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Silverback
In a Belfast courtroom Robert Rusting is on trial for the murder of his father, a former loyalist hardman. On the jury is James Fechner, a middle-aged surgeon in search of meaning in the hushed rooms of justice, inexplicably drawn to the younger man before him.
After trial, Fechner can't quite return to life before those days in court. In dingy pubs and rowdy boxing halls Fechner inserts himself into Rusting's world in another guise, following a compulsive pull to an aggressive, unapologetic way of life. So begins a close friendship, a relationship in which a battle for control is tacit but unspoken - and explosive.
Silverback is a powerful portrayal of the complications of masculinity and of the line between fragility and violence told in an unforgettable voice.
After trial, Fechner can't quite return to life before those days in court. In dingy pubs and rowdy boxing halls Fechner inserts himself into Rusting's world in another guise, following a compulsive pull to an aggressive, unapologetic way of life. So begins a close friendship, a relationship in which a battle for control is tacit but unspoken - and explosive.
Silverback is a powerful portrayal of the complications of masculinity and of the line between fragility and violence told in an unforgettable voice.
- GenresIreland
192 pages, Hardcover
Published June 20, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 17, 2024
A haunting exploration of masculinity, violence, and the damage done by generational trauma. Harrison's writing style is straightforward and compelling, and hints at an even deeper darkness just beneath the surface - fitting for the subject of repressed anger and unexpressed resentment. It pushes its characters beyond the pale, contrasting the everyday with the brutal while building believable relationships and a feeling for the ordinariness of damaged people.
This book is short but hard-hitting, and I would have finished it in one sitting if I could. One to watch.
This book is short but hard-hitting, and I would have finished it in one sitting if I could. One to watch.
September 17, 2024
3.5
I honestly think if I re-read this at a later date that I would appreciate it more. I’m definitely in some sort of reading slump 😭
I honestly think if I re-read this at a later date that I would appreciate it more. I’m definitely in some sort of reading slump 😭
January 6, 2025
A really well written book about masculinity, violence, and the impression of trauma on individual character. I can’t quite tell if I feel the ending is abrupt or I’m selfishly desperate for more.
July 25, 2024
Silverback / Phil Harrison
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
~ You misunderstand him. He is quiet tonight, yes. He is not used to leaving Ireland, leaving Belfast. But on his streets, what he says goes… ~
Serving as a juror in the trial of Robert Rusting, James Fechner’s life changes forever once it ends. What follows is a tale of masculinity, obsession, identity, and fragility all wrapped up nicely by Phil Harrison.
As it delves in, and Fechner manages to Walter White himself all over Belfast different topics take over. Such as relationships with fathers, the younger generation, and how you are seen. Overall through the novel, there is a sense of fear and dread. Fear and dread of the unexpected, or the inevitable maybe?
I did find it a bit unbelieveable at parts, and then the story just keeps bowling over. I did enjoy this - as in what is it to be a hard man in the 2020s. Our relationships with the past surely make who we are, but our relationships with the present shape us for the now and the future.
The power dynamic and struggle flip flops until its natural conclusion. The ending though, I fear for Fechner.
The young characters though in this book shine.
Would like to read more by Harrison.
~ I’d like to thank everyone who believed in me. You will not be forgotten… ~
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
~ You misunderstand him. He is quiet tonight, yes. He is not used to leaving Ireland, leaving Belfast. But on his streets, what he says goes… ~
Serving as a juror in the trial of Robert Rusting, James Fechner’s life changes forever once it ends. What follows is a tale of masculinity, obsession, identity, and fragility all wrapped up nicely by Phil Harrison.
As it delves in, and Fechner manages to Walter White himself all over Belfast different topics take over. Such as relationships with fathers, the younger generation, and how you are seen. Overall through the novel, there is a sense of fear and dread. Fear and dread of the unexpected, or the inevitable maybe?
I did find it a bit unbelieveable at parts, and then the story just keeps bowling over. I did enjoy this - as in what is it to be a hard man in the 2020s. Our relationships with the past surely make who we are, but our relationships with the present shape us for the now and the future.
The power dynamic and struggle flip flops until its natural conclusion. The ending though, I fear for Fechner.
The young characters though in this book shine.
Would like to read more by Harrison.
~ I’d like to thank everyone who believed in me. You will not be forgotten… ~
July 7, 2024
The Trouble with (Belfast) Men
Harrison's delve into generational trauma is unnerving and as a daughter of East Belfast, reading this short novel evoked the panic that comes from knowing and loving these types of men. You root for them, while simultaneously wanting to run for your life and even wishing them dead.
Yet, Harrison takes their stories beyond anything that is commonly imagined. This novel is so much more than an exploration of men's mental health and social class. He conjures an erotic violence that is beyond my recognition and therein lies the power and terror of Silverback.
The descriptions of Victoria Park are reminiscent of Steinbeck's Gabilan mountain and Salinas Valley; a world brimming with beauty but implied threats. Harrison somehow simultaneously humanizes and dehumanises his protagonists. They're hateful yet pitiful, vile yet absorbing.
Fechner and Rusting are two men I'm glad I only met in the cathartic safety of this hardback novel.
Harrison's delve into generational trauma is unnerving and as a daughter of East Belfast, reading this short novel evoked the panic that comes from knowing and loving these types of men. You root for them, while simultaneously wanting to run for your life and even wishing them dead.
Yet, Harrison takes their stories beyond anything that is commonly imagined. This novel is so much more than an exploration of men's mental health and social class. He conjures an erotic violence that is beyond my recognition and therein lies the power and terror of Silverback.
The descriptions of Victoria Park are reminiscent of Steinbeck's Gabilan mountain and Salinas Valley; a world brimming with beauty but implied threats. Harrison somehow simultaneously humanizes and dehumanises his protagonists. They're hateful yet pitiful, vile yet absorbing.
Fechner and Rusting are two men I'm glad I only met in the cathartic safety of this hardback novel.
October 23, 2024
A brilliant, lyrical & brutal book.. one of my books of the year.. I read it in a day.
Stunning & original writing... not a word wasted.
Stunning & original writing... not a word wasted.
February 27, 2025
Solid 3.5
May 20, 2025
Beautifully written and compelling, but I wanted more! Excited to read more from this author
October 10, 2025
I just did not get why Fechner was drawn to Rusting in the first place, and therefore the whole premise of the book fell apart for me. That needed to be more fleshed out at the beginning.
October 14, 2025
Deep dive into the frailty of masculinity and our contorted ideas of what makes a man.
Would LOVED 400 pages of it.
Would LOVED 400 pages of it.
August 23, 2024
A gripping read from start to finish. Wonderfully written with an amazing intensity and an intriguing story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews