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Ithaca
Shortlisted for The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2017
Longlisted for the 2017 Desmond Elliott Prize
'Alan McMonagle possesses a style that is all his own and I found his first novel compelling from start to finish. Read it.' Patrick McCabe, author of The Butcher Boy
Ithaca , the ferociously funny and unbelievably poignant debut novel from Alan McMonagle, combines a fiercely emotional story with crackling prose.
Summer 2009, and eleven-year-old Jason Lowry is preoccupied with thoughts of the Da he has never known. In the meantime, his vodka-swilling, swings-from-the-hip Ma is busy entertaining her latest boyfriend and indulging her fondness for joyriding.
Jason escapes to the a mysteriously rising pool of fetid water on the outskirts of the town. There, he meets the girl, a being as lost as himself. Together, they conjure exotic adventures - from ancient Egypt to the search for Ithaca, home of Odysseus. But what begin as innocent flights of fancy soon become forays into hazardous territory; the girl is a dangerous (and very committed) partner in crime.
Longlisted for the 2017 Desmond Elliott Prize
'Alan McMonagle possesses a style that is all his own and I found his first novel compelling from start to finish. Read it.' Patrick McCabe, author of The Butcher Boy
Ithaca , the ferociously funny and unbelievably poignant debut novel from Alan McMonagle, combines a fiercely emotional story with crackling prose.
Summer 2009, and eleven-year-old Jason Lowry is preoccupied with thoughts of the Da he has never known. In the meantime, his vodka-swilling, swings-from-the-hip Ma is busy entertaining her latest boyfriend and indulging her fondness for joyriding.
Jason escapes to the a mysteriously rising pool of fetid water on the outskirts of the town. There, he meets the girl, a being as lost as himself. Together, they conjure exotic adventures - from ancient Egypt to the search for Ithaca, home of Odysseus. But what begin as innocent flights of fancy soon become forays into hazardous territory; the girl is a dangerous (and very committed) partner in crime.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2017
14 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 9, 2018
This was a 2.5 star read for me. I ended up skimming a lot of it because there were a lot of long rambling conversations. The protagonist is an 11 year old boy. I really don't like books focused on pre-teen and teenaged boys. I suppose I find them hard to relate to. This book was highly rated by The Irish Times. But there are so many better examples of books with male protagonists this age like The Good Son by Paul McVeigh. This boy doesn't know his father and his mother is pretty hopeless. Pursued by bill payers and men, she's a terrible parent. I read this for a book club, and that was the reason for pushing through. Lesson learned is find more ways to avoid reading books I don't want to read.
March 14, 2017
Eleven-year-old Jason spends most of his summer days avoiding his drunk mother and trying to find out who his father is. His curiosity is limited by geography, so he takes his research to the local pub, shops and streets of his small town. A host of characters have plenty to say about the recession, builders, chancers and even his own mother. Jason escapes to the peaceful surroundings of the swamp where, amongst the murky waters and tree stumps, he discusses Greek legends and pictures lands far away with his only friend. They soon find themselves planning real adventures and are determined to make their mark.
Midlands Ireland is featured in many of today's finest novels, with the recession featuring heavily in most. There is something quite woeful in the description of ghost estates, whole villages of unemployed builders and hallways full of unpaid bills. It is hard to see the light through the trees of a forgotten midland town. While Ithaca has a similar setting, it stands apart from the crowd. Jacinta has a drink problem. She also has an issue with mothering. She has no filter, no morals and no hope of changing. Jason just wants to know who his father is. His mother refuses to say, so his search begins on a bar stool;
"It was my first time in the pub, a dark dungeon of a room with a beery smell and no windows.[...] Shirley Halligan was behind the counter pulling drink. Meantime, Barry the bank clerk was sitting at the low table by the wall, in his stripey suit and pink shirt and long shoes, the kind that went on long after feet end, and the wondering head on him because his mobile phone wasn't working."
McMonagle's writing brings a whole village to life with simple yet effective words. The story flows at a steady pace, with Jason at the heart of it. He is a victim of circumstance; finding solace in self-harm and vandalism; always listening and hoping for clues leading to his father. Jacinta is darkly comical, despite her situation. She has a litany of excuses for her dire financial situation and most involve Jason suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Unusually, the dialogue in McMonagle's debut novel is without inverted commas. This lends to a raw and sharp tone and often feels like the scene is literally playing out in front of you;
"Look who it is, Shirley said, without even turning to me.
The one and only.
Back for more punishment.
You'll get a crick in your neck staring up like that, Shirley.
Don't be smart. It doesn't suit you.
You were in a much better mood the last time I was in.
I'm a woman, kid. My mood changes a million times every second."
Despite the bitterness spewing forth from Jacinta and the silent sadness which gnaws away at Jason, their story hypnotizes and jars, through lighter moments and visceral dark comedy. Mother and son get under your skin from the opening page. They crawl so far into your pores that you can almost feel the itch underneath. A remarkable and enthralling debut. Highly recommended.
Midlands Ireland is featured in many of today's finest novels, with the recession featuring heavily in most. There is something quite woeful in the description of ghost estates, whole villages of unemployed builders and hallways full of unpaid bills. It is hard to see the light through the trees of a forgotten midland town. While Ithaca has a similar setting, it stands apart from the crowd. Jacinta has a drink problem. She also has an issue with mothering. She has no filter, no morals and no hope of changing. Jason just wants to know who his father is. His mother refuses to say, so his search begins on a bar stool;
"It was my first time in the pub, a dark dungeon of a room with a beery smell and no windows.[...] Shirley Halligan was behind the counter pulling drink. Meantime, Barry the bank clerk was sitting at the low table by the wall, in his stripey suit and pink shirt and long shoes, the kind that went on long after feet end, and the wondering head on him because his mobile phone wasn't working."
McMonagle's writing brings a whole village to life with simple yet effective words. The story flows at a steady pace, with Jason at the heart of it. He is a victim of circumstance; finding solace in self-harm and vandalism; always listening and hoping for clues leading to his father. Jacinta is darkly comical, despite her situation. She has a litany of excuses for her dire financial situation and most involve Jason suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Unusually, the dialogue in McMonagle's debut novel is without inverted commas. This lends to a raw and sharp tone and often feels like the scene is literally playing out in front of you;
"Look who it is, Shirley said, without even turning to me.
The one and only.
Back for more punishment.
You'll get a crick in your neck staring up like that, Shirley.
Don't be smart. It doesn't suit you.
You were in a much better mood the last time I was in.
I'm a woman, kid. My mood changes a million times every second."
Despite the bitterness spewing forth from Jacinta and the silent sadness which gnaws away at Jason, their story hypnotizes and jars, through lighter moments and visceral dark comedy. Mother and son get under your skin from the opening page. They crawl so far into your pores that you can almost feel the itch underneath. A remarkable and enthralling debut. Highly recommended.
April 18, 2018
Set in a rural Irish village in 2009, with the country in recession, and the formerly busy main street now with empty windows and boarded-up doors, 11 year old Jason Lowry dreams of escaping the dreariness. With an absent father and a mother who he adores but rarely sees, Jason is streetwise but immature in other ways. To escape the dreariness he invents a mythical land and escapes to it whenever possible, meeting a similarly aged young girl. The innocence of their relationship adds to the sadness of the story, despite McMonagle’s occasional efforts to lighten the situation with dark humour. Th images of neglect, self-harm, and bullying are those that stand out which makes this a difficult read throughout.
It doesn’t really work for me despite this though. The distinction between myth and reality becomes increasingly more blurred, perhaps by intention. I read a couple of similar books last year, Not Thomas by Sara Gethin and Glasshopper by Isabel Ashdown , and I think it’s taken me until now to realise that this ‘genre’ isn’t really for me. Having worked with children for much of my life it’s fiction that is too close to reality.
It doesn’t really work for me despite this though. The distinction between myth and reality becomes increasingly more blurred, perhaps by intention. I read a couple of similar books last year, Not Thomas by Sara Gethin and Glasshopper by Isabel Ashdown , and I think it’s taken me until now to realise that this ‘genre’ isn’t really for me. Having worked with children for much of my life it’s fiction that is too close to reality.
March 29, 2017
Ithaca is an impressive debut novel from Irish writer Alan McMonagle. As with his short story collection "Psychotic Episodes", McMonagle tackles dark and serious matters with wry humour. Jason is an engaging protagonist, a somewhat toned-down version of Francie Brady. (The Butcher Boy) He dreams of one day escaping from his boghole town - a town whose geography and characters are very well-drawn, particularly the swamp where Jason hangs out. The characters are terrific from "the girl" to Jason's tormentors: Brains and no-brains to Mario: the bull-nut seller. The relationship between Jason and his mother is particularly interesting and in essence tragic. I loved the typically Irish expressions, which an international audience might not get, in particular "numpty" and "did you meet anyone better than yourself". Ithaca is a novel that gave me cause for reflection - beneath the light-hearted surface lies a story as dark as the bottom of Jason's sawmp. Hat off to Mr McMonagle.
April 5, 2017
A very accomplished debut with all the hallmarks of a great Irish writer. This is a book that will join the canon of masterful tales told by compelling child narrators. The authors prowess as a short story writer shines through as each chapter is so self contained. Read it and read it again.
November 25, 2022
“Our town was slap-bang in the middle of the country, miles from anywhere, and built inside a hole made out of a bog, weeds, mulch, and the soggiest soil you might ever see. If that wasn’t bad enough, we were surrounded by a dirty black drain that spent its time fooling everyone into thinking it was a river. There were two sides to our town. The rich side on the hill beyond the railway tracks and the side we lived on. The ghetto, ma called it.”
The narrator of Alan McMonagle’s Ithaca is 11-year-old Jason Lowry. We’re in interior Ireland. Times are hard. And Jason has finally decided it’s time to look for his da. Walking down the back lane of the ghetto, we’re quickly introduced to a host of characters. Harry Brewster. Fergel Flood. Patrick Fox. Lily Brennan. And two bullies Jason calls “Brains and No Brains McManus.” Everybody seems to know everybody else’s business.
Jason is heading to The Swamp. “Drifts of steam floated above the surface scum. Nettles bunched around the cracked edges. Giant dock-leaves spread out and fluttered. There were nudges and clammy webs. Flies dizzy with excitement.” Jason runs into “the girl.” She’s a “wisp of a thing in dungarees.”
The girl has an active mind. She imagines places to travel, including Egypt and Rome. She scoffs at Jason’s search for his father.
Ithaca is drenched in Jason’s yearning. He’s got plenty of reason to want to leave, including an alcoholic mother. The ongoing conversations with “the girl” are brisk and lively. Jason is our eyes and ears around town, a narrator who seems to see all. Jason is full of commentary about the denizens of a “dimly lit” pub, a place called McMorrow’s, and Rich Hill (the other side of the tracks).
What works so well in Ithaca is the contrast of keen-eyed, sharp-witted Jason amid such bleak surroundings, both the people and the town. Jason is the “hooded pipsqueak” who sees all, hears all. Jason takes a seat at a bar and orders a drink like any other adult (he’s given a Fanta instead). He is part of the town’s flow.
Jason’s yearning for his ‘da’ is tangible, visceral. Jason self-harms. He cuts himself. He writes the word ‘DA’ with his own blood.
“I’m waiting. You hear me? Waiting for you to come and get me. Then we can go and live out our days together. Wherever you want. Doing whatever you decide. Maybe we can be the wandering kind. Restless explorers in the big world. Sailors aboard your yacht. Following the sun around the world. Mooring at a different port every day.”
You won’t blame Jason for what he wants and how desperately he wants it. He’s growing up in a “hole” surrounded by a “dirty black drain.”
Empathy oozes from every syllable for Jason and his plight. There’s a magic moment when the light bulb goes off for us readers and we realize Ithaca is about mental health, what we do to survive, the power of imagination, and the power of story. And myth.
Witty, engaging, colorful, and lively, Ithaca is a pleasure to read. The setting is depressing. Jason counters the darkness with a mountain of humanity.
The narrator of Alan McMonagle’s Ithaca is 11-year-old Jason Lowry. We’re in interior Ireland. Times are hard. And Jason has finally decided it’s time to look for his da. Walking down the back lane of the ghetto, we’re quickly introduced to a host of characters. Harry Brewster. Fergel Flood. Patrick Fox. Lily Brennan. And two bullies Jason calls “Brains and No Brains McManus.” Everybody seems to know everybody else’s business.
Jason is heading to The Swamp. “Drifts of steam floated above the surface scum. Nettles bunched around the cracked edges. Giant dock-leaves spread out and fluttered. There were nudges and clammy webs. Flies dizzy with excitement.” Jason runs into “the girl.” She’s a “wisp of a thing in dungarees.”
The girl has an active mind. She imagines places to travel, including Egypt and Rome. She scoffs at Jason’s search for his father.
Ithaca is drenched in Jason’s yearning. He’s got plenty of reason to want to leave, including an alcoholic mother. The ongoing conversations with “the girl” are brisk and lively. Jason is our eyes and ears around town, a narrator who seems to see all. Jason is full of commentary about the denizens of a “dimly lit” pub, a place called McMorrow’s, and Rich Hill (the other side of the tracks).
What works so well in Ithaca is the contrast of keen-eyed, sharp-witted Jason amid such bleak surroundings, both the people and the town. Jason is the “hooded pipsqueak” who sees all, hears all. Jason takes a seat at a bar and orders a drink like any other adult (he’s given a Fanta instead). He is part of the town’s flow.
Jason’s yearning for his ‘da’ is tangible, visceral. Jason self-harms. He cuts himself. He writes the word ‘DA’ with his own blood.
“I’m waiting. You hear me? Waiting for you to come and get me. Then we can go and live out our days together. Wherever you want. Doing whatever you decide. Maybe we can be the wandering kind. Restless explorers in the big world. Sailors aboard your yacht. Following the sun around the world. Mooring at a different port every day.”
You won’t blame Jason for what he wants and how desperately he wants it. He’s growing up in a “hole” surrounded by a “dirty black drain.”
Empathy oozes from every syllable for Jason and his plight. There’s a magic moment when the light bulb goes off for us readers and we realize Ithaca is about mental health, what we do to survive, the power of imagination, and the power of story. And myth.
Witty, engaging, colorful, and lively, Ithaca is a pleasure to read. The setting is depressing. Jason counters the darkness with a mountain of humanity.
May 25, 2017
The writing in this book was excellent. The subject matter, a boy all but abandoned in crash-depressed Ireland, is grim with the odd light moment. But I'm not sure I altogether bought the story and think I expected something different from the jacket copy. The Greek/fantasy travel theme wore a little thin for me after a while.
I'd definitely read something else of McGonagle's, though, from the Irish Times review, his short story collections sound similarly grim.
I'd definitely read something else of McGonagle's, though, from the Irish Times review, his short story collections sound similarly grim.
July 13, 2017
Good book/Great book
Good book/ Great book it's hard to tell I will have to read it again. Really enjoyed the quirky style and found it easy to read even though it jumps a little. Love love love the characters. Not so crazy about the end but maybe I was disappointed it had ended - as I said above I'll have to read it again.
Good book/ Great book it's hard to tell I will have to read it again. Really enjoyed the quirky style and found it easy to read even though it jumps a little. Love love love the characters. Not so crazy about the end but maybe I was disappointed it had ended - as I said above I'll have to read it again.
December 29, 2017
Jason Lowry would like to know who his Da is, and he's like his Ma to maybe be more predictable once in a while - she drinks, steals cars, and dances around from time to time. They've no money, everyone knows everyone's business, and the bullies are closing in.
While at the swamp near town, Jason meets a weird girl who likes to talk about far-off, exotic places. She's becomes his friend even though she loves "up on the hill", where the people with money are. He might be in love.
While at the swamp near town, Jason meets a weird girl who likes to talk about far-off, exotic places. She's becomes his friend even though she loves "up on the hill", where the people with money are. He might be in love.
July 25, 2018
I really didn't enjoy this book. I nearly stopped reading a few times but I was just interested enough to see how it ended. I'm not sure I should have bothered. I did like the setting during the recent recession in small town Ireland and all the colloquialisms that come with it but I found the story disjointed, the characters quite unsympathetic and the whole thing just annoyed me. I think I get what the author was trying to do but for me, it really didn't hang together.
September 16, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book despite the overwhelming sadness of it, and with only the smallest suggestion of hope at the end. This is a great story littered with very memorable characters and brilliant dialogue. Well worth a read.
May 18, 2017
I've just finished reading 'Ithaca', I loved it, I'm sorry to have come to the end.That boy made me laugh and he broke my heart.
Wonderful writing, I look forward to your next one.
Wonderful writing, I look forward to your next one.
June 9, 2025
I picked this novel up from Charlie Byrne’s bookstore while studying abroad in Galway, Ireland. Ithaca follows a boy named Jason who struggles to navigate life in an Irish recession-stricken village between the mounding debts of his jezebel mother and the looming absence of his father. In his quest to identify his Da, Jason befriends an imaginative girl with whom he joins for adventures within and beyond their town, stretching all the way to Odysseus’s home, Ithaca.
