection from page one. We got to understand him on such an emotional level from his youth all the way to his current life, it almost felt like opening a very personal diary & I applaud the author for building that connection with the reader.



Billy was an alcoholic and the author managed to get me into the mindset of an alcoholic. It was interesting character study especially when he mentioned how most addicts don’t even like the taste of alcohol, that to function in their everyday life they had to indulge in it. I have had some personal experience with alcoholics and I am always looking for material that discusses that topic, he captured it very well in the sense of how lonely of a life it is and how the loss oneself and loved ones is inevitable. It also influenced his decision making in a really drastic way, some situations in the book escalated quickly and leaving the reader wondering… “How will this get resolved?”

The writing style was sharp and had a dark atmosphere about it & meshed so well with the characters and plot. My interest in the story was always strong because every sentence added to the story. The characters developed so well and formed such strong bonds that just made the experience of the book that much better. The dialogue and how the characters were written made them literally jump out of the page, some even had that deep Irish accent which I read out loud because it was so amusing.


This is a much-underrated book, that has so much to offer and I feel that everyone should try it, seriously stop reading this review and add it NOW!!!! *please*… Have you ever just started a book and you knew deep down that this will already be your favourite…



I got a little emotional towards the end because the story resonated so well with me & thank God for thrift stores because I found one of the best reads of 2016. If you have read this tell me so we can freaking talk about it.

P.S. Added bonus there is a Beatles concert in the book, it was absolutely fantastic
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[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Sweeney is writing a letter to his daughter, Maeve. But she may never read it since she is lying comatose in a Dublin hospital, the victim of a brutal assault by four thugs during a petrol station robbery. The letter is both a confession and the account of a revenge that goes horribly wrong. Or did it?

This isn't an easy read as it encompasses all the emotions of human life; love, hope, pain, guilt, despair and a realisation that none of us are perfect. However, I also found it so engrossing that I simply didn't want to put it down. It was so utterly believable.

As the story progressed, I had no idea as to how O'Connor intended conclude it, but the ending didn't disappoint. Even now I'm unsure as to whether this is a simple exploration of the Stockholm Syndrome or if Billy had really killed Quinn earlier on and it was his way of dealing with the guilt. Then perhaps it was simply me hoping that I would have pulled the trigger (you will know what I mean if you have read it) if something ever happened to my daughter.

This is my first O'Connor novel, but I don't intend it to be my last.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book of all time. They way in which the story unfolds and the relationship between the two main characters is amazing and very gripping . I found this book to be an emotional roller coaster which actually made me cry, lovely book and superbly written .

[Vygandas Ostrauskis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
Pamenu, ilgokai mano būtinų perskaityti knygų sąraše buvo airių rašytojo O’Connor romanas “Pardavėjas”. Nenuostabu, nes jis išleistas dar 1998 metais, o išverstas į lietuvių kalbą 2000 metais, pažymint, kad jį parašė vienas geriausių šiuolaikinių Airijos rašytojų. Išties, knyga greit “pagauna” skaitytoją puikiai rezgama intriga, psichologiškumu, ryškia autentika – nesuabejosi, kad autorius išmano tai, apie ką rašo. Bet... įpusėjus knygą, kai ji tampa panaši į absurdo teatrą, tenka susimąstyti: ar nepersistengė autorius? ar nesugadino knygos vaikydamsis pigaus populiarumo: psichologinį trilerį pakeisdamas siaubo romanu? ar ne per daug fantazijos ir sunkiai paaiškinamo veiksmo, kai knygos pradžia nuteikė gan realistiškai? Argi kerštas taip lengvai perauga į prieraišumą? Bet skaitai toliau ir... pripranti, netgi patiki tuo, kas vyksta. Tai – neabejotina rašytojo sėkmė.
Knygos pliusai: puikus stilius, rašytojo sugebėjimas įlįsti į veikėjo kailį, nuopolio ir pakilimo įtikinamas pavaizdavimas. Neįkyri didaktika.
Matau, kad knygos vertinimai labai įvairūs: nuo “beveik tobula knyga” iki trejetuko penkiabalėje sistemoje. Nenuostabu, nes vertinimas skaitant knygą tikrai keičiasi: mano atveju – nuo 9 iki 5, pagaliau liko 7, jau galutinai.

