What do you think?
Desperadoes
Tells the story of a separated Irish couple, Eleanor and Frank Little, who are searching for Johnny, their rock-singer son, who is missing-believed-dead in Nicaragua. They team up with Nicaragua's only rock band and share their wild experiences, in an attempt to find Johnny.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Joseph O'Connor
121 books684 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. He is the author of the novels Cowboys and Indians (short-listed for the Whitbread Prize), Desperadoes , The Salesman , Inishowen , Star of the Sea and Redemption Falls , as well as a number of bestselling works of non-fiction.
He was recently voted ‘Irish Writer of the Decade’ by the readers of Hot Press magazine. He broadcasts a popular weekly radio diary on RTE’s Drivetime With Mary Wilson and writes regularly for The Guardian Review and The Sunday Independent. In 2009 he was the Harman Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at Baruch College, the City University of New York.
Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. He is the author of the novels Cowboys and Indians (short-listed for the Whitbread Prize), Desperadoes , The Salesman , Inishowen , Star of the Sea and Redemption Falls , as well as a number of bestselling works of non-fiction.
He was recently voted ‘Irish Writer of the Decade’ by the readers of Hot Press magazine. He broadcasts a popular weekly radio diary on RTE’s Drivetime With Mary Wilson and writes regularly for The Guardian Review and The Sunday Independent. In 2009 he was the Harman Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at Baruch College, the City University of New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 15, 2022
My 7th O'Connor book. This one has been sitting on my shelf for years, though. I always enjoy reading Joseph O'Connor's novels, but this publication seemed a less enticing read, since I have never been to South America and I know next to nothing about its wars. Also, it's set in 1985, which is not far enough away to pique my interest to rediscover this era through fiction.
The story takes place in Nicaragua, where a middle-aged, estranged Dublin couple work out some family issues. Frank and Eleanor are almost (but not quite) old enough to be my grandparents, both being born in the late 1930s. The novel is not only a traditional adventure story; moreover, it goes back and forth in time to tell us how this couple fell in love, started a family, but were unable to save their deteriorating marriage, as well as a journey of self-discovery, travelling to Nicaragua to find their only son. The ensuing plot complications are foreseeable, but engaging enough to have kept me curious about the novel's final outcome.
"Desperadoes" is an early O'Connor novel, published in 1994. Here you can see a talented writer in the making. It is fluently written and has excellent characterisations, while the dialogues are sharp and funny. The sense of time and place is very strong. The narrative voice is kind and tender, which can be quite moving.
At some point in his youth, O'Connor must have been in band, since he really likes to write about this. Also, he spent time in Nicaragua in the 1980s, after the death of his mother.
Furthermore, Joseph O'Connor is evidently working out some biographical issues in this book. I know that he grew up in an unhappy family. Even though Irish law made it virtually impossible to divorce (it did not become legal until 1999), his parents eventually did, and while his father remarried, his mother continued to lead a troubled life until she died in a car accident. Sinéad O'Connor, his sister, claims that she was abused by their mother, who had been awarded custody of her children.
Since the author dedicated the novel to his mother, I suppose it is his way of coming to terms with his past, in more ways than one.
Interestingly, this is the first of three novels in which he writes from the point of view of a middle-aged, luckless, foul-mouthed man who has experienced the loss of a child.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...
PS
Sinéad O'Connor... her wackiness now makes so much more sense. And to think that one of her children committed suicide.
The story takes place in Nicaragua, where a middle-aged, estranged Dublin couple work out some family issues. Frank and Eleanor are almost (but not quite) old enough to be my grandparents, both being born in the late 1930s. The novel is not only a traditional adventure story; moreover, it goes back and forth in time to tell us how this couple fell in love, started a family, but were unable to save their deteriorating marriage, as well as a journey of self-discovery, travelling to Nicaragua to find their only son. The ensuing plot complications are foreseeable, but engaging enough to have kept me curious about the novel's final outcome.
"Desperadoes" is an early O'Connor novel, published in 1994. Here you can see a talented writer in the making. It is fluently written and has excellent characterisations, while the dialogues are sharp and funny. The sense of time and place is very strong. The narrative voice is kind and tender, which can be quite moving.
At some point in his youth, O'Connor must have been in band, since he really likes to write about this. Also, he spent time in Nicaragua in the 1980s, after the death of his mother.
Furthermore, Joseph O'Connor is evidently working out some biographical issues in this book. I know that he grew up in an unhappy family. Even though Irish law made it virtually impossible to divorce (it did not become legal until 1999), his parents eventually did, and while his father remarried, his mother continued to lead a troubled life until she died in a car accident. Sinéad O'Connor, his sister, claims that she was abused by their mother, who had been awarded custody of her children.
Since the author dedicated the novel to his mother, I suppose it is his way of coming to terms with his past, in more ways than one.
Interestingly, this is the first of three novels in which he writes from the point of view of a middle-aged, luckless, foul-mouthed man who has experienced the loss of a child.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...
PS
Sinéad O'Connor... her wackiness now makes so much more sense. And to think that one of her children committed suicide.
July 18, 2011
I have just finished this, my first, of O'Connor's books. I know he is well regarded and I expected great things; this did not deliver. The writing is pretty light-weight and the storyline far from compelling. It plays around with those old chestnuts of Irish stereotype, abusive childhood and alcoholism, albeit cast in flash-back while the storyline is unraveled against an unconvincing back-drop of the war in Nicaragua. Although there is the odd twist here and there I found myself pushing on through the 2nd half of the book not out of any remote sense of involvement - and certainly no curiosity to discover the fate of of the largely feckless principals - but just to say that I gave it every chance and finished the damned thing.
