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The Wake
The year is 1968. Jeremiah Coffey is a twenty-seven-year-old teacher -- Catholic, conservative and plagued by guilt on account of his relationship with a beautiful bisexual called Aisling O'Connor.
Aisling is everything that Jeremiah is not -- feisty and radical, angry and committed. She is a leading figure in the Irish civil rights movement and is planning to help organize a potentially explosive protest march inspired by the US black civil rights activists' Selma to Montgomery marches of three years before. The scene is set for a brutal confrontation to match the 1965 Bloody Sunday in Selma.
categories: Romance, Literary, Civil Rights, LGBT, Irish Troubles, Religion, Humor
Aisling is everything that Jeremiah is not -- feisty and radical, angry and committed. She is a leading figure in the Irish civil rights movement and is planning to help organize a potentially explosive protest march inspired by the US black civil rights activists' Selma to Montgomery marches of three years before. The scene is set for a brutal confrontation to match the 1965 Bloody Sunday in Selma.
categories: Romance, Literary, Civil Rights, LGBT, Irish Troubles, Religion, Humor
- GenresFiction
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2014
29 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Colm Herron
9 books28 followersColm Herron is the author of five novels, including For I Have Sinned and Further Adventures of James Joyce. All received high acclaim. Further Adventures of James Joyce for example was described by Morris Beja in James Joyce Quarterly as “a totally comic novel.” Mr Beja, who is professor Emeritus of literature at Ohio State University, went on to compare Colm’s writing to that of both James Joyce and Irish comic genius Flann O’Brien.
On 2 February 2011 Joyce scholar Doctor Jonathan McCreedy delivered a paper at the Joyce birthday conference in Roma Tre University. His paper was entitled Further Adventures of James Joyce: the crossroads of two reading publics [the two publics being the Joyce aficionado and what Flann O’Brien might have called the plain person out for a good read].
On 16 June 2010 as part of a weeklong Bloomsday festival Colm shared the platform with actor Barry McGovern where for six hours under a midsummer sun they did readings alternately, he from Ulysses and Colm from his own novel.
In April 2011 Colm received an invitation from Professor Anne Fogarty of UCD to attend the National Library, Dublin, on the occasion of the annual Joyce Colloquium. Here he discovered that he had two thrilling admirers, namely Fritz Senn, father figure of Joyce scholars worldwide, and Jean-Michel Rabaté the renowned, perhaps unequalled, authority on Joyce, Beckett and a host of other writers and subjects.
Colm’s novel “The Wake” is a comic/serious novel which recalls Samuel Beckett at his most seminal. It opens with an unbroken sequence lasting 22 000 words which uses the setting of a traditional Irish wake to explore the destitution of man and transform it into something like his ennoblement.
The title of Colm's latest novel "A Maiden So Bewitching" is taken from the words of an old Irish song - Courting in the Kitchen - and it tells the story of a boy called Alexis who is brought up as a girl by a deranged mother and makes his way to to manhood in a state of sexual confusion. The same kind of upbringing had befallen the great writer Ernest Hemingway who reacted by living a macho lifestyle and taking out his hatred of his mother by ill-treating most of the women in his life. Alexis reacts in very different ways, sometimes comic, sometimes sad, always appealing - and these ways often land him in serious difficulties.
From the time he sat down to write his first novel Colm has lived by the motto ‘Non-fiction tries to use fact to help us see the lies. Fiction uses metaphor to help us see the truth.’ He later found that he was putting into practice what Nobel prize-winning South African author Nadine Gordimer called “witness literature”. In a Pen lecture given by Gordimer for International Writers' Day in 2002 Gordimer talked of the felling of the twin towers on 11 September 2001."Terror pounced from the sky and the world made witness to it," she said. She then went on to consider the media coverage of that terrible day and examined the difference between the reporter's job, the pundit's job and that of the writer. "Meaning is what cannot be reached by the immediacy of the image, the description of the sequence of events, the methodologies of expert analysis,” she said. “Kafka says the writer sees among the ruins different (and more) things than others … it [witness literature] is seeing what is really taking place."
On 2 February 2011 Joyce scholar Doctor Jonathan McCreedy delivered a paper at the Joyce birthday conference in Roma Tre University. His paper was entitled Further Adventures of James Joyce: the crossroads of two reading publics [the two publics being the Joyce aficionado and what Flann O’Brien might have called the plain person out for a good read].
On 16 June 2010 as part of a weeklong Bloomsday festival Colm shared the platform with actor Barry McGovern where for six hours under a midsummer sun they did readings alternately, he from Ulysses and Colm from his own novel.
In April 2011 Colm received an invitation from Professor Anne Fogarty of UCD to attend the National Library, Dublin, on the occasion of the annual Joyce Colloquium. Here he discovered that he had two thrilling admirers, namely Fritz Senn, father figure of Joyce scholars worldwide, and Jean-Michel Rabaté the renowned, perhaps unequalled, authority on Joyce, Beckett and a host of other writers and subjects.
Colm’s novel “The Wake” is a comic/serious novel which recalls Samuel Beckett at his most seminal. It opens with an unbroken sequence lasting 22 000 words which uses the setting of a traditional Irish wake to explore the destitution of man and transform it into something like his ennoblement.
The title of Colm's latest novel "A Maiden So Bewitching" is taken from the words of an old Irish song - Courting in the Kitchen - and it tells the story of a boy called Alexis who is brought up as a girl by a deranged mother and makes his way to to manhood in a state of sexual confusion. The same kind of upbringing had befallen the great writer Ernest Hemingway who reacted by living a macho lifestyle and taking out his hatred of his mother by ill-treating most of the women in his life. Alexis reacts in very different ways, sometimes comic, sometimes sad, always appealing - and these ways often land him in serious difficulties.
From the time he sat down to write his first novel Colm has lived by the motto ‘Non-fiction tries to use fact to help us see the lies. Fiction uses metaphor to help us see the truth.’ He later found that he was putting into practice what Nobel prize-winning South African author Nadine Gordimer called “witness literature”. In a Pen lecture given by Gordimer for International Writers' Day in 2002 Gordimer talked of the felling of the twin towers on 11 September 2001."Terror pounced from the sky and the world made witness to it," she said. She then went on to consider the media coverage of that terrible day and examined the difference between the reporter's job, the pundit's job and that of the writer. "Meaning is what cannot be reached by the immediacy of the image, the description of the sequence of events, the methodologies of expert analysis,” she said. “Kafka says the writer sees among the ruins different (and more) things than others … it [witness literature] is seeing what is really taking place."
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 21, 2014
Irish folk enjoy a good wake, it's just a shame that someone has to die... although sometimes the death isn't actually such a bad thing.
The story, set in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the 70s immerses us in a wake (a sandwich-powered, craic-filled, drink-fuelled funeral party) and introduces us to a wide variety of engaging characters who remind us of times long-past... discussions about politics, religion and sex abound. The tale is told by Jeremiah, a young man who has already been smitten by love... but Aisling, his love interest, has other things on her mind!
I'm not a great fan of the vernacular, but Colm Herron hits the dialect nail on the head. His writing style drags you into the story... by the end of it I felt I'd been to the wake myself and I think I had a bit of a Derry accent to go along with my hangover.
I loved The Wake; the characters are immense and humour bubbles out of every fractured relationship. This is a memorable book, although some of the memories weren't particularly pleasant... a kissing incident early on in the story imprinted itself in my mind and I wish it hadn't. It's as well there were plenty of laugh out loud moments all through the book to push that particular memory to the back of my brain.
The story, set in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the 70s immerses us in a wake (a sandwich-powered, craic-filled, drink-fuelled funeral party) and introduces us to a wide variety of engaging characters who remind us of times long-past... discussions about politics, religion and sex abound. The tale is told by Jeremiah, a young man who has already been smitten by love... but Aisling, his love interest, has other things on her mind!
I'm not a great fan of the vernacular, but Colm Herron hits the dialect nail on the head. His writing style drags you into the story... by the end of it I felt I'd been to the wake myself and I think I had a bit of a Derry accent to go along with my hangover.
I loved The Wake; the characters are immense and humour bubbles out of every fractured relationship. This is a memorable book, although some of the memories weren't particularly pleasant... a kissing incident early on in the story imprinted itself in my mind and I wish it hadn't. It's as well there were plenty of laugh out loud moments all through the book to push that particular memory to the back of my brain.
May 8, 2015
The story begins with a wake for Jeremiah's neighbor, Maud. Neighbors come together to mourn her. But most of them drink too much and engage in discussions about religion and politics of the time. There is an abundance of unusual characters. Margie is one who becomes lively as she drinks too much. Willie falls asleep. Jeremiah listens and drinks, but his thoughts are about Aisling, the love of his life. The neighbors predict that Maud will leave all her money to the church.
Their predictions are correct. The church gets all her wealth, while the neighbors get nothing. Jeremiah's mother inherits trinkets for all her work. This just adds to Jeremiah's cynical feelings about the church and its priests. This cynicism strengthens after he meets up with Aisling again and joins her pro-Socialist and IRA causes. He flees from the march as it turns bloody. He has to make choices, Aisling and her causes or a traditional marriage with someone else.
This is a great book that provides the reader with the flavor of the times and the true feelings of the community.
Their predictions are correct. The church gets all her wealth, while the neighbors get nothing. Jeremiah's mother inherits trinkets for all her work. This just adds to Jeremiah's cynical feelings about the church and its priests. This cynicism strengthens after he meets up with Aisling again and joins her pro-Socialist and IRA causes. He flees from the march as it turns bloody. He has to make choices, Aisling and her causes or a traditional marriage with someone else.
This is a great book that provides the reader with the flavor of the times and the true feelings of the community.
March 28, 2017
Goodness me where to start. Such an entertaining read which must have anyone within earshot wondering if I've lost my marbles, so loudly and heartily have I laughed. I am not sure if it is because coming from a Catholic background I can relate to the 'hold' the Priest, Nuns and other religious beings have over fellow Catholics which sent me into fits, or the dialogue which was brilliantly captured and took me right back to my early days when my Irish grandmother would speak in exactly the same way at times, when telling tales of Tipperary and life back when. Colm had me right there with Jeremiah, who, let's face it, needs a good seeing to - though I must add he seems to get his fair share in that department. I enjoyed what I found to be a quirky writing style (it might be me, and nothing out of the ordinary) which I have not encountered before, but it was captivating, well written and so very imaginable. I do hope this books does really well and that Colm receives the recognition I think he truly deserves; for someone to make me laugh out loud and empathise so closely with a character, is something else believe me and it doesn't happen that often. I recommend this a really good read.
October 19, 2014
“Some people are like that: Sunday best the seven days”
Some writers are too. Colm Herron always gives of his best, and a fine best it is: funny/sad, insightful, with sharply observed characters and a smooth style that always puts me in mind of James Joyce while being mercifully more accessible to average mortals like myself. If you like a read that makes you laugh out loud while wanting to cry at the same time, that makes you aware what a piece of work is man in the context of Ireland with all its humour and compassion, intelligence and ignorance, religion and trouble/Troubles, then read ‘The Wake’: it’s a wonderful book by a wonderful writer.
Some writers are too. Colm Herron always gives of his best, and a fine best it is: funny/sad, insightful, with sharply observed characters and a smooth style that always puts me in mind of James Joyce while being mercifully more accessible to average mortals like myself. If you like a read that makes you laugh out loud while wanting to cry at the same time, that makes you aware what a piece of work is man in the context of Ireland with all its humour and compassion, intelligence and ignorance, religion and trouble/Troubles, then read ‘The Wake’: it’s a wonderful book by a wonderful writer.
May 18, 2016
The Wake was a complete change for me, and I'm really glad I read it. Rich in colloqieal Irish language, gritty and lyrical, dark and funny, I read it in two sittings. It was all about the characters, and that's what I'm all about too. They were layered, real, flawed, human. It begins at a wake, one no one has particularity wanted to arrange, and culminates in a moment of violence and the most comical but touching sex scenes I might have read. Jeremiah takes us with him on his journey. I sense there were deeper literary nods to Irish culture/religion/history that I might have missed but this didn't ruin it at all. A great read.
November 4, 2017
Raw, raucous, hilarious and beyond. I laughed and cried with political discussions at the wake. It reminded me of experience in Ireland while traveling with my brother and his wife, stopping somewhere for dinner when an older couple decided to sit within shouting distance from where we were highly entertained by his tipsy discourse.
I am "an old woman" but managed not to blush much when reading the latter part of the book, or what Jeremiah did next including threesome sex.
This book was available from Amazon through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
I will hit the buttons to make public some of the funnier highlights of the book.
I am "an old woman" but managed not to blush much when reading the latter part of the book, or what Jeremiah did next including threesome sex.
This book was available from Amazon through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
I will hit the buttons to make public some of the funnier highlights of the book.
November 25, 2014
Brasil is the largest Catholic country in the world. Like other Catholic countries, we celebrate our dead by throwing a wake for them, where family and loved ones gather - usually around an open casket - to spend the night in contemplation of this life and what lies beyond. Wakes for us - as for the Irish Catholic, our cousins across the pond - are a chance for neighbours to socialise, gossip and pick over the life of the recently deceased. In my town, there are people who won't miss a wake for the world, even if the deceased is somebody they didn't know.
In the case of Maud Abilene Harrigan, not much loved but recently deceased in Derry, Northern Ireland, there's a severe lack of anyone interested in holding her wake. When Jeremiah Coffey's mother decides to wake her in order to show up the neighbours, the stage is set for a list of characters to cross his path during a long night, including the ex-girlfriend, Aisling, who left him for another woman.
Colm Herron brilliantly sets the Coffey home like a stage, where the town's drunks, priests and do-gooders rub shoulders and share gossip. There's something in this of Mike Leigh's theatrical humour. The dialogue is sharp and witty. When Jeremiah has an incident with his clothes and locks himself in the bathroom, I was reminded of Leigh's "Abigail's Party", with its painfully awkward characters who create a comedy of manners and satire on the society that houses them.
Herron's black humour leaves no stone unturned. One second Jeremiah is blasting the church, the next he's turned his bitterness on lesbians. Does Maud stand for Northern Ireland? The dead "body of politics" on the kitchen table that the Irish stand over, squabbling and arguing about? Is Maud, the neighbour nobody wanted to have, a symbol for Catholics and Protestants? The second half of the book is about Jeremiah trying to get back his ex-girlfriend, entering her world of queer rights and street protests. The threat of violence looms over each hill, with Catholics marching perilously close to Protestants. Maud's wake is perhaps a foreshadow of the conflict in this divided society, but as readers all we can hope is that Jeremiah finds some love with Aisling and manages to carve some sort of happiness.
In the case of Maud Abilene Harrigan, not much loved but recently deceased in Derry, Northern Ireland, there's a severe lack of anyone interested in holding her wake. When Jeremiah Coffey's mother decides to wake her in order to show up the neighbours, the stage is set for a list of characters to cross his path during a long night, including the ex-girlfriend, Aisling, who left him for another woman.
Colm Herron brilliantly sets the Coffey home like a stage, where the town's drunks, priests and do-gooders rub shoulders and share gossip. There's something in this of Mike Leigh's theatrical humour. The dialogue is sharp and witty. When Jeremiah has an incident with his clothes and locks himself in the bathroom, I was reminded of Leigh's "Abigail's Party", with its painfully awkward characters who create a comedy of manners and satire on the society that houses them.
Herron's black humour leaves no stone unturned. One second Jeremiah is blasting the church, the next he's turned his bitterness on lesbians. Does Maud stand for Northern Ireland? The dead "body of politics" on the kitchen table that the Irish stand over, squabbling and arguing about? Is Maud, the neighbour nobody wanted to have, a symbol for Catholics and Protestants? The second half of the book is about Jeremiah trying to get back his ex-girlfriend, entering her world of queer rights and street protests. The threat of violence looms over each hill, with Catholics marching perilously close to Protestants. Maud's wake is perhaps a foreshadow of the conflict in this divided society, but as readers all we can hope is that Jeremiah finds some love with Aisling and manages to carve some sort of happiness.
November 14, 2014
The road to hell is paved with good intentions...
Maud’s dead and the mixed bag of characters at her wake aren’t likely to miss her. They have their own “troubles.” In a world that’s modernizing and leaving God behind, Northern Ireland remains in a state of controversy and confusion. Premarital sex is bad, Catholic priests deserve reverence under any circumstances, drinking to excess is acceptable–sometimes, depending on who you ask–and bloodshed is welcome as long as God is the reason. Oh, and let’s not forget that homosexuality is for heathens. So what is Jeremiah to do? He may be outwardly polite and slow to anger, but his debilitating obsession is Aisling, his bisexual on-again, off-again girlfriend. He’d follow her to hell if he has to (and he almost does), and along the way he pours a wee bit of whiskey, has a few laughs, begrudgingly tolerates Audrey, Aisling’s lesbian lover, and then Frances’s know-it-all ways and massive derriere, all for pleasure he considers the closest thing to heaven.
Colm Herron’s “The Wake” is a hilarious reminder that even a devotion to God can’t negate the fact that we’re all human. And when our habits are scrutinized and discussed in detail by our bored friends, relatives, and neighbors, no one, not even the Father Swindells of the world will come out wearing a halo.
Maud’s dead and the mixed bag of characters at her wake aren’t likely to miss her. They have their own “troubles.” In a world that’s modernizing and leaving God behind, Northern Ireland remains in a state of controversy and confusion. Premarital sex is bad, Catholic priests deserve reverence under any circumstances, drinking to excess is acceptable–sometimes, depending on who you ask–and bloodshed is welcome as long as God is the reason. Oh, and let’s not forget that homosexuality is for heathens. So what is Jeremiah to do? He may be outwardly polite and slow to anger, but his debilitating obsession is Aisling, his bisexual on-again, off-again girlfriend. He’d follow her to hell if he has to (and he almost does), and along the way he pours a wee bit of whiskey, has a few laughs, begrudgingly tolerates Audrey, Aisling’s lesbian lover, and then Frances’s know-it-all ways and massive derriere, all for pleasure he considers the closest thing to heaven.
Colm Herron’s “The Wake” is a hilarious reminder that even a devotion to God can’t negate the fact that we’re all human. And when our habits are scrutinized and discussed in detail by our bored friends, relatives, and neighbors, no one, not even the Father Swindells of the world will come out wearing a halo.
December 10, 2014
What grips the reader most about Colm Herron's writing, is the fact that it is very real in time and place, characters and scenes. His prose is ripe with wit and has that poetic Irish lilt that makes you turn the page hungry for what is going to happen next. Whilst set in the traditional Derry Wake, the novel unfolds into what Jeremiah does next and in doing so, it transcends the traditional literature of Irish shores and travels brilliantly to reach out to all cultures with its universal themes. As with James Joyce, there is no wasted language, only truth that makes you laugh and hurt as Herron subtly applies the psychological meat to the flesh of his characters situations, reactions and humour. The mood and intellectual style is lighter in this book than in Herron's other ground breaking novels, For I Have Sinned and Further Adventures of James Joyce, both of which, I profoundly enjoyed reading and this engaging diversity further cements his reputation as Ireland's most gifted and important novelist writing today, in the same canon of Irish literature as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. I look forward to the day when Herron's books are adapted for film and stage, so they get the world recognition they rightly deserve. 5 stars for this outstanding, original novel. A must read.
November 10, 2014
Happy daze, indeed. The Wake (And What Jeremiah Did Next) teems with endearing, sharply drawn characters so achingly Irish it made me want to jump on a plane and head over there. Colm Herron weaves the intimate, earthy and often hilarious details of an unloved neighbor's wake in Derry with pointed and equally funny commentary on threads of religion, history and politics that are unique to Northern Ireland. But it never feels like commentary; it feels like you're sitting there at the wake, trying not to burst out laughing at what you're hearing all around you.
The story is told by a young man with a wicked sense of humor named Jeremiah who is caught in the throes of a complicated love affair that still manages to stay sweet and uplifting. Herron expertly sets down the pattern and cadence of Derry speech, yet his prose is clear and easy to read.
Brilliantly crafted, darkly comic and yet, somehow, full of light, this is a book you'll want to read more than once. Preferably with a glass of Irish whiskey.
The story is told by a young man with a wicked sense of humor named Jeremiah who is caught in the throes of a complicated love affair that still manages to stay sweet and uplifting. Herron expertly sets down the pattern and cadence of Derry speech, yet his prose is clear and easy to read.
Brilliantly crafted, darkly comic and yet, somehow, full of light, this is a book you'll want to read more than once. Preferably with a glass of Irish whiskey.
January 20, 2015
This is a great book. It took me a while to adjust to the style ... a distinct lack of commas or punctuation of any kind and no chapters, LOL. These were all done deliberately, as this book is written in a chatty style in first person perspective. Once I got used to it, I found I enjoyed it tremendously. The setting is Irish, and the narrator "speaks" in typical Irish fashion ... fast ... hence the lack of commas! The book is amusing, and true to life. It gives an insight into some of the "troubles" in Ireland, as well as the restrictions of religion, and lots of other daily conundrums. The book is written the way it would be spoken, which for me added to the entertainment value. I would highly recommend this author.
May 10, 2016
The Wake
A slightly different genre to what I normally go for but I liked the sound of the blurb and really enjoyed the change! The characters are strong and interesting, telling a tale of complex subjects but always, it seems, with a little humour thrown in. I laughed out loud in places.
Once you adjust to the style in which Herron has written this book-no chapters, lack of punctuation etc-you find it flows nicely in a chatty Irish prose. If you're looking for something 'a bit different', I would definitely recommend giving The Wake a go. I'll be seeking out other work by Herron in the future for sure!