[Chris Mclaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Great use of language and the main protagonist was very well drawn. We are given a very full insight into his life. It feels very real and personal and for that reason moments of drama and violence are all the more hard hitting. It attempts to have a look into both underclass and more middle class social issues, however I don't think it rises that far above cliched depictions of underclass figures.

We have a big build up to a pivotal event that is executed skillfully and up until that point the book was close to perfect. However after the event things meandered and became so topsy-turvy that the story lost a sense of direction. I understand the idea that the writer wanted the characters to be more than cardboard cut-outs, he gives each character a fair hearing with fully developed motives and concerns, but there are still things in here that feel superfluous. The second half goes on too long, with events that don't need to be included.

I felt the characters constant iteration of being a good salesman (We experience no evidence of this throughout) did nothing to enhance the story. His current job had little to do with his personality other than that he had failed in his previous career aspirations. Also the gratuitous listing of flora, fauna and wildlife felt like an opportunity for the writer to show off rather than a reflection of the protagonists character traits.

I did enjoy some of the dialogue, and some fine use of language. The book should definitely be applauded for not simplifying the complexity of human emotion and character; and for being a more realistic portrayal of a damaged man's quest for revenge. It is dark, unflinching and absurdly funny in places, but if it had been a bit tighter in places in could have been a far more impressive piece of work.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malgré des chapitres centraux infiniment trop violents pour moi (j'ai failli abandonner ma lecture, puis finalement décidé de passer directement les pages jusqu'à arriver à un passage plus apaisé), j'ai beaucoup aimé ce roman qui parle d'erreurs, de vengeance, de rédemption, d'amour, de pardon – de l'humanité dans ses facettes les plus sombres, mais aussi, peut-être, les plus tragiquement belles.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘A good salesman will swear to things he knows not to be true.’

Set in Dublin, Billy Sweeney is the salesman: a man with a litany of loss and failure in his life. His wife, Grace, has left him, his step-daughter is in Sydney, and his other daughter, Maeve whom he raised through her rebellious teenage years, is in a coma after an attack by some young thugs. Sweeney is a tenuously recovering alcoholic, who writes this story as a series of diary entries to his daughter Maeve. Writing a diary is part of the therapy suggested to him by the psychiatrists treating his alcoholism. He writes in the hope that somehow one day he will be able to break through Maeve’s coma.

‘A good salesman learns to read people’s eyes.’

While the thugs who beat Maeve have been captured and are on trial, one of them - Donal Quinn - manages to escape. With the police seemingly unable to catch him, Sweeney vows to capture Quinn and kill him. In his diaries, Sweeney sets out every detail of his search, as well as a lengthy account of his early life, marriage and children. It’s an account, too, of Dublin as Joseph O’Connor perceives it: a place where family ties are more important than the law, a place where violent men rule.

‘A good salesman has an instinct for anticipation.’

Sweeney’s search for Quinn brings him into contact with the violence of the underworld, where almost anything is possible for a price. And when he finds Quinn? A whole new journey commences.

I picked up a copy of this novel purely by chance and couldn’t put it down. Bill Sweeney’s life may be a train wreck, but it’s hard not to sympathise with him at times. To regret his bad decisions and his bad luck, to wonder how much of his battle with Quinn is a battle with himself. This is a black, bleak novel, but not without glimmers of light and humour.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Aleksandras Rimdžius · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Odd Couple: Irish edition.

[Lina Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tėvo laiškas dukrai...

[Liz Estrada · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I know this book got rave reviews by many, but for me it fell short. I thought it would be a mix of "Trainspotting" and "Paula" by Isabel Allende (where she too writes and talks to her daughter in a coma, which was a true story; unfortunately her daughter ended up dying). But, though there were some thrilling aspects within this novel, I found many chapters boring and never ending. Of course we all think of revenge, especially on someone who horribly killed our loved ones (and those scenes of torture for me were the best!) but a lot of the other parts in the book were not convincing. I think O'Connor wanted to show how the human psyche works and how we can still achieve redemption through forgiveness but it didn't work for me as a novel. 2.5 stars.

