Turlough

by Brian Keenan

The man held hostage by fundamentalist Sh'ite militiamen in the suburbs of Beirut was visited and sustained by the presence of Turlough O'Carolan during captivity. Now he tells O'Carolan's story, rich with the textures and smells of rural Ireland and peopled by a house of angels and devils. Turlough is narrated largely by the legendary blind Irish harper from his death bed, and through the recollections of those closest to him. It powerfully evokes a lost Ireland of famine and disease, eviction and oppression. O'Carolan's Rabelaisian desire for drink and women is counterpointed by his artistic struggle towards the great music and some kind of inner peace. Driven by demons and dreams, riven by contradictions, Turlough emerges as a great man, full of a blind man afraid of the dark. The book is a remarkable historical journey, and a huge imaginative feat.

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Trisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was such a disappointment! Its title appealed to me because much of the music I play on the harp was composed in the 17th century by the blind Irish itinerant harper, Turlough O’Carolan. So when I stumbled across this novel based on his life and his music naturally I wanted to read it. I made it halfway through before finally deciding that this belonged in the “life is too short to read bad books” category.

Not only was it poorly written, it was structured around a series of fictional diary entries from O'Carolan's patron Mrs. McDermott Roe that added little to the narrative flow of the novel. Just as distracting were the imagined letters from Brigid Cruise, for whom he composed a number of his loveliest tunes.

O’Carolan was a fascinating character – but unfortunately Keenan’s novel doesn’t do him justice. I’ve gained a better picture of him from internet websites (http://www.oldmusicproject.com/OCC.html) and from the information found in my harp sheet music collections. He was a popular and talented musician whose compositions are still being played and recorded today. Most of his music was written in honor of specific people and patrons – like Bridget Cruise, Lord Inchiquin, Fanny Power, and many others whose names are so familiar to me because I’ve played the songs that were composed in their honor, along with various “planxties” written as tributes to the hosts and hostesses of the many country homes and estates where O’Carolan performed.

Unfortunately Keenan’s novel was a big disappointment, but for anyone who wants to find out about the real O’Carolan I think the best way is to simply listen to his music - or better yet learn to play it if you’re fortunate enough to have a harp handy!

[Annie McFox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book hard to read. There was no flow in the prose!
There is no mention in this book of Turlough's marriage or of his children or of his reaction to the deaths of his parents. He does not seem a very likeable chap at all. It does get better toward the end if you make it that far. Life in Ireland during his lifetime was bleak, not a happy book (not that it is meant to be). Not great for holiday reading.

[wayne mcauliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book i`ve had a few to read lately.Never heard of Turlough O`Carolan before this but what a great read of fiction.If the real blind harpist was like this he lived the life.Great story by a great writer.Makes me glad to be a plastic Paddy

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very slow. It celebrated the life of Turlough who was a blind harpist in Ireland. I"m not sure if he was real or not. This book was challenging because I did not feel connected to the main character who is dying at the beginning of the book, then the author looks back at Turlough's life.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot overstate how much I loved this book. As a musician I play a lot of Carolan tunes; Keenan brings their essence to life through his depiction of a complex and creative man who floats between the real world and the world of his mind. There is magic in the music and magic in the mind of the composer, the author represents them beautifully.

[Erlinde Adriaansz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally finished it.... I really wanted to read this book because it was about Thurlough O'Carollan to find out out was actually about dying...and that took a long time from cover to cover..