Fugitive

by David Butler

A Lebanese student has had enough of a lecturer’s inappropriate advances; a frustrated author takes her revenge on a publisher; a petty dispute over a land boundary escalates wildly; a woman has had enough of her property flooding; a bankrupt developer takes his children to an uninhabited lake isle. In these twenty stories, by turns dark and witty, multi-award winning author David Butler follows the lives of characters who are driven to the edge, and shines a light on the many sides of what it means to be Irish in the twenty-first century. The collection includes the winners of the Maria Edgeworth, ITT/Redline and Fish International awards.

200 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2021

About the author

Since returning to Ireland after ten years of wandering, David Butler has worked as Education Officer at the James Joyce Centre, and has lectured in Spanish Literature at TCD, Essex University, Carlow College and UCD. His first novel The Last European was published in 2005 (Wynkin de Worde), while his debut poetry collection Via Crucis (Doghouse) appeared in 2011. A second novel The Judas Kiss (New Island,2012) was favourably reviewed in the Sunday Times by Alan Murdoch, who in particular noted Butler's talent for characterisation. No Greater Love, a collection of his short stories, was launched in London (Ward Wood) in 2013. His story 'Taylor Keith' won the Fish short story award 2014. His most recent novel, City of Dis, (New Island), was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2015. A second poetry collection, All the Barbaric Glass' (Doire Press) was published in 2017. A second short story collection, Fugitive, is forthcoming from Arlen House, and a third poetry collection, Liffey Sequence, from Doire Press in 2021. He lives in Bray with wife and author Tanya Farrelly.

Reviews

[Kit Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Fugitive’ is a dark gem of a collection, simmering with wild energy, savage wit and thwarted desire. Butler is a writer enamoured with chaos and wickedly good at bringing it to life. His characters find themselves in strange scenarios and chance encounters, making split-second decisions with life-altering consequences. Some characters act out of desperation, others out of boredom - thrillseekers with nothing better to do but take a risk, make a mistake. Even though they don't have much to lose in the first place, it's exciting to watch them lose it. The dialogue is smooth and crackling with an ear for the surreal. This is a writer who trusts his readers and never over-explains: the weird, vibrant verbs and word pairings speak for themselves. Many stories evoke a sense of glorious dilapidation, both in physical surroundings and state of mind. Whether it’s the experience of camping out beside a corpse or preparing dinner, there is a distinct sense of claustrophobia throughout. Butler interrogates why we do what we do, and the deals we cut with ourselves. The collection is filled with outlandish situations, but totally credible thought processes. I could relate to these people, despite the fact most of them wind up in situations I hope I won’t ever have to relate to!

Butler is a pro at conjuring up whole personalities in one sentence while still leaving so much left to imagination. In the wonderful title story, an ode to Bonnie and Clyde (but less gloss, more “alchemised chicken”) the domestic and surreal coexist. The narrator observes the object of his affection, a potential murderer, is the “sort of girl who gave rise to rumours.” He also realises how he pales in comparison to her, “how little curiosity [he] had ever elicited.”

What I like most is that Butler’s characters play with the cards they’ve been dealt - they run away, shack up, commit crimes - and tend not to feel self-pity or mope in the face of chaos or disappointment. In one of my favourite stories, ‘Taylor Keith,’ a hitchhiker tells us "we should go to the guards, this is fucked up" and then "but of course we didn’t go to the guards." There is a lot of shoulda woulda coulda - some characters get away with what they’ve done, others don’t - but Butler doesn’t cast judgment. There would be ‘time enough for scruples after they’d eaten.’ And of course, these stories are funny. ‘You get to an IT party early, you end up having to talk to the early-birds. and believe me, that’s not something you’d risk twice.’ Some of the biggest gut-punches in this collection are told from a child’s perspective. One young boy is terrified for his mother in a neighbourhood dispute, “a frail woman going hammer and tongs at squaw like women with oiled back hair that could floor her with a single punch” and observes rawly “there was one hope father clung to that helped him stay away from the drink.” Another is rowed out to an island with his father and a shotgun.

Many of Butler’s creations, you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. However, when the narrator of another favourite, ‘Zither Music,’ actually does meet a man with “a desiccated face, not without cunning,” of course the first thing he does is bring him to a party. At one stage, the narrator of another standout story, ‘Scorched Earth’ asks “Does the rest of the story need to be told?” The answer is a resounding yes! because the author keeps us guessing and tense all the way. Butler is an unpredictable writer, which is a hard thing to be.