[Adriaan Oosterkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8. Prachtig geschreven boek. Het is als een brief voor zijn dochter die in coma ligt geschreven. Een brief met een aantal mooie, maar vooral veel tragische gebeurtenissen die emoties opwekken. Door de schrijfstijl bouw je een connectie op met de hoofdpersoon. Je wordt meegenomen in het leven van Bill Sweeney over een tijdspan van ongeveer 30 jaar.

Een verhaal met veel mooie quotes en zeker een aantal hele gekke plottwists.
Vond de hoofdstukken soms wat langdradig, daarom 3.8. Al met al zeker wel een echte aanrader!

[Kinga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be stuck in a rut, reading books which do not speak to me and which I am reluctant to pick up. I have read several other books by Joseph O'Connor and have enjoyed them, but I found it difficult to enjoy this one. Maybe it was the difficult theme of revenge or the unreliable narrator, but I could not connect with it. The middle section was especially difficult for me and, though I was sad but relieved by the end, it wasn't enough for me.

[Joseph Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this book,it really was a book of two halves. The opening half was brilliant, it is written with such passion and feeling that it felt like you were reading a true crime story rather than a work of fiction. However I felt that the second half was too long and needlessly drawn out, it became quite repetitive in the end. The ending was no great surprise and quite predictable really.

[Mélanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un roman phénoménal.
Cette lettre de Billy à sa fille est à la fois une histoire de vengeance, un récit de vie et de repentance, le témoignage d'une classe aux prises avec la pauvreté et la drogue, et aussi bien sûr, la complainte déchirante d'un père meurtri par le coma dans lequel est plongé sa fille.
Le dénouement à la fois brutal et d'une humanité bouleversante nous cueille en plein coeur et ne nous laisse pas indemne. Inoubliable.

[Hayley Kilby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved it and hated it in turns. Definitely not a feel-good read. I loved the style of writing, but could not care for the main characters. A compulsive, repulsive page turner of a book.

[Eamonn · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Spoilers* Too long. Too much waffle. A man named Sweeney writes a diary to his daughter who is lying in a coma after a violent robbery. He tells her his life story, his stormy relationship with his wife and alcohol, and his plans to take revenge on one of the robbers who has escaped justice, a man named Quinn, the books only interesting character. Sweeney abducts Quinn, holds him prisoner, but is unable to follow through on his plan to kill him, but then the tables are turned and Quinn has the upper hand, and then they reconcile, of course, only for 'natural justice' to be meted out anyway by a higher power. The main failing of this book is that it fails to tell us the inner workings of Sweeney's mind during the confinement of Quinn, and how he comes to reconcile with him. This is a major flaw. Sweeney can't get out of a car or look out of a window without filling the diary with reams of detail about what he sees, hears, etc, and he's very forthcoming on his feelings and emotions too, but he never writes anything in this diary about his relationship with Quinn. By this stage of the book, the diary structure has broken down a little, there's lots of dialogue, and we forget this is all supposed to be a story bring told to Sweeney's comatose daughter, until it pops up again in a phrase addressed to her. At which point you think, what about explaining what's happening with Quinn? I found this a major flaw, together with overly long descriptive passages which should've been edited out. In short, there is far too much surface detail and not enough insight.
PS. I am not familiar with this author's work, this is the only book I've read by him.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging but also gripping. A very dark plot that just seems to get darker, but written so well that it's always an enjoyable read. Perhaps enjoyable isn't the right word but it's a great book. I'd read and enjoyed the Star of the Sea and shall be reading more of Mr O'Connor's oevre.

It's a book of two halves as well; the first concerning a man's descent, interwoven with flashbacks so that by the time we get to the second half we know all we can about Billy Sweeney. The plot of the second half does challenge belief but being so expertly constructed and written that one accepts the unusual situation.

Christmas at the O'Connor household must be a bundle of laughs; with his sister's songs and his cheery books I bet the cracker jokes must seem hilarious.

[venus! · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I stopped reading this book once I reached 100 pages. I wanted to finish it, but I couldn’t force myself to continue reading it. I don’t know if it becomes more eventful later on in the book, but the first 100 pages were basically the same thing over and over again: “You’re in a coma, love. This guy Quinn attacked you. I hate Quinn so much, but let me tell you about how I met your mother” I found it extremely frustrating because the narrator kept saying “I’d kill Quinn if I could, I hate him”, and yet he saw Quinn AT LEAST 5 TIMES AND JUST FOLLOWS HIM? To be honest, I became so sleepy while reading this. Overall, I would not recommend this book. It honestly felt like something someone in 2nd year (8th grade) would write and then got someone to edit for them.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult book. I was expecting a’crime novel’ but got something else. The protagonist Billy/Liam Sweeney is difficult to like. Any alcoholic who abuses the love and trust of his family is. Thus it was difficult to read the beautiful, intricate and detailed prose descriptions of Sweeney’s journey with alcohol. This is written as a confession to his daughter, lying in a coma, caused by the crime at the outset. The Author also deals well with the topic of forgiveness. Why it is important and why the victims of a violent act or a long standing behaviour (drunkenness) should forgive.

I enjoyed the story, struggled with the themes and have in my mind something I will recall for a long time.

[S Murdoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Not what you'd call a 'feel good' read, but I look for more than that from a book anyway. The main characters, although far from likeable, are nevertheless intriguing and the storyline is not predictable. Suffice to say that when I found myself awake in the middle of the night, as I often do, I couldn't resist the urge to read a few pages which invariably led to me reading for an hour. I love this man's writing style too - what more could you want.

[appeltaartisranzig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ontroerend. Spannend. Een slowburn en toch intens. Ik kreeg een brok in mijn keel en wazige oogjes.
De Verkoper die Sweeny heet, vertelt zijn hele levensverhaal tussen de gebeurtenissen door, waardoor je echt met hem mee leeft.
Het boek begint als thriller maar halverwege veranderd het in een liefdes en vriendschappelijk verhaal, om vervolgens te eindigen in een tragikomedie.
Dit is echt zo’n boek wat verfilmd wordt als dat nog niet is gedaan.
5 starssss en in de favorietenlijst gedropt. 👌

[Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this as my souvenir from Ireland because the author is Irish. It turned out to be rather dark, but it was definitely a "good read".

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb book,i highly recommend it,one of my all time favourites!!

[EC_Shivers' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recensione completa nel blog EC_Shivers'
https://ecshivers.com/2017/09/19/il-r...

[...]Il rappresentante in questione è Billy Sweeney, un comune venditore di antenne paraboliche, con un passato da ex alcolizzato, un matrimonio fallito e due figli. Un uomo come tanti, che vive giorno per giorno, senza sogni, né prospettive.

Un giorno d’estate però, la stazione di benzina dove lavora sua figlia Maeve viene presa d’assalto da un gruppo di giovani, e rapinata. La ragazza finisce in coma in condizioni disperate.

Da quel momento la vita anonima di Billy ritrova finalmente uno scopo, anche se disperato: ottenere vendetta. Quando uno degli assalitori viene rilasciato, Billy decide di seguirlo, mettendo a punto, passo dopo passo, il piano di un delitto perfetto.

Piano però che subirà stravolgimenti inaspettati e porterà Billy a conseguenze assolutamente impreviste.

Il libro, pensato come un diario, che il padre scrive alla figlia in coma, è suddiviso in più parti, ed utilizza in maniera sapiente lo strumento del flashback per far riemergere i ricordi di un passato familiare implacabilmente sconvolto. O’Connor crea una miscela esplosiva, dove alle parti più propriamente associabili al genere del romanzo, cioè quelle più malinconiche e dedicate ai sentimenti, si unisce una forte dose di thriller e di suspense, che coinvolgono in maniera crescente e irreversibile il lettore. [...]

