Breakfast on Pluto

by Patrick McCabe

Breakfast on Pluto became a #1 bestseller in Ireland, stayed on the bestseller list for months, and was nominated for the Man Booker Prize, one of the world's most prestigious literary awards. With wonderful delicacy and subtle insight and intimation, McCabe creates Mr. Patrick "Pussy" Braden, the enduringly and endearingly hopeful hero(ine) whose gutsy survival and yearning quest for love resonate in and drive the glimmering, agonizing narrative in which the troubles are a distant and immediate echo and refrain. Twenty years ago, her ladyship escaped her hometown of Tyreelin, Ireland, fleeing her foster mother Whiskers (prodigious Guinness-guzzler, human chimney) and her mad household, to begin a new life in London. There, in blousey tops and satin miniskirts, she plies her trade, often risking life and limb amongst the flotsam and jetsam that fill the bars of Piccadilly Circus. But suave businessmen and lonely old women are not the only dangers that threaten Pussy. It is the 1970's and fear haunts the streets of London and Belfast as the critical mass of history builds up, and Pussy is inevitably drawn into a maelstrom of violence and tragedy destined to blow his fragile soul asunder. Brilliant, startling, profound and soaring, Breakfast on Pluto combines light and dark, laughter and pain, with such sensitivity, directness and restraint that the dramatic impact reverberates in our minds and hearts long after the initial impression.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Ireland, Queer, Irish Literature, Historical Fiction, Transgender

202 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 1998

About the author

Patrick McCabe came to prominence with the publication of his third adult novel, The Butcher Boy, in 1992; the book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in Britain and won the Irish Times-Aer Lingus Prize for fiction. McCabe's strength as an author lies in his ability to probe behind the veneer of respectability and conformity to reveal the brutality and the cloying and corrupting stagnation of Irish small-town life, but he is able to find compassion for the subjects of his fiction. His prose has a vitality and an anti-authoritarian bent, using everyday language to deconstruct the ideologies at work in Ireland between the early 1960s and the late 1970s. His books can be read as a plea for a pluralistic Irish culture that can encompass the past without being dominated by it.

McCabe is an Irish writer of mostly dark and violent novels of contemporary, often small-town, Ireland. His novels include The Butcher Boy (1992) and Breakfast on Pluto (1998), both shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He has also written a children's book (The Adventures of Shay Mouse) and several radio plays broadcast by the RTÉ and the BBC Radio 4. The Butcher Boy and Breakfast on Pluto have both been adapted into films by Irish director Neil Jordan.

McCabe lives in Clones, Co. Monaghan with his wife and two daughters.

Pat McCabe is also credited with having invented the "Bog Gothic" genre.

Reviews

[Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixture of Northern Ireland War tragedy & over-the-top expression of inner sexuality/ transvestism makes this a wholly original production. Its as if the voice of "Slaughterhouse Five" was trapped in this era of death, and the character of "Pussy" Braden is the jailed character of "Kiss of the Spider Woman." I try to make sense of this by comparing to other literature, but it truly defies any type of genre...

I see in it some of Neil Jordan's "Crying Game" (oh yeah, because Jordan DID direct the movie version of "Breakfast"!); though often it is a bit on the "Flowers for Algernon" side (you know... questionable protagonist & all that that portends regarding plot).

The theme here is family... or the lack thereof. Even if you know head-on that you are living in the wrong body with the wrong sex organs, you don't know what the genetics of the situation are. And, even more so than genetics is the family unit. Althought "Pussy" makes up families wherever he travels, has deeply-rooted father issues (he was the priest of a tightly-knit Irish community), looks for sugar daddies to implement an aroma of perfum where the stench of warfare usually prevails... the real deep-down truth is that he/she wants the opportunity to love something of his/her own. He/she wants the impossible (both biologically and socially): To become a mother.

[Hugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book I read as part of my occasional project to read as may Booker shortlisted and longlisted books as possible - this was my last unread book from the 1998 list.

It felt rather dated to me - I don't think a more recent straight writer could get away with a comic novel in which the narrator and main protagonist is a gay transvestite prostitute, even with the backdrop of the Troubles which is also a key component. For me much of the comedy also fell a little flat, but that is largely a matter of personal taste.

A memorable book, but for me the weakest book on that shortlist.