Many thanks to TBC and Colm Herron for a copy of The Wake in exchange for an honest review. A solid 4* from me!
A slightly different genre to what I normally go for but I liked the sound of the blurb and really enjoyed the change! The characters are strong and interesting, telling a tale of complex subjects but always, it seems, with a little humour thrown in. I laughed out loud in places.
Once you adjust to the style in which Herron has written this book-no chapters, lack of punctuation etc-you find it flows nicely in a chatty Irish prose. If you're looking for something 'a bit different', I would definitely recommend giving The Wake a go. I'll be seeking out other work by Herron in the future for sure!
Many thanks to TBC and Colm Herron for a copy of The Wake in exchange for an honest review. A solid 4* from me!
August 6, 2016
I would like to thank Helen at TBC for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest and open review.
An interesting story which covers every topic imaginable.
All I knew of "The Troubles" in Ireland were what I'd seen on TV and read in the papers. This gives a whole new aspect to it.
I love the Irish accent and I could hear it so clearly as I read this book.
The dark humour had me laughing out loud, although there were some poignant moments.
I'd definitely read more of Colm Herron's books.
An interesting story which covers every topic imaginable.
All I knew of "The Troubles" in Ireland were what I'd seen on TV and read in the papers. This gives a whole new aspect to it.
I love the Irish accent and I could hear it so clearly as I read this book.
The dark humour had me laughing out loud, although there were some poignant moments.
I'd definitely read more of Colm Herron's books.
November 20, 2014
Is it Derry or LondonDerry where this story is told?
Asking that very question during the dark days of the troubles in a divided Northern Ireland in the 1970’s could be enough in itself to bring on violent, bloody turmoil.
I read this story in an earlier, unrevised form when it appeared on an internet site and bought the rewritten version the day it was published. It is that kind of a book.
This is a story of Maud’s wake as told by Jeremiah, a youth with a dry and engaging sense of humour and a fierce passion for Aisling; the love of his maturing young life. But the path of his true love does not run straight and fair, it is complicated, because the good lady who lights his fuse occasionally likes to have hers lighted by sharing her bed with others that she has more in common with – like her gender. Oh dear me Jeremiah, you really must learn to talk knitting or cooking or whatever it is that’s lacking in your bed time conversation with your darling Aisling to keep her to yourself. Or something!
Through the wake of Maud - the dear, dead departed – whom nobody liked or misses - Colm Herron conveys us back to those volcanic times in the history of the Province. With the skill of a master craftsman coupled with more than a touch of his own wit and humour he exposes and satirizes the bigotry of the times from all sides of the prevalent arguments centred around the Church and Irish Politics to deliver what is, in essence, a love story.
Brilliantly written in the author’s own inimitable style to gives us insight into those dark times and yet, with a lightness to make this is a delightfully amusing and entertaining read.
It is a book to keep by for those precious hours when one can be alone to immerse oneself entirely in the story. To put another cushion on the armchair and draw it closer to the fire so you can get your feet into the cinders, settle down with a glass and bottle of Irish whiskey by your side and allow yourself to be transported back to Maud’s wake in 1970’s Derry – or should that be LondonDerry?
Now the answer to that question depends on whether the bottle of whiskey by your side is Jameson’s or Bushmills!
Asking that very question during the dark days of the troubles in a divided Northern Ireland in the 1970’s could be enough in itself to bring on violent, bloody turmoil.
I read this story in an earlier, unrevised form when it appeared on an internet site and bought the rewritten version the day it was published. It is that kind of a book.
This is a story of Maud’s wake as told by Jeremiah, a youth with a dry and engaging sense of humour and a fierce passion for Aisling; the love of his maturing young life. But the path of his true love does not run straight and fair, it is complicated, because the good lady who lights his fuse occasionally likes to have hers lighted by sharing her bed with others that she has more in common with – like her gender. Oh dear me Jeremiah, you really must learn to talk knitting or cooking or whatever it is that’s lacking in your bed time conversation with your darling Aisling to keep her to yourself. Or something!
Through the wake of Maud - the dear, dead departed – whom nobody liked or misses - Colm Herron conveys us back to those volcanic times in the history of the Province. With the skill of a master craftsman coupled with more than a touch of his own wit and humour he exposes and satirizes the bigotry of the times from all sides of the prevalent arguments centred around the Church and Irish Politics to deliver what is, in essence, a love story.
Brilliantly written in the author’s own inimitable style to gives us insight into those dark times and yet, with a lightness to make this is a delightfully amusing and entertaining read.
It is a book to keep by for those precious hours when one can be alone to immerse oneself entirely in the story. To put another cushion on the armchair and draw it closer to the fire so you can get your feet into the cinders, settle down with a glass and bottle of Irish whiskey by your side and allow yourself to be transported back to Maud’s wake in 1970’s Derry – or should that be LondonDerry?
Now the answer to that question depends on whether the bottle of whiskey by your side is Jameson’s or Bushmills!
September 15, 2016
A few quotes that tickled me but while remembering this novel is set in dire times. Black humour then, and we all need that.
“Somebody told me Maud died intestate,” Seamus was saying.
“Where’s that then?” said Willie Henry.
“I sit at home with Mammy and look at TV. A man could grow old this way. On Friday with watch the Late Late Show. Stupid name of course because it’s not late late, it’s not even late. It starts at half nine and ends at eleven or so when the night’s only starting.”
In among the hilarity is serious philosophy and historical angst re the Irish Troubles and religion: “...The absent presence of God’s supposed to be the thing keeps the churches going and it’s nothing but an absence of course, all it is is a pretense of a presence that isn’t there at all.” Love the wordplay.
The protest march, like all of them turns out to be a comedy / tragedy of errors. Brutes use such occasions as an excuse for brutality against the intellectual and passionate naiveté. Been on the blunt end myself at Orgreave in 1984. Me a radical young teacher supporting South Yorkshire miners on strike against Maggie Thatcher, the right wing Brit Prime Minister. I’d went to uni and taught in the area so had a kind of meeting of minds, or so I thought. Wrong but only in emphasis.
“Some girl... was calling Derry the capital of injustice. Clever that. Bit of an exaggeration but still, speechmaker’s license.” Love and the Church played their part in Derry – not obvious all the time – one with passion, the other delusion. Well played out in The Wake.
Not so much a road trip as a protest march as told from the in step. As the author says in the afterword, a writer sees more than what is happening and knows that a work of fiction is often needed to exemplify the truth. Quite fascinating.
“Somebody told me Maud died intestate,” Seamus was saying.
“Where’s that then?” said Willie Henry.
“I sit at home with Mammy and look at TV. A man could grow old this way. On Friday with watch the Late Late Show. Stupid name of course because it’s not late late, it’s not even late. It starts at half nine and ends at eleven or so when the night’s only starting.”
In among the hilarity is serious philosophy and historical angst re the Irish Troubles and religion: “...The absent presence of God’s supposed to be the thing keeps the churches going and it’s nothing but an absence of course, all it is is a pretense of a presence that isn’t there at all.” Love the wordplay.
The protest march, like all of them turns out to be a comedy / tragedy of errors. Brutes use such occasions as an excuse for brutality against the intellectual and passionate naiveté. Been on the blunt end myself at Orgreave in 1984. Me a radical young teacher supporting South Yorkshire miners on strike against Maggie Thatcher, the right wing Brit Prime Minister. I’d went to uni and taught in the area so had a kind of meeting of minds, or so I thought. Wrong but only in emphasis.
“Some girl... was calling Derry the capital of injustice. Clever that. Bit of an exaggeration but still, speechmaker’s license.” Love and the Church played their part in Derry – not obvious all the time – one with passion, the other delusion. Well played out in The Wake.
Not so much a road trip as a protest march as told from the in step. As the author says in the afterword, a writer sees more than what is happening and knows that a work of fiction is often needed to exemplify the truth. Quite fascinating.
May 16, 2016
Do you know Colm Herron? Have you read his books? Whether yes or no, you’ll love The Wake.
Anyone who has been to an Irish wake will recognize the crowd. You see the hostess rushing about and hear the voices and milling around of neighbors in the background. And over in the corner, cronies – knowledgeable in all topics – take on local and international politics as they become increasingly besotted. And there, watching, our enigmatic hero, Jeremiah Coffey.
Herron is a master of the unexpected, starting here with his remarkable mid-wake event. Sullen, irked by feigned condolences, Jeremiah manages polite comments until an incident that surely ranks among the most hilarious in literary history.
But it’s 1968, and The Troubles take the stage. Jeremiah faces confounding love, and initiation into marching, and comradeship, and fear in Irish politics. Turmoil, trust, love, intrigue, humor – it’s all there for the taking.
Herron is a gifted storyteller and consummate writer. Rather than describing events, his words and phrases draw the reader into the moment. You feel the priest’s perspiration in the “slippily melding” handshake, and the sickening residue of a surprise and unwelcome French kiss.
This is a great read - rollicking here, heartrending there, always entertaining. I recommend it with pleasure.
Jude O’Dell
Anyone who has been to an Irish wake will recognize the crowd. You see the hostess rushing about and hear the voices and milling around of neighbors in the background. And over in the corner, cronies – knowledgeable in all topics – take on local and international politics as they become increasingly besotted. And there, watching, our enigmatic hero, Jeremiah Coffey.
Herron is a master of the unexpected, starting here with his remarkable mid-wake event. Sullen, irked by feigned condolences, Jeremiah manages polite comments until an incident that surely ranks among the most hilarious in literary history.
But it’s 1968, and The Troubles take the stage. Jeremiah faces confounding love, and initiation into marching, and comradeship, and fear in Irish politics. Turmoil, trust, love, intrigue, humor – it’s all there for the taking.
Herron is a gifted storyteller and consummate writer. Rather than describing events, his words and phrases draw the reader into the moment. You feel the priest’s perspiration in the “slippily melding” handshake, and the sickening residue of a surprise and unwelcome French kiss.
This is a great read - rollicking here, heartrending there, always entertaining. I recommend it with pleasure.
Jude O’Dell
April 8, 2015
The Wake has you from page one. This is truly one of those books you want to lock the world out for, so you can spend the whole weekend indulging yourself with it.
The characterization is unbelievable, Herron captures the personalities, gossipy natures and dialect so well it is hard not to imagine you are actually attending this wake alongside thes colorful people. While written in dialect, I had no issue following, this book is a master class on dialogue writing.
The period/historical elements are unbelievably well done. Not once did I feel I was dropped out of the time period. Not easy to do when so much water has passed under societies attitudes.
I really enjoyed the way this author captured this specific moment in time. It brought back memories of the era and answered many questions for me about the troubles Going on across the water from where I grew up.
Colm Herron has a remarkable gift for story telling and he does so making the words appear effortless. As a result the story sits deep within you. The humor, the sadness, the passion and passions are all so very palpable. This is one of those books I am going to want to pull out on rainy afternoons and re-read again and again.
The characterization is unbelievable, Herron captures the personalities, gossipy natures and dialect so well it is hard not to imagine you are actually attending this wake alongside thes colorful people. While written in dialect, I had no issue following, this book is a master class on dialogue writing.
The period/historical elements are unbelievably well done. Not once did I feel I was dropped out of the time period. Not easy to do when so much water has passed under societies attitudes.
I really enjoyed the way this author captured this specific moment in time. It brought back memories of the era and answered many questions for me about the troubles Going on across the water from where I grew up.
Colm Herron has a remarkable gift for story telling and he does so making the words appear effortless. As a result the story sits deep within you. The humor, the sadness, the passion and passions are all so very palpable. This is one of those books I am going to want to pull out on rainy afternoons and re-read again and again.
March 10, 2015
In this new rendition of The Wake (What Jeremiah did Next) Colm Herron does not hold back and the results are stunning. As he says on his website: “...did you ever wonder how in hell Ireland turned out so many great writers? Well, that’s it. I’ve just said it: they turned them out. On their ear.” This book is so good, and Colm Herron such a treat to read on so many levels that, mark my words, he will end up on that list of banished Irish writers, banished for exposing too much. The novel begins with “wake without bereavement” for Maud Harrigan, a woman no one liked but none-the-less the townsfolk drift in and out for show - to have a drink, to rage on about how drink is ruining Ireland, to gossip, debate politics and listen to slimy priests tell inappropriate jokes. The narrator is a young man named Jeremiah at whose house the wake is being held because, well, it had to be done, now didn’t it? No one wants to risk going to hell. However Jeremiah decides to take his chances, engaging in sex out of marriage and not in the Missionary position with a lady who sometimes prefers another ladies to him. Herron takes on the church, satirizes Irish politics and tells a basically sweet story of a young man in love.
June 10, 2016
It's fair to say this isn't my usual genre, but I do like to open my mind occasionally, and this book came highly recommended. I have to say it certainly broadened my understanding of Irish culture, and offered a fascinating insight into what it was like to be on the inside of a conflict I only ever saw through the blurred lens of English mainstream television and newspapers in the 1970s.
What I found interesting (and perhaps reassuring) was that whilst the Troubles permeate the very fabric of the society Jeremiah encapsulates, life still goes on. From the outside looking in, you assume the conflict would be all-consuming but on both sides of any divide, people are still people. I enjoyed the dialect both in the narrative and the dialogue and found the self-examination of the Irish psyche to be both poignant and humorous. There are moments when you nod with recognition of the sheer weight of politico-religious dogma and tradition, and others where you laugh out loud at the contradictions in the frailties of the human condition, enduring under such oppression.
Lots of reviews mention James Joyce and the similarities were apparent, but I preferred Herron's style. It kept me reading and it made me think.
What I found interesting (and perhaps reassuring) was that whilst the Troubles permeate the very fabric of the society Jeremiah encapsulates, life still goes on. From the outside looking in, you assume the conflict would be all-consuming but on both sides of any divide, people are still people. I enjoyed the dialect both in the narrative and the dialogue and found the self-examination of the Irish psyche to be both poignant and humorous. There are moments when you nod with recognition of the sheer weight of politico-religious dogma and tradition, and others where you laugh out loud at the contradictions in the frailties of the human condition, enduring under such oppression.
Lots of reviews mention James Joyce and the similarities were apparent, but I preferred Herron's style. It kept me reading and it made me think.
June 4, 2015
A fantastic book written by an obviously talented author. Herron does a superb job of taking the reader on a myriad of emotions revolving around religion, politics and family - along with the expectations of each. Of course, all of these intricately dance at Maud's wake. Like most cultures, people tend to flock to weddings and funerals - either by genuine love or as a means of seeing what it going on with the folk around them that they can care less about. The dialect was real - and surprisingly easy to follow. I found myself laughing at the sarcasms and flawed personalities - often making me think of people I know that are similar. Jeremiah is a fantastic character that makes you want to keep reading on. I highly recommend The Wake!
March 12, 2015
An Earthy Yarn! From the moment Maud Harrigan drops dead at the kitchen table - in the first sentence - you want to find out what happens next. Full of tears, sweat and other bodily fluids, The Wake (And What Jeremiah Did Next) is an earthy yarn about ordinary people trying to live their lives amongst the protests and violence of Northern Ireland in the 1960s. Well worth a read!
September 18, 2016
This story is nothing short of brilliant. If you have any connection to Ireland, you'll recognize the intimate depiction of its people and culture. If you don't, you'll get a crash course. The saying that fiction is best for depicting truth definitely applies. In this case, it's like being fully immersed, perhaps even like being baptized in Irish whiskey, through the eyes of the main character, Jeremiah.
The book is so loaded with truth I hardly know where to start. It starts out at a wake, an event that is typically associated with Irish culture. If you've never been to one like myself, this will give you a glimpse of what they're all about. If you've ever lived in a small town, it will make even more sense. Here you have someone who has passed away and has no relatives, so a neighbor holds the wake because it's the thing to do. The conversations during this event reveal a boatload. It's more of a social event where refreshments are served than a time to remember the deceased, who was not particularly liked. Jeremiah, whose mother is the hostess, is stuck attending and, to make it more tolerable, has a bit too much to drink. Well, okay, maybe more than a bit. This results in some absolutely hilarious situations that had me laughing 'til I cried, but I won't give away because I hate spoilers.