It was the Odyssey imagery that initally drew me to this novel (we had finished a literary walking tour of Dublin and Ulysses was on the mind— right place and right time.) One of my goals while abroad was to pick up a few pieces of Irish fiction to enjoy with some newly-gained perspective. Unfortunately, this was a rough one to start with.
In a story orbiting two fascinating female characters, Ithaca clunkily mishandles them both. While Jason’s view of his mother is somewhat shrouded by her closed-off and evasive demeanor, the novel takes no time to humanize her or develop her into anything other than a cliche. Her depressive episodes had some promise for depth, but still failed to deliver and instead remove her from the narrative until a final-act-hail-mary character change, brought about her the severity of her son’s state. Again, regarding “the girl” (no name given), I struggled for a lot of the novel to balance how much of her manic-pixie-dream-girlism was surface level character development or Jason’s internal fetishizing; however, the author was kind enough to answer that question by cramming an off-brand Sixth Sense plot twist in the final twenty pages. Turns out, she’s just the sum of the stereotype’s worst traits: victimized, overly sexualized (a 12 year old, btw), and solely around to propel a male character’s development. 🎶The worst of both worlds. 🎶
It may not sound like it, but I did not totally despise this book. I thought the town itself and most of its inhabitants were well fleshed-out. Ithaca pulls no punches while detailing the reality of life during an economic downturn; people watch out for others while keeping their own self-interest on top. It’s a complex and contradictory way of going through life, yet Ithaca’s ensemble of characters manage it well. I wish that Jason’s search for this father maintained more prominence through the middle of the novel, but I can understand the significance of his hunt leading to the loss of the parent figure he did have and why that shift was necessary. I enjoyed the many moments Jason found himself peering over a dark, swirly ledge, feeling the pull of the unknown with the promise that it couldn’t be worse than life as is. Children are more astute than they’re given credit for, and Jason’s firm grasp on the troubles and woes of his neighbors proves that.
TL,DR: Not horrible, but not great. Could have been better with more care for the story’s leading ladies before the last ~20 pages
It was the Odyssey imagery that initally drew me to this novel (we had finished a literary walking tour of Dublin and Ulysses was on the mind— right place and right time.) One of my goals while abroad was to pick up a few pieces of Irish fiction to enjoy with some newly-gained perspective. Unfortunately, this was a rough one to start with.
In a story orbiting two fascinating female characters, Ithaca clunkily mishandles them both. While Jason’s view of his mother is somewhat shrouded by her closed-off and evasive demeanor, the novel takes no time to humanize her or develop her into anything other than a cliche. Her depressive episodes had some promise for depth, but still failed to deliver and instead remove her from the narrative until a final-act-hail-mary character change, brought about her the severity of her son’s state. Again, regarding “the girl” (no name given), I struggled for a lot of the novel to balance how much of her manic-pixie-dream-girlism was surface level character development or Jason’s internal fetishizing; however, the author was kind enough to answer that question by cramming an off-brand Sixth Sense plot twist in the final twenty pages. Turns out, she’s just the sum of the stereotype’s worst traits: victimized, overly sexualized (a 12 year old, btw), and solely around to propel a male character’s development. 🎶The worst of both worlds. 🎶
It may not sound like it, but I did not totally despise this book. I thought the town itself and most of its inhabitants were well fleshed-out. Ithaca pulls no punches while detailing the reality of life during an economic downturn; people watch out for others while keeping their own self-interest on top. It’s a complex and contradictory way of going through life, yet Ithaca’s ensemble of characters manage it well. I wish that Jason’s search for this father maintained more prominence through the middle of the novel, but I can understand the significance of his hunt leading to the loss of the parent figure he did have and why that shift was necessary. I enjoyed the many moments Jason found himself peering over a dark, swirly ledge, feeling the pull of the unknown with the promise that it couldn’t be worse than life as is. Children are more astute than they’re given credit for, and Jason’s firm grasp on the troubles and woes of his neighbors proves that.
TL,DR: Not horrible, but not great. Could have been better with more care for the story’s leading ladies before the last ~20 pages
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2017
‘People. Around here some of them are like clouds. Once they clear out of sight, it’s a beautiful day.’