[Unnamed Cryptid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely hated the writing style of this book. Despite the very short chapters it took me a lifetime to get through half of the book and I simply couldn't go on. It's not easy to remember the side characters or to know if what you're reading is actually happening or it's just another made up thing from the character, it's hard to tell if it's in the present or the past or if it's just the character's imagination.
I liked the main character and the story but the writing style just made it impossible for me to focus on what the story actually is. It's all over the place.
It has it's good parts but it's simply not enough to force myself to finish it. I'm sticking with the movie, at least that one makes sense.

[Athena Kennedy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this one. The main character is Patrick "Pussy" Braden, a transvestite prostitute. Patrick was fathered by an Irish Catholic priest and dumped in an abusive foster family - and he dreams of his beautiful birth mother. Pussy is an outcast in her tiny Irish hometown , and she leaves, first for the City and then for London to seek a better life. But Pussy has bad luck when her married politician sugar daddy is killed by Irish terrorists, and then in London where she becomes a prostitute and gets mixed up in terrorist plots.

To start, I think it would have helped if I recognized more of the popular cultural and historical references to Ireland and England circa 1970. I know I missed an awful lot of the references (for example, the title of the book), and I even had a hard time following the plot references to terrorist plots because I just don't know much about the era. I'd be interested to know if anyone who enjoyed this book could confirm that having this understanding helped their enjoyment.

But unlike other novels set in unfamiliar times or locales, I was not inspired to learn more because I wasn't connecting with the story or characters. This is probably because I found the narrative thread to be very weak - the chain of events was hard to follow, and it seemed to jump around a lot between times and places with little continuity. I like something with more of a story arc. As a result, I got lost and ended up rushing through the end just to be finished. While Pussy was certainly a colorful and interesting character, the book didn't manage to retain my attention.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

it took me a while to get used to the writing style, but even at the beginning when it took me a long time to get through one page i absolutely loved it. mccabe has a very distinct and interesting way of narration here and interweaves historical/political events into the main character's life brilliantly. reading this in 2022 was an interesting experience since it's a '98 book about a trans woman written by a (as far as i know) straight man that has nothing to do with the lgbt community, so the idea to write about a trans sex worker and write about her life with the troubles as backdrop is certainly an Interesing Choice. i wish our main girl was referred to by her deadname a little less by the narrator though. overall this was a wild ride

[W · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked it up because it was a Man Booker prize nominee.It was just the sort of book which makes me reluctant to read Booker winners and nominees.

Shouldn't have expected much given that the main character is a transvestite prostitute.There is some background of Ireland's war troubles,but I couldn't care about the story or the characters.

I managed to finish it because it is a short book.That's the only good thing about it.

Extremely forgettable.

[Eleanor Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly this book sent me into a SLUMP. i absolutely adored the film so i figured i’d give it a try but god it was hard to get through. pussy as a character is so unreliable as a narrator but not in a good way, it just ends up being confusing trying to figure out what is real and what is her fantasy. i wanted to love it SO BAD but i jus don’t :(

[Conor Tannam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly violent at times interspersed with amusing anecdotes about being Irish in London during the 1970s.
The chaos that happens later on in the novel is shocking but well drawn out.

[Aloysius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cillian slayed in the movie idc

[Martyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

You rarely have the opportunity to read a book that seduces and makes you laugh from first pages. ''Breakfast on Pluto'' is undoubtedly such a book. It breaks the taboos of sexual identity, showing a transvestite living in the late 60's and 70's in Ireland. This is a time of prejudice by the British against the Irish and intolerance to any deflections, let alone transvestites. Unfortunately, not everyone was lucky to be born men and feel manly.

Patrick 'Kitty' Brady represents this colorful personality. The story of this intriguing man is presented in 36 chapters of his life, from his mother's abandonment at the threshold of the church, to finding her, which turns out to be quite ambiguous.

However, don't be discouraged by the lack of a happy ending. It escapes our attention, because the entire plot is bursting at the seams with absurd situations. Even in the tragic moments when the reader begins to haunt the pessimistic thoughts of reality, there is some crazy, unpredictable situation.

But that is really the end of positive feelings I have about the book. For me, the world described is a drug dope, and this book is just a joint. The main character is so unreal, despite being put in much real world that we feel the joy in his sadness, the smile in crying, the dignity in humiliation. We melt with him in the midst of the sugary simplicity of the gray, brutal world. Thus, rejecting all conventions and Puritan habits completely voluntarily. In the end, 'Kitty' sleeps on wipers and forever remain only a kitty. Yes, fed, but unfortunately rather unloved. Somewhat lost in a world where even Pluto has already lost its planet status.

