Joyride to Jupiter

by Nuala O'Connor

A heartbroken man deals with his wife's Alzheimer's as best he can. The Jesus of O'Connell Street reflects on his situation, which isn't half bad. A too-young girl witnesses her father's shocking infidelity. A quiet murder on a riverbank. Imperfect lovers and unlikely friends thwart and bolster each other as they act out their dramas on the beaches of Brazil, in the bedrooms of Dublin, and in the wilds of North America. With prose both lyrical and profound, the award-winning Nuala O'Connor writes of maternal love and cross-generational friendship but here, also, are stories of ageing, suicide, and the buoyancy of new love. In these urgent, humane stories of ill-advised couplings, loneliness and burgeoning hope, we find O'Connor's trademark humour and sensuality, and the quest for longed-for truths. A truly stunning collection by one of Ireland's finest writers.

Genres: Short Stories, Ireland

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2017

About the author

Nuala O’Connor lives in Co. Galway, Ireland. In 2019 she won the James Joyce Quarterly competition to write the missing story from Dubliners, ‘Ulysses’. Her fourth novel, Becoming Belle, was published to critical acclaim in the US, Ireland and the UK. Her most recent novel Nora is about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce. Nuala is editor at flash e-zine Splonk.

She also writes as Nuala Ní Chonchúir.

Reviews

[Margaret Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A maid in Manhattan; two mismatched tourists in Naples; a grieving couple in Cáceres; a pair of lovers searching for the right spot in Ireland. This collection of short stories, from one of Ireland's finest writers, is a glimpse into the thoughts and narratives of many.

In Joyride to Jupter a man watches his wife deteriorate into the folds of dementia and his heart breaks a little more each day. In Napoli Abú, the forced friendship between two women leads to the realisation that not every book can be judged by its cover. The family home is the subject of a rift between two brothers in Tinnycross and a seaside bench is the catalyst for friendship in Squidinky.
While each story is different to its predecessor, each tale has a powerful aftertaste.

There are nods to everyday life: homelessness, emigration, post-celtic-tiger losses, the scandals of the catholic church, infertility; some written in the present day; some in the past. The characters are ripe and bulbous, ready to hop into the readers consciousness, and take hold. Landscape and atmosphere are the focus of many stories and O'Connor describes the sky with fluid and memorizing clarity.

The collection contains tales of redemption, presumption, forgiveness and grief and the prose has a petal-like feel. These are delicate yet sturdy stories. Each one deserved of its place on the page.
There is something special to be found in each of the nineteen works and the characters stall in the readers minds, hanging on with determination. The pieces vary in length and depth yet are equal in their importance. This is a book that can be picked up, again and again, with the certainty of pleasure. Highly recommended.

[Rose Servitova · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and masterful collection of short stories. This book is one I'll treasure because it's brought me back to loving the short story again. At first I read too quick, like I was trying to race through a honeymoon and realised "why rush?" I had to slow down and savour more. It's content, themes, characters - their hopes and dreams were so rich and surprising, like different sweets exploding in my mouth. Each story became a favourite! Obviously, I highly recommend.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A total 5 stars for me. I've loved Nuala's writing for a long time, but I applaud this collection of humanity with a writer at the very top of her game and a masterful storyteller. Highly recommended.

[Marlish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across Joyride to Jupiter by Nuala O’ Connor in a blog post written by a friend here where I live in Western Australia, which is a long way from Ireland. But the stories within this beautiful anthology travel brilliantly. I just love Nuala's O' Connor quirky yet humane writing style. It's brilliant and energetic, and in her skilful hands, everyday events become extraordinary.

[Damhnait Monaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of short stories and flash fiction. Sometimes humorous, sometimes sad or poignant, these stories resonate. I was a bit sad to be finished TBH, but can comfort myself with the fact that Ms O'Connor has written other books that I have not read. (yet!)

[Helena Mulkerns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuala O’Connor is a master of the short story, and this collection, at times moving, at times funny, inspiring - but always compelling and enjoyable.

[Fiona J Mackintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Joyride to Jupiter" sits on the shelf beside my most admired short story collections – Carys Davies’ The Redemption of Galen Pike,” Danielle McLaughlin’s “Dinosaurs on Other Planets,” and all of Alice Munro. I can pay it no greater compliment.

[Marc Affolter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Might be, that I did not understand the idea behind the concept. But neither did I found the stories to be especially well written nor emotionally deep. Just a dozen stories put together incoherently.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book! Love her stories

[Lorna Sixsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, a real joy to read.

[Ratih · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 bintang

[Elsie-Blossom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book of short stories by an Irish writer. Some stories I enjoyed more than others, but the overall quality was nice!