Homesickness

by Colin Barrett

The second book from the "exact and poetic" (New York Times) author of critical smash Y oung Skins , winner of the Guardian First Book Award and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35, Homesickness is an emotionally resonant and wonderfully wry collection that follows the lives of outcasts, misfits, and malcontents from County Mayo to Canada.When Colin Barrett's debut Young Skins published, it swept up several major literary awards, and, in both its linguistic originality and sharply drawn portraits of working-class Ireland, earned Barrett comparisons to Faulkner, Hardy, and Musil. Now, in a blistering follow-up collection, Barrett brings together eight character-driven stories, each showcasing his inimitably observant eye and darkly funny styleA quiet night in a local pub is shattered by the arrival of a sword-wielding fugitive; a funeral party teeters on the edge of this world and the next, as ghosts simply won't lay in wake; a shooting sees a veteran policewoman confront the banality of her own existence; and an aspiring writer grapples with his father's cancer diagnosis and in his despair wreaks havoc on his mentor's life.The second piece of fiction from a 'lyrical and tough and smart' (Anne Enright) voice in contemporary Irish literature, Homesickness ? marks Colin Barrett out as our most brilliantly original and captivating storyteller.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Ireland, Irish Literature, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Anthologies

Paperback

First published March 10, 2022

About the author

Colin Barrett was born in 1982 and grew up in County Mayo. In 2009 he completed his MA in Creative Writing at University College Dublin and was awarded the Penguin Ireland Prize. His work has been published in The Stinging Fly magazine and in the anthologies, Sharp Sticks, Driven Nails (Stinging Fly Press, 2010) and Town and Country (Faber and Faber, 2013).

Reviews

[Michael Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

“That’s the thing about Mayo. I find it’s very presentable from a distance. It’s only up close it lets you down.”-- Crean in “A Shooting in Rathreedane” / “Homesickness: Stories.”

Colin Barrett is one of the finest short story writers active today. His first collection, “Young Skins”, won universal praise and there has been much anticipation surrounding “Homesickness: Stories.” Most of the tales here originate where Barrett grew up, Ireland’s County Mayo, and a few come from his current home in Toronto– a clue to the “Homesickness” title.

We encounter eight stories with authentic characters, most of whom are struggling in some way. Some are merely stuck in ruts, some are dejected, and there are even a few bargaining with suicide. Jackie Noonan is a Guard in “A Shooting in Rathreedane” who has, on the surface at least, reconciled herself with taking orders from Crean, a male of the same rank– but a male, after all, so that’s that. In “The Ways” we come across an orphaned family– youngsters with no idea how to handle what life has crashed down upon them. Gerry, the youngest one, is consumed with anger issues and escapes to his video game where he “blew everything away that moved.” The story ends with the game repeatedly posing the question “Do you wish to continue?”

These passages do not finish with slamming, life altering conclusions, no neatly tied packages. What we see are scenes of working class people struggling to make due with lives not turning out as planned. There is often an acceptance of things which can not change and a lot of a “what’cha gonna do?” attitude.

It would be an awful disservice if I am painting this as a depressing, doom and gloom book. Throughout we see these characters handling the absurdities of their condition with wit and humor. These are very real, for the most part very likable people and Colin Barrett’s writing keeps us pulling affectionately for them. It is not hard to understand the “Homesickness” for Mayo the author feels.

Thank you Grove/Atlantic, NetGalley, and Colin Barrett for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a wonderful reading experience… each time I read it.

“The world is full of unaccountable things, if you’re keeping track…And who keeps track?”--"The Silver Coast" / “Homesickness: Stories.”

[Angela M · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s taken me years to appreciate short stories. I’ve been fortunate to have discovered some wonderful collections and I even have a shelf for some favorites. I’m disappointed that this one will not be on that shelf. I had high hopes given the description.

While I was not satisfied with the open ended finish of most of the eight stories, I liked the language, the vivid picture that is created. I liked the setting in Ireland, and I liked some of the characters. For that, a solid three stars.

It appears that I’m an outlier here since most of the reviews are very positive. Anyone considering this should read those reviews.

I received a copy of this book from Grove Press through Edelweiss.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed the short stories in “Young Skins”…by Colin Barrett for which he won the Penguin Ireland Prize…and widespread recognition, I was looking forward to reading “HomeSickNess”.

These eight short stories are good too … and I totally appreciate Colin Barrett’s talent — but I don’t expect these stories will have a lasting punch with me —
But they are good, well written …dealing with character complexities…
….every day people
battling blows.

The dismal humor, with violence and sadness, shines with Colin’s intelligent narrative. I do really like his work — but it’s not easy breezy seamless writing either. One needs to ‘think’!
Ha…
….and my brain was shutting down at times …

Actually -right now -I’d be better off with some light summer reads - and/or memoirs where I feel as if the narrator is talking directly with me - as in sitting in the same room….
but admittedly, I kept going in and out of each storytelling room.

However….

Here are some sampling excerpts I liked:
“Danny bit down on the pistachio with just enough pressure to split the show. There was a pair of bowls in front of him. He dropped the Colonel into one bowl and deposited the fragments of the husk into the other. This performance, Aileen figured, was for Ashleigh’s benefit. It was a habit of Ashleigh’s to set challenges for Danny, like popping the tap on a Coke can without letting the foam spurt, or completing the level of a video game. These challenges were always safely rudimentary, Ashleigh anxious only to see Danny demonstrate his worldly capability, and Danny always obliged”.

“I do have a story”
“Oh”
“It’s a little story. It’s nothing scandalous”.
“Go on”.
“In fact it’s not even a story”. “There was just this . . . moment”.
“Do you want to hear this?
“If there’s a scandal”.
“I told you there’s no scandal”
I can’t tell you the story… I can’t tell you if it was about a women who was the kleptomaniac, or a woman who is having an affair,
But….
….It was the first thing that came to mind when asked about poor Lydia Healy. 🤫

“What happened was my father had called. That’s what had my head all muddled up. Usually he rang the line drunk or from the hospital. This time it was the hospital. He tended to ring after the first few days of sedation and anti-convulsion medication had got him through the worst of the withdrawals and he was feeling not so bad, had been restored to a state of endurable badness”.

“What’s it feel like to be a profit, I asked him one drink on”.
“I want you to know I have emphatically refuted any charges of prophecy, prescience or perspicacity. Good Lord. Imagine claiming someone was a profit just because they said ‘in the future things are going to get worse”.

Themes of home, homesickness, crime, stooping, patronizing, and/ or condescending, substance abuse, illness, (physical and mental), and community connections of fitting in — and ‘not’.

“The World is full of unaccountable thanks, if you’re keeping track”.


3.5….rating up.

[Peter Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a fan of Colin Barrett's debut Young Skins, a collection of bleak, arresting vignettes set in the West of Ireland. The best of them, Calm With Horses, stopped me in my tracks and was later turned into an acclaimed film. So I was more than keen to read another selection of tales from such a gifted author.

The majority of the stories in Homesickness are also set in County Mayo, where Barrett grew up. With a keen eye for the uncommon beauty of the rural landscape, he describes "cows sitting like shelves of rock in the middle of the fields, absorbing the last of the day's declining rays." But he also has a neat way of conjuring scenes that are less aesthetically pleasing. In one story set in an unnamed city, he imagines "the dangling lobe of a used condom snagged on the branch of a bush like a dismal festive decoration."

The subjects of these tales are often disaffected and rudderless. In The 10, a young man works in his father's car dealership after having his dreams of becoming a professional footballer crushed. The protagonist of Anhedonia, Here I Come is a struggling poet who creates pornographic cartoons of Disney characters as a way of supplementing his income. Much like Young Skins, there is plenty of doom and gloom in this book. The one exception is The Alps, a comic depiction of a typical night in a country pub.

Hailing from rural Ireland myself, I recognised many of the characters in this collection. Barrett displays a deep understanding of what makes these ordinary lives tick - his sentences are lyrical and his dialogue sparkles. But if I'm being totally honest, I thought Homesickness lacked some of the magic of his debut. There was no standout story for me here, nothing blew me away this time. I would still recommend the book, but I think this talented writer can do better, and I'll be first in line to read whatever he does next.

[Meike · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is such an insane amount of excellent writing coming out of Ireland, and even though not every single one of Barrett's short stories hit the mark for me, he is a fascinating writer with a recognizable voice. This collection consists of eight stories, mostly set in County Mayo, that stand out due to the knack for evocative details and the beautiful, atmospheric sentences. There is emotion shining through the rough dialogue, and humor even in the more dire tales about addiction and death. From time to time, Barrett drops dead-serious aphorisms on life and its inherent cruelty that can only be fought with mercy (look close enough, and there is some Catholicism to be discovered).

While I found myself skipping over some pages - the pacing is not always ideal, and some stories feature a bunch of unnecessary characters -, the parts that grabbed me where outstandingly effective. I particularly enjoyed how the author, who often focuses on struggling male figures (themes include death of parents, alcoholism, writing as a career, depression, loneliness, lack of direction, sibling relationships), combines gloomy outlooks and events with the weird: A desperate, aspiring poet who earns his money by drawing perverted comic fan art on request? A night at the local pub where someone brings a katana? Yes, please. I know Barrett specializes in the short form, but I love to read a novel crafted by him. Astute observations, sharp, punchy writing, great stuff.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latter half much stronger than the former, for this reader. A couple of 5-star stories at least. Best piece: probably Anhedonia, Here I Come.

[fatma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the short story collections that I've read, what I've to come to expect from a typical short story is a discrete narrative, a kind of novel in miniature. That is to say, most of the short stories I've encountered have been more or less like polished gems, very much self-contained in their little short-story packages. Where such stories are polished gems, though, Barrett's are like rocks chipped out of some surface, rough and jagged and imperfect in the way that all organic things are. They're stories that feel ongoing rather than discrete, not always going where you expect them to, and not always giving you what you want, either. In Barrett's hands, though, that's not at all a drawback.

Barrett's stories are not really interested in giving you a nice, clean narrative with a delineated beginning, middle, and end, but rather in dropping you into the lives of their characters and seeing what happens. In "The Ways," three siblings who have recently lost both their parents to cancer go about their lives; in "Anhedonia, Here I Come," a struggling poet mired in his work attempts to deal with his various frustrations over it; in "The Alps," the patrons of a club encounter a young man who walks in with a sword. They're stories that, for the most part, don't have any flashy or grandiose moments--in fact a lot of them actively lean towards the mundane--but in every one of them there is a tautness, a dramatic tension that holds the story upright and keeps you wanting to keep reading.

Unlike the typical short story I'm used to reading, Barrett's don't all end with a moment that clinches the point of the story, or come with some kind of critical passage that's the key to unlocking the thematic focus of the story. That's not to say that these stories are pointless, or that they're devoid of any important moments--because of course they have a point, and of course they have important moments; it's just that those are all woven into the various circumstances that these characters find themselves in.

And let me just say, these stories are so propulsive, so intensely readable. I think a big part of this is because they're very much built around narratives where things happen: people go places, do things, meet other people, talk to them, etc. Characters think about things, but they also do things, and the "doing" part is what really spurs the "thinking" part of these stories on. (I don't know how to describe this in a way that doesn't sound trite--don't literally all stories feature people thinking and doing things?--but IT'S TRUE, OKAY.)

It would be impossible to review this collection without talking about Barrett's writing, because it's just stellar. Colin Barrett's writing feels like a photo with the contrast turned up: everything stark and punchy and evocative. It's so sensorily rich, all the details just pop. I highlighted a lot of descriptions, but here are some of my favourites:

"At the far end of Lorna's table an elderly woman was supping on a bowl of vegetable soup the colour and consistency of phlegm. The woman was eating with great involvedness. As she brought each tremulous spoonful to her lips her features contracted in an expression of anticipatory excruciation."

"Bobby stared at his teeth, which were neatly aligned and all the same, toothpaste-ad hue. He appeared to be nothing more than a nondescriptly handsome wodge of heteronormative generica, tidily styleless in a sweater and chinos."

"Steven Davitt, the lad at the rear of this pack, was such a specimen. A comely six-foot string of piss, faintly stooped, with shale eyes darting beneath a matted heap of curly black fringe. He shied from looking her way, of course. In the middle was one of the Bruitt boys, the scanty lichen of an unthriving moustache clinging to his lip."

"It was only gone two in the afternoon, but the sky was already so grey it was like being on the moon, the light a kind of exhausted residue. To their right coursed the Moy, dark as stout and in murderous spate; to their left high conifers stood like rows of coats on coat racks."

Barrett is funny, too, and his sense of humour shines through in a lot of these stories. Sometimes the humour comes in the form of wry or witty comments, and sometimes in the form of cutting comebacks (sibling dynamics in particular are so well-portrayed here). "The Alps" actually made me laugh out loud at one point, so absurd and absolutely wild it was but still surprisingly moving.

Favourite short story is easily "The Ways." Other favourites include "The Alps," "The Low, Shimmering Black Drone," and "Anhedonia, Here I Come." I liked all the other ones, too; the only story that I didn't really get was "The Silver Coast," though I feel like it would definitely benefit from a reread.

As you've probably gathered already, this was a different kind of short story collection than I'm used to reading, but I absolutely loved it.

Thank you so much to Grove Atlantic for providing me with an e-ARC of this via NetGalley!

[Rob Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Beautiful writing focusing on character portraits and slice-of-life scenarios: a police officer responding to a shooting and trying to keep the victim alive; three siblings living on together after their parents die; a young man at loose ends after a seemingly promising soccer career fizzles out.

The strongest stories (“A Shooting in Rathreedane”, “The Ways”, “The 10”, ) have the most focus and the clearest through-lines, thus creating the strongest and most interesting character arcs/developments. Excellent parts mostly add up to commendable and touching wholes.

The lesser stories are still eminently readable, though often meander about in ways that makes it seem the author himself is searching to find out what they are about but never quite does so. He creates a unique character or two, drops them in a specific setting, throws in some vivid details that occasionally verge on quirk-for-the-sake-of-quirk, then shines a spotlight around the scene to see what develops and if anything sticks, though in these, unlike the primo stories, the parts, while often intriguing and engaging, fail to coagulate into satisfying wholes.

Peppered with lovely language, life observations, and (to this American) endearing Irish diction/syntax and landscapes, I found each page had rewards enough, even if the book as a whole left me wanting something a little more.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight stories, all but one set in the author's home county of Mayo, on Ireland's northwest coast, that pick at the fraying threads of families leading humble lives.

The opening story, A Shooting in Rathtreedane, is the collection's strongest: a noir police procedural that is darkly comical, with a cast of characters I could easily see spun out into a full-length novel. Another oddball story, The Alps, sits us down in a bar to watch three burly brothers and other village characters encounter a young man brandishing a sword. It's surreal and hilarious, one of those "What in the hell just happened?" endings that is both brilliant and baffling.

Others carry a cloak of sadness that they never really shed, such as The Ways and Whoever Is There, Come on Through, where young characters are stalled in directionless lives, battling depression or addiction. Anehedonia, Here I Come is the least compelling - a dark, grimy tale of a young man who makes a living creating custom pornography graphics — comics and animated shorts — while endlessly revising his poetry collection manuscript and reading his work at local open mics. He has a parking lot encounter with another aspiring writer- a sleazy version of the "will you read my work and let me know if it's any good?" pleas that authors often face.

The final story, The 10, speaks of broken dreams and the prosaic acceptance of fate as young Danny, a local hero when he's recruited by Manchester United, returns home after being cut from training and must live with being good, but not good enough. It's among the collection's most realistic, an examination of class and potential in a country that sped from a legacy of poverty and dependence into massive, sudden wealth, and now settles into an uneasy balance between the two.

Colin Barrett's writing is astonishing. He is a master of metaphor, creating entire worlds in a few deft, observant phrases. The lyricism pulls many of these stories from the brink of hopelessness; there is deep empathy and humanity in his characters and lightness when all seems too dark. There are no flash-bang endings here. Just quiet resolution or resignation. The "wow" moments come from the writing itself — Homesickness is a master class in the art and craft of the short story form.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

Colin Barrett's debut Young Skins received a lot of praise from GR reviewers whose views I trust, so I was excited to dive into his sophomore collection. It took me a little while to get into the swing of the wring style, but there is some exceedingly good writing in here. I think where I struggled with Homesickness is that often the stories have slightly ambiguous endings or lack conclusion, and in some cases I wanted a bit more pretext. On reflection (and after reading quite a few other reviews online) I appreciate that this is definitely more just my personal preference and that Barrett is a talent to watch. Readers who enjoyed Pure Gold: Stories and Kevin Barry will definitely find something to enjoy here.

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for a book club. Nothing wrong with the writing—short stories just rarely do anything for me.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barrett does it again. Although the last story (No. 10) seemed to come from an earlier stage in this writer's development, the rest are just scintillating. A couple about would-be writers (or average ones) coming up against successful ones hit home. Sometimes he's a bit writer's writer or even writer's writer's writer but who cares, I could read him all the time.

[leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m not usually the biggest fan of short story collections, but this was great! i read colin barrett’s debut novel wild houses last year (which i really enjoyed) so i already knew he can skilfully craft a sentence, which is very evident in this collection. short stories are tricky, but colin barrett makes it look easy.

3.75

[Darryl Suite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as wild and full of attitude as “Young Skins,” which I adored. But this is like the more mature older sibling to that book.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do I need to say how brilliant Colin Barrett is? He has collected a shoal of classy literary awards, everyone of which he deserved, and I think Mr. Barrett gives as much distinction to the awards as they do to him. I don't know how to review this exceptional collection. The stories are just brilliant. I am tempted to talk about individual ones, like 'A Shooting in Rathreedane', 'The 10', 'Anhedonia, Here I come', but then I stopped myself because if I once started I wouldn't be able to stop. All the stories are exceptional, all deserve exposition but even more they deserve to be read. My plot or character summaries would only lessen the joy of these remarkable and beautiful stories.