Ithaca by debut novelist Alan McMonagle is an amazing balancing act. It is at once both incredibly sad and incredibly funny. Its dark themes are hidden behind a bombardment of light, jaunty prose. This has to be one of the most original Irish novels that I have read in recent times.
At the heart of the novel is a lonely boy and his single mother. Jason spends his life wandering about his nondescript hometown on the lookout for something. He wants a purpose. He want to feel something, anything. He wants to find his real dad and he wants to find a friend.
He searches for these things amongst gossips, drunks and barflys who ‘if brains were chocolate, between them wouldn’t fill a Smartie.‘ Between McMorrow’s Pub and Rich Hill, lies a whole town of broken men and women struggling to remain upbeat in a downbeat town.
Jason’s mam is an expert in survival in these tough conditions. She navigates guards, bailiffs and landlords through an series of lies, flirtation and avoidance. She just about holds it together to provide a basic life for her son but each bill, each request, each demand chips another piece off her defiant front.
As Jason’s dad continues to be elusive, he finds a companion of sorts in ‘the girl.’ He meets her by the Swamp, a mysterious patch of stagnant water at the back of town. Through her, Jason learns many things and together they share each others secrets while getting up to all kinds of mischief.
As I read Ithaca, it reminded me a lot of Patrick McCabe’s The Butcher Boy. The story is so unbelievable that it is in fact believable. They are many boys like Jason who grow up on the fringes of society and learn to deal with neglect as best as they know how. McMonagle brilliantly gives a voice to these outcasts and sheds a light on the pain they experience but don’t necessarily feel.
The conclusion to this novel is truly heart-breaking as McMonagle expertly pulls back to curtain of imagination to reveal the harsh realities on the fringes of life.
Ithaca by debut novelist Alan McMonagle is an amazing balancing act. It is at once both incredibly sad and incredibly funny. Its dark themes are hidden behind a bombardment of light, jaunty prose. This has to be one of the most original Irish novels that I have read in recent times.
At the heart of the novel is a lonely boy and his single mother. Jason spends his life wandering about his nondescript hometown on the lookout for something. He wants a purpose. He want to feel something, anything. He wants to find his real dad and he wants to find a friend.
He searches for these things amongst gossips, drunks and barflys who ‘if brains were chocolate, between them wouldn’t fill a Smartie.‘ Between McMorrow’s Pub and Rich Hill, lies a whole town of broken men and women struggling to remain upbeat in a downbeat town.
Jason’s mam is an expert in survival in these tough conditions. She navigates guards, bailiffs and landlords through an series of lies, flirtation and avoidance. She just about holds it together to provide a basic life for her son but each bill, each request, each demand chips another piece off her defiant front.
As Jason’s dad continues to be elusive, he finds a companion of sorts in ‘the girl.’ He meets her by the Swamp, a mysterious patch of stagnant water at the back of town. Through her, Jason learns many things and together they share each others secrets while getting up to all kinds of mischief.
As I read Ithaca, it reminded me a lot of Patrick McCabe’s The Butcher Boy. The story is so unbelievable that it is in fact believable. They are many boys like Jason who grow up on the fringes of society and learn to deal with neglect as best as they know how. McMonagle brilliantly gives a voice to these outcasts and sheds a light on the pain they experience but don’t necessarily feel.
The conclusion to this novel is truly heart-breaking as McMonagle expertly pulls back to curtain of imagination to reveal the harsh realities on the fringes of life.
October 19, 2019
I swallowed this book in a few days it flowed so easily. The stylistic prose jump you right into rural, boggy Ireland, a place confined, where Jason Lowry, an 11 year old boy, suffers from inward and outward - that is, economic - depression. He cannot connect to anyone - especially his troubled Ma, nor can he run to any male figures - his only one being an absent father. Instead he finds solace and discovery through another - a curious girl. Together they plot escape - Egypt to home of Odysseus, France (just a train ride away, surely!) - while Jason pursues the questions regarding his family.
Though cyclical in nature, this book kept me reading not so much for plot, but for character and language. I fell in love with McMonagle’s style - his descriptions, his humor, his wit - all of which move you to laugh, hurt, and ultimately empathize or sympathize in a beautiful way. It’s a wonderfully human novel.
Though cyclical in nature, this book kept me reading not so much for plot, but for character and language. I fell in love with McMonagle’s style - his descriptions, his humor, his wit - all of which move you to laugh, hurt, and ultimately empathize or sympathize in a beautiful way. It’s a wonderfully human novel.