So what did Jeremiah do next? Well, he got on with his life. A rather weird, somewhat dysfunctional, crazy one that wasn't particularly unexpected for a young man in his twenties discovering life in that time and place. As is the case with most that age and gender, he's obsessed with sex. He's in love with a woman who's not only bisexual, but a rebel. This is where all the social issues regarding the Catholics and Protestants come into play. After all, it's the 60s when protesting was in vogue. So, Jeremiah hooks up with Aisling and her partner, Frances, whom he describes as "Stalin in drag." The adventures they encounter, including in the bedroom (which are tastefully done, considering it's a menage a trois) take off from there, and provide a glimpse into the religion-related issues and what the protests are all about.
I consider this story a literary masterpiece. I could hardly put it down, which was exacerbated by the fact it doesn't have chapter breaks. It reads partly like a journal and partly like following Jeremiah around, perhaps as his guardian angel sees him. Few books have the ability this one has to draw you into a world so effectively. It's like a very personal trip to the Emerald Isle.
As a bonus, and to assist those who may not "get" what this book is all about, the author includes some discussion questions at the end which would be particularly helpful for book clubs or even English teachers. All great literature is unique and stands out from everything else and this is in that category. You'll either love it or hate it. I loved it.
The book is so loaded with truth I hardly know where to start. It starts out at a wake, an event that is typically associated with Irish culture. If you've never been to one like myself, this will give you a glimpse of what they're all about. If you've ever lived in a small town, it will make even more sense. Here you have someone who has passed away and has no relatives, so a neighbor holds the wake because it's the thing to do. The conversations during this event reveal a boatload. It's more of a social event where refreshments are served than a time to remember the deceased, who was not particularly liked. Jeremiah, whose mother is the hostess, is stuck attending and, to make it more tolerable, has a bit too much to drink. Well, okay, maybe more than a bit. This results in some absolutely hilarious situations that had me laughing 'til I cried, but I won't give away because I hate spoilers.
So what did Jeremiah do next? Well, he got on with his life. A rather weird, somewhat dysfunctional, crazy one that wasn't particularly unexpected for a young man in his twenties discovering life in that time and place. As is the case with most that age and gender, he's obsessed with sex. He's in love with a woman who's not only bisexual, but a rebel. This is where all the social issues regarding the Catholics and Protestants come into play. After all, it's the 60s when protesting was in vogue. So, Jeremiah hooks up with Aisling and her partner, Frances, whom he describes as "Stalin in drag." The adventures they encounter, including in the bedroom (which are tastefully done, considering it's a menage a trois) take off from there, and provide a glimpse into the religion-related issues and what the protests are all about.
I consider this story a literary masterpiece. I could hardly put it down, which was exacerbated by the fact it doesn't have chapter breaks. It reads partly like a journal and partly like following Jeremiah around, perhaps as his guardian angel sees him. Few books have the ability this one has to draw you into a world so effectively. It's like a very personal trip to the Emerald Isle.
As a bonus, and to assist those who may not "get" what this book is all about, the author includes some discussion questions at the end which would be particularly helpful for book clubs or even English teachers. All great literature is unique and stands out from everything else and this is in that category. You'll either love it or hate it. I loved it.
October 2, 2019
I loved Jeremiah's clumsy journey of self-discovery and his attempts to hold onto what means the most to him. The historical period in which The Wake takes place is filled with social upheavals, prejudices, religious dogma, and sexual enlightenment. Jeremiah takes part is this important movement in Irish civil rights for one of life's greatest motivators, sex. All right, it's more than just sex, but it's a big part of it. What 20-something wouldn't make the same choice? I think we can all agree Jeremiah's motivations are genuine and realistic. Not a stereotypical hero, Jeremiah is just a young man trying to make sense of the world around him and his place in it. His stumbling journey is something most readers can relate to. Jeremiah had to make a difficult choice between blindly following his upbringing and the bucking aginst the hypocrisy of that upbringing. By the time we leave Jeremiah, he's doing a good job shedding some of his Catholic guilt, but he still has a long way to go. I imagine it's something that he will struggle with for the rest of his life, but I'm hopeful Aisling will help wash most of it out of his system. Perhaps one day, Jeremiah will fully Wake into his new life.
Read
September 12, 2016I was fully engaged from the first page of this highly unusual story. Author Colm Herron roped me in with his spot-on use of first person, Irish vernacular. His is a clever wit, told in the voice of Jeremiah, who unwittingly finds himself host of a wake for a local woman seemingly by default. The Irish banter of the characters at the wake thrilled me and were a clever vehicle in drawing character studies. Into this mix appears Aisling, Jeremiah's bi-sexual object of affection, and one he feels is worth personal adjustments. That Aisling is a political activist, and that Jeremiah goes along for the ride with an outsider's perspective was, yet again, another clever vehicle by this creative author. It is the end of the 1960's, and the civil unrest in Derry is told candidly and flawlessly. The Wake is a novel that operates in many levels: it's language is compelling and tight; it's story is layered and bold, and it's feel is authentically Irish. I enjoyed this read and applaud its author! 5 stars for this book.
December 22, 2016
1968, Ireland. Politics & the Catholic Church.
Maud Abilene Harrigan died.
What was in her will?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written Irish memoir book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great historical Irish movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Maud Abilene Harrigan died.
What was in her will?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written Irish memoir book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great historical Irish movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
March 10, 2020
This was really different from my usual reading but I did enjoy it. I loved the Irish dialogue it was lyrical and fun. The characters were very visible and interesting and all in all it had me hooked into the early hours.
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