Don't read about this book, read it. I find it impossible to imagine your being disappointed.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Barrett's second book. His stories are set in Mayo, in the wild west of Ireland. But these are not the farmers and other typical rural dwellers we associate with Ireland. There are some thugs, and some genuine low lives in these stories. Barrett rips off the mask of rural complacence and reveals that there is much about Mayo we don't know.

[Stef Smulders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highest level of writing, not a word put on paper without a purpose. Every story containing at least a few memorable lines.Characters that really come to life and stay with you as if they were old friends.

About a few elders ladies: They smelled like the inside of kettles.
And about adolescent boys: Their Adam's Apple beat like the chests of trapped birds when they talked to her.
And: the lads who were lean, with long arms and intricately veined wrists.

The Alp family tree was a stump mutilated by cancer and coronaries.

The snow on the open stretches of fairway grass ... had settled in nervous patches.

He wanted to be a poet but suffered from a day job.

His basic problem was that he liked being alive.

Etc.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have never read works by Colin Barrett before, so thought trying short story collection would be worthwhile. Some I was really entertained by and some did not hold my interest. A good taste of Ireland, all in all.

[Mark Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up there with my favourite book so far this year. And yet another Irish writer (surprise, surprise).

A collection of eight stories, mostly set in County Mayo - gritty and raw, effortlessly portrayed to the point you're living the stories, you're rooting for the characters, so relatable at times it's uncomfortable.

An unhinged man turns up to a pub with a sword, a village idiot finally meets his match, an older brother does his best to bring up his siblings with both parents gone, and a man returns to his old village having just left a psychiatric ward.

Quality writer and 100% recommend. Will definitely be trying Barrett's' Young Skins soon as heard a lot of good things about it.

[Ciaran McGuiggan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young skins is probably in my top 10 books ever written, so I had high hopes for this one. I enjoyed all of the stories but they weren't particularly memorable. Might give it a second read at some point in the future.

[Covadonga Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatos potentes que retratan otra Irlanda, la menos brillante y festiva, la de los que se van quedando atrás.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because it had a praise-filled blurb from Sally Rooney and, true to form, it had the same achy mundanity as her writing.

Quietly powerful.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book as an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway. I will still give my honest opinion/review of this book.

I REALLY wanted to enjoy this book, but I just didn't. Homesickness is a collection of short stories. The author is from Ireland, so I don't think I understood a lot of what was said or caught on to it. The language was just odd, but I'm assuming it's because of that. I just wanted a bit more from these short stories. They kind of reminded me of the Netflix show Black Mirror, but there wasn't really a lesson to be learned or anything. The stories just ended. Although I do like when books leave you to think about it and assume what happened for yourself, these did it in an abrupt way that I just couldn't enjoy.
If you like short stories, you might enjoy this as some of the reviews seem to really like this one, but I just couldn't get into it.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does homesickness translate to sick for or of home? Barrett’s skill is evident in these eight stories, with the two I enjoyed a lot - “A Shooting in Rathreedane” and “The Alps” - putting me in mind of Coen Brothers movies, with starring roles for Frances McDormand and Nicolas Cage.

[Professor Weasel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing short stories, incredible writer. Most of these can be read in the New Yorker which I highly recommend. I surprisingly really enjoyed the two stories about writers the most. I love the care and attention he pays to his sentences. He is a master craftsman.

[Paul Wilner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colin Barrett is a ridiculously good writer. This is a worthy successor to his earlier collection, "Young Skins.''

[Conor Tannam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moments of beautiful writing but this one did not resonate with me.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb collection

[Art O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of Irish stories that get the mind going! Aptly named homesickness as it throws you right back into the thought of Ireland from wherever you are.

[Royce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Enright raved about Colin Barrett’s writing. SHE is the sole reason Colin Barrett came to my attention in the first place. But his writing/stories are just not for me. Yes, he writes well. However, the sentences are weighed down by his use of what I would say are complex or “big” (SAT) words that make reading feel like a lot of work. I know my opinion sounds harsh, but that’s because I know the sort of writing I enjoy reading, and I am sorry to say, Colin, this is not it. I like simple, well-written sentences that flow. I do not like reading and rereading each sentence to understand what I am reading. I apologize Colin. It’s me, not you.