[Liefke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 72%

This was insufferable. No self-respecting cishet male author today could get away with writing something like this, or would dare even try. I liked the movie better by far. It did what McCabe couldn't by humanizing the protagonist, and Cillian Murphy's performance was lovely.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breakfast on Pluto tells the story of Irish transvestite - and one time prostitute - Patrick( Pussy) Braden. We discover, through Pussy’s own voice, what it is that drives him onwards in this mad, helter-skelter life. We follow him in his search for love; we long for him to find his mother; we wonder if he really will exact revenge on his father; we hope that he will find peace and happiness.
Patrick McCabe has set his novel in the troubled times of the early 1970s, when many Irish people became involved, either as perpetrators or victims, in the bombing campaigns of the IRA. Some of the events in the book are horrific, but dealt with so skilfully by the author. The horror is in contrast with Pussy’s glamorous persona, as he takes full advantage of the Glam Rock fashions of the era.
At times the narrative is a little difficult to follow. Much of it is written as a series of anecdotes that Pussy’s doctor has asked him to write - very much “stream of consciousness”. However, I think it’s worth persevering with any difficulty. I liked Pussy/Patrick - funny, brave, odd, loyal to his friend Charlie - probably his only true friend.
This book was short listed for the 1998 Booker prize and I can quite see why. It is unusual, with the combination of tragedy and comedy so adeptly dealt with by Patrick McCabe.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't tell if I love the way the storyline is written or am put off by it. It's not your typical, linear style of writing: "This happened, then this happened, and finally this happened.", but more conversational. It's all told in this off the cuff style that borders on flippant, but it seems to work for the character of Patrick "Pussy" Braden. There is a positivity in the undercurrent of Pussy's words that makes even the most awful incidents turn into charming tales to regale the reader. It's not heavy on the vernacular, which is a God-send for me, but still very authentically Irish. All I know for sure is I want Pussy in my posse.

[AnneMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED the narrative style of this novel, manic and slightly all over the place, it's one of the best stream-of-consciousness narratives yet, I always knew exactly what Pussy was saying and where she was going, which I was quite impressed by.
I do think the book could have done with being a bit longer, with more development of the secondary characters and events, although I appreciate that McCabe was telling the story from the view of the self-obsessed Braden and in this way it was fitting. Overall, definitely worth a read, brilliantly combining the glamorous and the macabre

[Jason K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting parts even though the story skipped around too much. Most of the time I felt stuck in a conversation with someone I regretted meeting.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

i feel ruined 🙂

[nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm going to give this book 3.5 stars but round it up. i absolutely love the narration of this book! not only does pussy's voice stand out so much in a way i've never read before, but the unserious and unreliable narration was also chilling at times. when she was describing ireland's political climate or her own trauma, her excessive use of humor gave this book a more tragic touch. however, the narration was also, for me, the reason it's only 3.5 stars. because of pussy's unreliability, i feel like i barely understood what was going on until the end. she was so out of touch that i couldn't decipher reality from pussy's perspective in a way that made the overall plot hard to follow. pussy is such an interesting character who finds herself in crazy (and dangerous) situations because she dedicates herself to chasing love and acceptance in all of the wrong places. it also touches on the fact that pussy will never be able to live the life she so desperately wants due to being transgender, especially in the 60s and 70s. to me, this book was, on the surface, a comedy with satirical comments on ireland's political conflict. but actually reading beyond the hilarity, it's a tragedy for all of the characters involved, especially pussy who just wants to be loved by a mother, a husband, and children.

[Mind the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Commitments och Angela's Ashes nådde ju verkligen en stor skandinavisk publik - för att inte tala om Maeve Binchy - men den här hade gått åtminstone mig förbi.

Man skulle kunna tro att jag hittade den för att det här är tiden på året jag läser den besläktade titeln An Anthropologist on Mars med kidsen, men det var när jag letade på eBay efter en snygg vintageutgåva av Breakfast at Tiffany's att använda som rekvisita vid Mind the Book-halsbandsfotografering.

Samma kväll såg jag filmatiseringen, som tydligen inte heller blev någon succé, men jag älskade den. Liam Neeson som motvillig fadersfigur, Cillian Murphys moderslängtande känslighet och London som frihetsprojekt. En scen är filmad vid piren i Southend och mycket överraskande gör Bryan Ferry en kuslig cameo i Soho.