January 1, 2018
What’s this book like? Well, in chapter one, 12yo Jason’s Ma steals her neighbour’s car (again) and drives them both at breakneck speed wherever takes her fancy, hurling abuse, mockery and kisses to fellow motorists until it runs out of fuel. Then she escapes the wrath of the local policeman (cop Lawless) and the neighbour by spinning a wildly graphic and completely fictitious tale about Jason’s smelly and life-threatening illness. Suffice to say it’s not boring. Or slow. In fact, the author writes a bit like Ma drives. It’s a wild ride and you just hang on and see where it takes you - which, as it turns out, is an increasingly dark place. I found the story arc of the girl that Jason meets by the swamp a bit unconvincing and a tad confusing in the very final pages, but it’s a great read.
August 2, 2017
Jason Lowry is een zielig jongetje van elf, dat opgroeit zonder vader bij een alcoholistische moeder die haar rekeningen betaalt met lichamelijke diensten. In het Ierland van 2009 (financiële crisis) is zijn toestand behoorlijk uitzichtloos. Hij snijdt zichzelf regelmatig. Gelukkig ontmoet hij een mysterieus meisje dat hem de weg wijst naar Ithaca.
Best een mooi boek, best goed geschreven, en toch ... het deed me niet veel. Het wordt een beetje een cliché, al die kleurrijke Ierse misfits en dan zo'n kind als zuiver nootje. Maar de recensies zijn laaiend dus ik zal er wel weer nix van begrepen hebben.
Best een mooi boek, best goed geschreven, en toch ... het deed me niet veel. Het wordt een beetje een cliché, al die kleurrijke Ierse misfits en dan zo'n kind als zuiver nootje. Maar de recensies zijn laaiend dus ik zal er wel weer nix van begrepen hebben.
July 5, 2017
Heard about Ithaca on the radio,and decided to read on holiday. I very much enjoyed the book,but now that I am finished,can't make up my mind as to what the whole story is about. The basics are there for all to see,lonely boy in a rundown town,with a dis functional mother,and how he gets on with life,as he seeks to find his father. But in the end I am left wondering,how much is 'real" in the story,and how much is in his imagination, or is the whole book the crazy ramblings of a very disturbed young boy. It was certainly not what I expected.
July 3, 2024
The way the book is constructed is so odd that it makes me wonder if the original pitch was for a novella about Telemachus, now novel-length through Odysseus’s travels.
There a good elements here but as a whole it feels rushed and underdeveloped. The author used some original figurative language. However, the lack of gods was disappointing. I really can’t understand why he would leave out such dynamic characters such as Athena and Zeus.
I believe you would enjoy this read far more if you have not read anything as such before!
There a good elements here but as a whole it feels rushed and underdeveloped. The author used some original figurative language. However, the lack of gods was disappointing. I really can’t understand why he would leave out such dynamic characters such as Athena and Zeus.
I believe you would enjoy this read far more if you have not read anything as such before!
May 29, 2025
11 year old Jason is searching for his father whom he has never known. His Ma spends her time drinking and entertaining her male friends. He meets a girl in the swamp are who is just like himself .Together they try to escape the life they have and live in an imaginary world of tomes past. Shocking ending , one of the saddest books I’ve read in a long time.
October 4, 2020
Ithaca is very funny but very dark. An early incident is wholly shocking. Everyone correctly draws parallels with "Paddy Clark. Ha ha ha" and "The Butcher Boy", but Ithaca has its own voice and originality.
August 14, 2017
Tried but couldn't read it, not my thing
April 18, 2018
Trying desperately to be whimsical, it came across to me like imitation Pat McCabe or Kevin Barry.
July 13, 2018
Some nice writing and a few good jokes but very much a first novel and not good enough . Author might still write a cracker but this depressing, repetitive, pompous novel is not it.
April 11, 2019
Dull and pointless
April 30, 2019
This book took a long time to get into, but once I did, it was funny and beautiful and heartbreaking.
May 30, 2019
What’s good about this book is its depiction of Ireland during the recession. What’s not so good is the rambling prose, dull plot and the jarring attempts at humour.
February 27, 2020
i thought this was beautifully written and a mesmerising story
April 12, 2020
“A tour de force,” says the Dublin Review of Books - which is French for “seek alternatives.” I made it to page 34.
November 14, 2021
Would find it hard to recommend it but eerie in places
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