[David Ralph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the finest collections of short stories from an Irish author I've read in some time. The language is crisp and sharp, there is a real wit on every page, and the characters inhabiting the stories are all likeable outsiders as they enmesh themselves deeper in their dilemmas. I loved how the stories unfold at a real pace, not a word wasted, no flabby plotting or florid scene-setting. I can see why so many of these stories won various national writing awards and short story competitions.

[Peter Pienaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm short story hung out, and the Fugitive filled my bill. Very Irish in the sense of what I would expect of local stories. Local stories in Ireland rate high with me, raising in my innermost a sense of mystique. David weaves this aura in and through his stories. Each one is different, each one exciting. I could read more of this stuff. listening to David teach is some experience - reading his stories even better. (if that's possible.)

[Tanya Farrelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short fiction collection includes a fine array of award-winning stories by David Butler, recent recipient of the Benedict Kiely award. Containing twenty stories in all, it examines the lives of complex characters who have, in some way, reached their limit and are driven to take decisive action, often with unexpected results. A highly accomplished collection by one of Ireland's finest voices.

[Fintan Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining collection of short stories which can be witty or thought-provoking or both. The author is superb at writing tales of slowly-unfolding disaster. All the stories 'pull their weight' to make the book a great read.

[David Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Five Stars are based on the following endorsements from three of Ireland's finest short story writers:

‘Unsettling and often wickedly funny stories, written with verve and assurance. David Butler is a master of the striking image, the fresh turn of phrase. Deftly drawn portraits of lives on the point of breaking.’ – Danielle McLaughlin

‘Few stories in recent years have thrilled and satisfied me as much as David Butler’s. With delightful twists, beautifully drawn characters and dialogue that positively crackles on the page, this beautifully crafted new collection simply cannot be ignored. Here, in fullest bloom, is a talent to be admired and, I’m almost ashamed to say, envied, and one most deserving of the widest possible readership.’ – Billy O’Callahan

‘An air of beautiful treachery pervades, as ambiguous, often male characters wrestle with the enemy within, in stories that are poised and occasionally lit by Butler's characteristic sense of dark humour. Misunderstood sexuality, casual crime and abduction, and a desperate, desolate father on a lonely island are beautifully evoked and underpinned by the writer's instinct to look the tragi-comedy of contemporary life in the face. A memorable collection, building on Butler's reputation as a succinct and memorable storyteller.’ – Mary O’Donnell

[Claire Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

“At times uproariously funny, uncannily accurate, and glaringly insightful, David Butler’s Fugitive is a collective exposé on human nature delivered in entertaining snippets with such clever finesse it will reaffirm your enjoyment of the art of the short story.”

Award-winning novelist, poet, short story writer, and playwright David Butler’s second collection of short stories, Fugitive, is a delightful assembly of character-driven stories that, when pieced together, give the reader great insight into modern-day Ireland, while simultaneously depicting universal themes. These are swaggering, anecdotal stories, everyday slices of life made significant, visual as staged plays rollicking in pitch-perfect Irish vernacular, each with a pithy conclusion like a moral to the story.

Full Review: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...

[Liz McSkeane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twenty-one stories in David Butler's hugely accomplished collection are populated by contemporary characters grappling with familiar challenges that are often pushed to the point of crisis: a boundary dispute with neighbours; a vicious, unprovoked attack on a young man; a young couple finding themselves on the run. These are vulnerable people, not unsympathetic, whose bad decisions, exacerbated by very bad luck, have far-reaching and sometimes tragic consequences. Yet the whole is skilfully seasoned with a dark, gothic humour that extracts periodic guilty chuckles from the reader. Butler does not shy away from the social ills of contemporary life - financial abuse, mental health crises, the plight of immigrants - but the skilful craft of the writing, beautiful depictions of landscapes in particular and pitch-perfect dialogue - keeps the reader turning the pages.

[Jennifer McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of award-winning stories from a master of the art, and from the start, the author sets out his intention to surprise, entertain and make the reader pause for thought. The writing is crisp and precise, with not a word wasted. The characters are vividly drawn, and their voices are authentic and rich. Most of all, these stories give the reader insight into the lives of others, with wit and keen insight. These stories will linger in my mind for a long time to come.