Soundtracket är så fint, bara det gör filmen se/hör/värd. The Rubettes Sugar Baby Love i öppningsscenen följd av Harry Nilsson, Dusty Springfield, Morris Albert (Feeeee-lings...) m.fl.

[zara meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had this set as four stars but after thinking it over for a day bumped it down to three. I really appreciated some of the themes explored in this book and absolutely LOVED the voice McCabe took on - it was so distinctive, practically unlike anything else I’ve read. However, the plot got a bit convoluted at times and jumped around a lot, to the point of disorientation and misunderstanding. Sometimes we were in the perspective of a character we had no previous introduction to in the main narrative, which was a bit jarring. I also found this book to be playing on a lot of stereotypes of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly of trans women. The word “transgender” is never explicitly stated, but it’s evident that this is what Patrick Braden is. Instead, incredibly outdated and even borderline offensive language is utilised throughout, which is to be expected from a book written in 1998, but goes to show that this book hasn’t aged well into the new queer generation.

[-ˏˋ Sam ˊˎ⭒ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 this put me in a slump and I didn't know what the hell was going on 70% of the time

[nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been quite the review in the making. Started the novel several months ago, and hadn’t found the inspiration to pick it back up till just recently. Although, the story seemed to drag at times I did rather enjoy it. The main character, Patrick ‘Pussy’ Braden was born into the brutal Irish civil conflict. Pat’s life begins as an orphan, placed in an abusive foster care system. In her teenage years she transitions from male to female, renaming herself Kitten. (later referred to as Pussy). Leaving the church and Ireland behind Puss decides to travel with a rock band to London in search of her birth mother. There she becomes a magicians assistant, a dancer, and a prostituite. My personal favorite part of her London adventure was when she was convicted of domestic terrorism. Overall, I think this novel was far before its time. With its socially antithetical stance on the heteronormative structures of gender, desire, and love. Especially from such a painful time in the great Irish history. The story is told from Puss’ perspective often jumping through different thoughts or scenes, making the story all the more enjoyable and quirky. I found the ending to be a little weak, leaving Puss seemingly unchanged from the beginning of the story. It will be hard to let this character go. 3.5/5

[Anne Mey · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est une petite pépite que ce livre, quel ton délicieux, quel personnage haut en couleur avec une imagination débordante et tant de frustration et de colère contenue. C'est Patrick qui s'habille en fille et se transforme en Pussy. Enfant d'un curé de village, abandonnée par sa mère et qui va chercher tout au long de l'histoire à trouver un endroit ou une relation qui lui donne la sensation d'être à la maison. Elle habite en Irlande alors que l'IRA sévit, cernée de violence et même lorsqu'elle part à Londres, faisant le tapin pour survivre, son origine irlandaise continue de lui poser des problèmes. Le récit est écrit comme un regroupement de ses pensées couchées sur le papier après le conseil de son psy. On y trouve du vrai et de ses rêves, de ce qu'elle voudrait qu'il se passe et ce qui arrive à ceux qui l'entourent, elle y avoue avec réticence ce qu'elle a fait de mal. Ce ton si particulier et cru par moments fait vivre entièrement ce personnage à nos yeux.
Je n'ai plus qu'à voir l'adaptation en film maintenant !

[Laura Alderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to know how to rate or describe this one. It follows the ramblings of "Pussy" Braden, an Irish trans prostitute, as she tells you of her escapades in love, friendship, with the IRA and the police in 70s Ireland and London. When I understood what was going on I enjoyed the narrative, but it was very incoherent and I was often confused about what was happening. Lots of characters appeared and I never worked out who they were. A short novel and I stuck with it!

[Natek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Irish Catholic sexual repression of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is absolutely obliterated with the energy of a coked out, gender-bending, car-bombing Good Omens (with all of the emotional repression left over to fester). Amazing. Devoured it in a day.

[Luke Nestor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maaaaaaad confusing and hard to follow sometimes but whopper story all the same

[Jessica Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very hard to follow- I really tried-couldn’t get through & I will be the person who will finish a book (despite how hard or slow it is to get into). I failed here.🤨

[Klara Nord · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5. Svårgillad

[Caroline Haffling · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 73%
This book might aswell be renamed ”aneurism simulator”, because oh my god, the writing is horrible and most of the time I had no idea what was happening.

[Anja Nicolaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bold, raw and at the same time beautifully tender book about the Troubles in Northern Ireland and a transgender teenager who does have other problems but still gets caught up in them.