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like O'Connor's writing in general, and stylistically this book is excellent. I am nonetheless ambivalent about it because I found the turn of events in the second half of the book to be literally incredible--as in not to be believed. The plot begins very compellingly, but as the focus of the narrative narrows to the relationship between Billy Sweeney and Quinn, it slides from the dramatic to the melodramatic in my opinion. Even as I was shaking my head and thinking "no one would do this" though I kept turning pages because the writing was so good. At a symbolic level I could see Quinn as something of a personification of Sweeney's alcoholism, but the book doesn't read as something intended to be read at such an allegorical level. Like it or not, it is a wild ride, so if you like action and creepy, criminal characters, this novel's got 'em!

[Crooked Eye]

DNF @ 60%
The basic concept of the book, a diary to his comatose daughter, didn't read as authentic. Amongst other unrealistic aspects (reams of setting detail and dialogue) it rehashed his relationship with the mother right from their first meeting. This included their sexual relationship. Not usually included in a parent's memoir to a child.

The salesman profession rang as untrue as the diary. What did ring true was the alcoholism. The humiliation it brought, but how he continued to protect his addiction like the greatest love of his life, despite what it did to him. Now THAT was believable. And depressing.

Addiction does not make for an entertaining read. Unless of course, reality is ignored in the interest of producing a funny story. And although touted as humorous, it must have been in the last 40% as the first 60% didn't offer any.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written as a diary, this is a brilliant novel of suspense, love, loneliness, alcoholism, fatherhood, redemption and of course, tragedy. The salesman of the title is a dumpy middle-aged satellite dish salesman who pissed away his family and life as an alcoholic. He's been sober for years, trying to raise his daughter by himself when she is attacked and put into a coma. One of the defendants escapes, and the salesman is left frustrated and angry. When he happens to see the escapee on the street one day he daydreams of revenge. The suspense builds and builds as he follows the criminal and plots his revenge. Interspersed with this is his recounting of meeting his wife and their life together, which he tries to explain to his daughter. Outstanding.

[Paul Ataua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maeve Sweeney is lying in a coma in a Dublin hospital after a brutal assault during a gas station robbery. Her father is writing a letter to her or diary for her recounting his attempt at exacting revenge. The book is probably much better than I am making it, but I got so obsessed with how ‘unletter’ like the letters were and how less letter like they became as the book proceeded that I lost faith in the whole project. They were letters (or diary entries) that lacked any emotional content related to the daughter which ended up in stories that didn’t seem relevant and contained long conversations that added little. I kept on and I did recover from my obsession and it did become interesting nearer the end of the book, but much too late for me. Try it and see.

[Green Magritte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nemohu říci, že by mě Obchodník zasáhl tolik jako Hvězda moří, ale kniha to byla velmi silná a zvláštně strhující, ačkoli vlastně popisuje drsný a surový příběh. O´Connor nemluví v jinotajích, ani si nelibuje v krkolomných jazykových konstrukcích, naopak je velmi přímý a upřímný. Nejvíce si cením jeho schopnosti vyprávět příběh prostých lidí, které nepojímá černobílé. Kniha mne svým dějem vtáhla, ačkoli nepopisuje žádnou z postav jako postavu vyloženě kladnou. Kdo je vlastně Billy? Je to alkoholik, který svým pitím rozvrátil svoji rodinu, je to průměrný obchodník satelitů v zapadlém irském městě. Jeho příběh by nás nemusel zajímat, ale díky O´Connorovi to tak naštěstí není.

[James Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something about Irish literature that always gets to my core. The first half of this novel has some achingly poignant passages. The breakdown of a once loving relationship is so brilliantly portrayed here by O’Connor, so much so that it induces genuine sadness that goes beyond when you’re reading the book. Whilst the second half is not as powerful as this due to the narrative progressing, but it’s still a very good look at grief, forgiveness and the odd dynamics that it can produce between victim and sinner.

“There are times in every life, I think, when the things you have fantasised about are suddenly on the point of coming true, depending on the action you take or do not take, depending on the range of your choices, and those are very dangerous times”