There are enough better Irish authors writing today for me to be tempted to dip in to more O'Connor soon.
There are enough better Irish authors writing today for me to be tempted to dip in to more O'Connor soon.
December 5, 2008
This tale started off quite good,and got better as it went on. The description of Managua,Corinto and many other parts of Nicaragua were very well writen and gave you the 'feel' of those places.I was however distracted by the very 'irish' and 'catholic' way the author thinks, talks and writes. Although I'm Irish, and was brought up as a Catholic....this did annoy me. This I could have lived with,if Mr. O'Conner had not wasted the potential of this story,but he seemed give up, and left me wondering why I bothered!!
March 29, 2023
Aspiring novelists should read the works of Joseph O’Connor. He knows exactly how to pace a story and how to keep you up late into the night hooked on it.
This is a rare and precious gift. By the time he wrote Desperadoes O’Connor was still refining his technique, but his talent was there for all to see.
This is a gripping and moving adventure set in war-torn Nicaragua which also tells, through flashbacks, the tragic story of a dysfunctional marriage and the suffering inflicted by it on wife, husband and son. First class.
This is a rare and precious gift. By the time he wrote Desperadoes O’Connor was still refining his technique, but his talent was there for all to see.
This is a gripping and moving adventure set in war-torn Nicaragua which also tells, through flashbacks, the tragic story of a dysfunctional marriage and the suffering inflicted by it on wife, husband and son. First class.
January 4, 2012
An excellent read. What can I say about this book? It's funny, tense, moving and poignant all at the same time, a fantastic modern-day adventure in Nicaragua. Having read O'Connor's Star of the Sea (a must-read!), I didn't expect such a tale at all but loved it all the same! O'Connor is such a fantastic story-teller, he manages to draw the reader into any story, in any setting. His books are compelling and powerful and he has definitely become one of my favorite authors:)
April 21, 2008
I read this way back in 1994, nice story of a Irish family going through turmoil with a wayward son. Some comic parts and well worth a read.
February 18, 2020
This is a strange variation on a Prodigal Son meets On The Road theme. It is the story of a long-estranged Irish couple coming together to retrieve their son's corpse after something goes horribly wrong for him in early 1980s Nicaragua. It is hard to say more than that without spoilers, so suffice it to say that surprises, interesting characters, and strange encounters abound, all encased in some first-rate writing. By all means, enjoy!
March 22, 2024
I read this many years ago and was just thinking of it today. Great story with dual timelines. Frank and Eleanor are thrown together, years after a bitter divorce, to travel from Dublin to Nicaragua to retrieve their son's body. The story flips back and forth, following the arc of their relationship and their present day search for their son. What do you do when a relationship shatters? Pick up the pieces and move on. A compelling story about real people living real lives.
January 2, 2019
This is the third Joseph O'Connor book I have read and I found it the most absorbing , he writes about the characters in the book very well and you real get a feel for living in Nicaragua at that time and also how normal life goes on . You may need a Spanish phrasebook a times but it all adds to the theme of the book . I have also put Nicaragua on my places to visit list.
May 7, 2026
A transporting story owing mainly due to the strength of the writing and pacing. I enjoyed how they also didn’t shy away from showing deeply flawed characters - but wrote them with compassion and gave them just the right amount of redemption.
July 28, 2019
Fin, følsom og absurd bog, der både viser noget om Niguragua og Irland.
October 8, 2019
I like his novels always different locations and always a good sense of place.
June 20, 2026
Assez inégal dans l'écriture mais le fond est pas mal même si parfois c'est un peu n'importe quoi
May 3, 2024
This older Joseph O'Connor book indicates the talent and keen observation of human nature that later produced Star of the Sea and My Father's House. A young Irishman is reported dead in 1980s Nicaragua. His estranged parents travel to retrieve the body, and discover far more about their son, themselves, and the wider world than they ever thought possible.
January 30, 2011
I read this when I was in college. It's an interesting piece historically, for it takes place when Nicaragua was invaded by he US and Noriega forcefully ousted. The son of an Irish couple has gone missing, and they find friends of his who are willing to take a road trip across the countryside to help find him. The descriptions of rural Nicaragua are fascinating, but the two main characters themselves come across as incredibly forgettable.
November 5, 2012
Bought this book, I think because i liked the picture on the cover, as such I had no particular expectations when I sat down to read it on holiday this year.
I really enjoyed it, set in an interesting and violent period of recent history which is contrasted with the personal struggles of one Irish family in their search for their son and the history of their relationship.
I would agree that it tails off somewhat at the end, but I still think it a rewarding and interesting read.
I really enjoyed it, set in an interesting and violent period of recent history which is contrasted with the personal struggles of one Irish family in their search for their son and the history of their relationship.
I would agree that it tails off somewhat at the end, but I still think it a rewarding and interesting read.
January 21, 2009
Great book - great writer
doesnt get enough distribution or press in the uUS
doesnt get enough distribution or press in the uUS
August 3, 2011
A big deception ! Hey, what are you doing Jo, with this book !! :p
August 3, 2011
Joseph O'Connor is so good at giving his characters voice ... a harem scarem tale, pacey, gripping and hugely entertaining.
December 18, 2011
I absolutely loved this book - read it 3 times and it made me want to go off into the wilderness and have me some adventures!
September 19, 2014
One of the best books I've ever read. Funny and deeply moving.
October 26, 2016
Excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews