Kevin’s review of The Ginger Man > Likes and Comments
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Adding this one for my potential March reads, Kevin! Love your "boozy shenanigans" and "shabby hedonism" categories!
Cheri wrote: "Adding this one for my potential March reads, Kevin! Love your "boozy shenanigans" and "shabby hedonism" categories!"
Thank you, Cheri!
The main protagonist, Sebastian Dangerfield, is a feckless, poetic, drunkard who somehow has a roguish charm about him (though you wouldn't want to be saddled with the ne'er-do-well; he's best viewed from afar).
The Irish badinage is indecorously funny, the 'stream-of-consciousness' prose masterly.
(without meaning to, by answering your comment I've just written a mini-review, so I shall copy and paste it!)
This was another de rigueur novel for twenty-years old smart-arse layabouts like me in the very early 1960's. Some of my uni mates loved its rude raucousness and the coarse sex, of course, but I hated it. My original paperback copy is in a box in my garage, preserved only as example of the crap "literature" that we simply HAD to read back in the day!
Terence M wrote: "This was another de rigueur novel for twenty-years old smart-arse layabouts like me in the very early 1960's. Some of my uni mates loved its rude raucousness and the coarse sex, of course, but I hated it..."
...so you weren't a fan then, Terence? ; )
"Terence M wrote: "Some of my uni mates loved its rude raucousness and the coarse sex, of course, but I hated it..."
I would have hated it too, Terence, were it not for the accomplished way in which it was written.
I wouldn't like Basil Fawlty if I were to meet him, but I sure as heck love to watch him!!
: D
Delightful review, Kevin, though it sounds like Seb is a bit of a handful! Your shelves gave me a good chuckle as well!😋
I think I’ll give this a wide berth. Nice review, Kevin!
Kimber wrote: "Delightful review, Kevin, though it sounds like Seb is a bit of a handful! Your shelves gave me a good chuckle as well!😋"
He is a bit of a handful. Not a nice person at all; deceitful and sexist, but still watchable.
Thank you for reading my review, Kimber! : )
Paula wrote: "I think I’ll give this a wide berth. Nice review, Kevin!"
Probably for the best, Paula. And thank you! : )
Having been married to an Irishman, I'm a sucker for Irish literature, so the 'indecorous' (nice synonym) nature of Irish badinage doesn't bother me in the slightest. I don't know how I have missed this particular example of my favourite genre, but it's going straight to the top of my tottering TBR pile! Thanks for your heads-up, Kevin.
Maybe I read this in college, for a course in comic lit. Donleavy was the rage back then, despite his misogynistic characters. Anyway, read some book of his and I remember it made me laugh! Great review. Keep them comin’!
Anni wrote: "Having been married to an Irishman, I'm a sucker for Irish literature..."
Marrying an Irishman is like winning life's lottery, Anni. Ask my wife! : D
(actually, don't ask her!)
: D
Debbie wrote: "Maybe I read this in college, for a course in comic lit. Donleavy was the rage back then, despite his misogynistic characters. Anyway, read some book of his and I remember it made me laugh!..."
Thank you, Debbie. It made me laugh too!
And laughing at a fictional misogynist doesn't make someone sexist any more than laughing at Basil Fawlty labels them as a xenophobe! : )
And not laughing at, or not being even slightly amused by, a fictional misogynist, is also perfectly acceptable - no label required.
Terence M wrote: "And not laughing at, or not being even slightly amused by, a fictional misogynist, is also perfectly acceptable - no label required."
A very fair point, Terence.
Perfect gentlemen, such as you, are in short supply these days!
I enjoy being your friend, Kevin!😋.
Thank you!🙏
Terence M wrote: "I enjoy being your friend, Kevin!😋.
Thank you!🙏"
And I certainly enjoy being your friend, Terence.
I'm also a gentleman - albeit a more mischievous, rambunctious one!
: )
I love the word “rambunctious”!
Another favourite is “curmudgeonly”.
I am probably more the latter than the former, but hopefully still a gentleman!
It is 11:00 pm Friday night and I am with my family enjoying my youngest grandson’s Second birthday. Cheers🍷!
Terence M wrote: "I love the word “rambunctious”!
Another favourite is “curmudgeonly”.
I am probably more the latter than the former, but hopefully still a gentleman!
Cheers 🍷!"
Absolutely a gentleman. 👨🏼🏫 Cheers, Terence! 🥂
Glenda wrote: "Great review Kevin. I know Sebastian Dangerfield, he was my neighbor about ten years ago in Louisiana. You have described my friend perfectly, may he RIP. I so enjoy your reviews. I'll have to add ..."
Ha! Brilliant, Glenda. : )
We've all met a Sebastian Dangerfield at some point in our lives. And what a superb character name!
Terrific review, Kevin! Sebastian sounds like a most memorable character!
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader wrote: "Terrific review, Kevin! Sebastian sounds like a most memorable character!"
He certainly is, Jennifer! : )
Lovely to hear from you. Hope all is well in Tar Heel Towers!
I’m never offended by misogyny in a fiction novel (I give you my 5 stars for Dream Girl by Laura Lippman as evidence).
Love your tags for this one, especially dirty-delightful, and funny-as-f
Lol
JanB wrote: "I’m never offended by misogyny in a fiction novel (I give you my 5 stars for Dream Girl by Laura Lippman as evidence).
Love your tags for this one, especially dirty-delightful, and funny-as-f
Lol"
Thank you, Jan!
I was of course being mischievous; having a dig at those readers who are offended by something that a fictional character does in a work of fiction! : )
And I'm immediately going to hunt down your Laura Lippman review...
I would like to add, for the record, that I am highly offended by misogyny in real life. : )
Fiction reflects life, as well as the mind and ideas of the author. Depends on the context. Old books reflect the time they were written, the story might feature a misogynist as an antagonist, foil… there are more, but I’m sure you get the point. If it’s something that accepts or promotes it seriously, then no.
I understand your point in this case. I don’t think I would enjoy it in my current state of… something negative.
Kristy wrote: "Fiction reflects life, as well as the mind and ideas of the author. Depends on the context..."
Thank you, Kristy.
My point is this: many authors, myself included, deliberately create manipulative, diabolical baddies whom we hope our readers will despise. What we don't expect is for a reader to be deeply offended by said baddie when he/she doesn't even exist!
: )
Think we all know a few Sebastian Dangerfields Sir K! Great review as ever - hope you are staying cool! 🥂
Ceecee wrote: "Think we all know a few Sebastian Dangerfields Sir K! Great review as ever - hope you are staying cool! 🥂"
Yes, we've all met a few Sebastian Dangerfields!
Thank you, Lady C. Cool as a cucumber, I am. : )
Ceecee wrote: "I don’t know why I asked 😂😂😂"
: D
Sir Kevin...love the review! Where is my copy? I'll have to climb my beanstalk. Is there a GPS for a skyscraper of piled books? I hope there will not be Fran splatter on the ground! 🤣
Fran wrote: "Sir Kevin...love the review! Where is my copy? I'll have to climb my beanstalk. Is there a GPS for a skyscraper of piled books? I hope there will not be Fran splatter on the ground! 🤣"
My apologies for only just noticing your kind comment, Fantastic Fran.
📣 Step away from the beanstalk! ... I repeat. Step away from the beanstalk! 😀
Having started and got about a quarter of a way through the book I'm struggling with the idea that the protagonist is American, the 'voice' seems completely Irish.
Peter wrote: "Having started and got about a quarter of a way through the book I'm struggling with the idea that the protagonist is American, the 'voice' seems completely Irish."
I know what you mean, Peter.
Though the two main characters are Irish American, they seemed to have picked up more than a touch of the Irish accent.
That said, an English friend of mine moved to Baltimore and sounded American after just one year!
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Cheri
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Sep 04, 2019 12:32PM
Adding this one for my potential March reads, Kevin! Love your "boozy shenanigans" and "shabby hedonism" categories!
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Cheri wrote: "Adding this one for my potential March reads, Kevin! Love your "boozy shenanigans" and "shabby hedonism" categories!"Thank you, Cheri!
The main protagonist, Sebastian Dangerfield, is a feckless, poetic, drunkard who somehow has a roguish charm about him (though you wouldn't want to be saddled with the ne'er-do-well; he's best viewed from afar).
The Irish badinage is indecorously funny, the 'stream-of-consciousness' prose masterly.
(without meaning to, by answering your comment I've just written a mini-review, so I shall copy and paste it!)
This was another de rigueur novel for twenty-years old smart-arse layabouts like me in the very early 1960's. Some of my uni mates loved its rude raucousness and the coarse sex, of course, but I hated it. My original paperback copy is in a box in my garage, preserved only as example of the crap "literature" that we simply HAD to read back in the day!
Terence M wrote: "This was another de rigueur novel for twenty-years old smart-arse layabouts like me in the very early 1960's. Some of my uni mates loved its rude raucousness and the coarse sex, of course, but I hated it..."...so you weren't a fan then, Terence? ; )
"Terence M wrote: "Some of my uni mates loved its rude raucousness and the coarse sex, of course, but I hated it..."I would have hated it too, Terence, were it not for the accomplished way in which it was written.
I wouldn't like Basil Fawlty if I were to meet him, but I sure as heck love to watch him!!
: D
Delightful review, Kevin, though it sounds like Seb is a bit of a handful! Your shelves gave me a good chuckle as well!😋
I think I’ll give this a wide berth. Nice review, Kevin!
Kimber wrote: "Delightful review, Kevin, though it sounds like Seb is a bit of a handful! Your shelves gave me a good chuckle as well!😋"He is a bit of a handful. Not a nice person at all; deceitful and sexist, but still watchable.
Thank you for reading my review, Kimber! : )
Paula wrote: "I think I’ll give this a wide berth. Nice review, Kevin!"Probably for the best, Paula. And thank you! : )
Having been married to an Irishman, I'm a sucker for Irish literature, so the 'indecorous' (nice synonym) nature of Irish badinage doesn't bother me in the slightest. I don't know how I have missed this particular example of my favourite genre, but it's going straight to the top of my tottering TBR pile! Thanks for your heads-up, Kevin.
Maybe I read this in college, for a course in comic lit. Donleavy was the rage back then, despite his misogynistic characters. Anyway, read some book of his and I remember it made me laugh! Great review. Keep them comin’!
Anni wrote: "Having been married to an Irishman, I'm a sucker for Irish literature..."Marrying an Irishman is like winning life's lottery, Anni. Ask my wife! : D
(actually, don't ask her!)
: D
Debbie wrote: "Maybe I read this in college, for a course in comic lit. Donleavy was the rage back then, despite his misogynistic characters. Anyway, read some book of his and I remember it made me laugh!..."Thank you, Debbie. It made me laugh too!
And laughing at a fictional misogynist doesn't make someone sexist any more than laughing at Basil Fawlty labels them as a xenophobe! : )
And not laughing at, or not being even slightly amused by, a fictional misogynist, is also perfectly acceptable - no label required.
Terence M wrote: "And not laughing at, or not being even slightly amused by, a fictional misogynist, is also perfectly acceptable - no label required."A very fair point, Terence.
Perfect gentlemen, such as you, are in short supply these days!
I enjoy being your friend, Kevin!😋. Thank you!🙏
Terence M wrote: "I enjoy being your friend, Kevin!😋. Thank you!🙏"
And I certainly enjoy being your friend, Terence.
I'm also a gentleman - albeit a more mischievous, rambunctious one!
: )
I love the word “rambunctious”! Another favourite is “curmudgeonly”.
I am probably more the latter than the former, but hopefully still a gentleman!
It is 11:00 pm Friday night and I am with my family enjoying my youngest grandson’s Second birthday. Cheers🍷!
Terence M wrote: "I love the word “rambunctious”! Another favourite is “curmudgeonly”.
I am probably more the latter than the former, but hopefully still a gentleman!
Cheers 🍷!"
Absolutely a gentleman. 👨🏼🏫 Cheers, Terence! 🥂
Glenda wrote: "Great review Kevin. I know Sebastian Dangerfield, he was my neighbor about ten years ago in Louisiana. You have described my friend perfectly, may he RIP. I so enjoy your reviews. I'll have to add ..."Ha! Brilliant, Glenda. : )
We've all met a Sebastian Dangerfield at some point in our lives. And what a superb character name!
Terrific review, Kevin! Sebastian sounds like a most memorable character!
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader wrote: "Terrific review, Kevin! Sebastian sounds like a most memorable character!"He certainly is, Jennifer! : )
Lovely to hear from you. Hope all is well in Tar Heel Towers!
I’m never offended by misogyny in a fiction novel (I give you my 5 stars for Dream Girl by Laura Lippman as evidence).Love your tags for this one, especially dirty-delightful, and funny-as-f
Lol
JanB wrote: "I’m never offended by misogyny in a fiction novel (I give you my 5 stars for Dream Girl by Laura Lippman as evidence).Love your tags for this one, especially dirty-delightful, and funny-as-f
Lol"
Thank you, Jan!
I was of course being mischievous; having a dig at those readers who are offended by something that a fictional character does in a work of fiction! : )
And I'm immediately going to hunt down your Laura Lippman review...
I would like to add, for the record, that I am highly offended by misogyny in real life. : )
Fiction reflects life, as well as the mind and ideas of the author. Depends on the context. Old books reflect the time they were written, the story might feature a misogynist as an antagonist, foil… there are more, but I’m sure you get the point. If it’s something that accepts or promotes it seriously, then no. I understand your point in this case. I don’t think I would enjoy it in my current state of… something negative.
Kristy wrote: "Fiction reflects life, as well as the mind and ideas of the author. Depends on the context..."Thank you, Kristy.
My point is this: many authors, myself included, deliberately create manipulative, diabolical baddies whom we hope our readers will despise. What we don't expect is for a reader to be deeply offended by said baddie when he/she doesn't even exist!
: )
Think we all know a few Sebastian Dangerfields Sir K! Great review as ever - hope you are staying cool! 🥂
Ceecee wrote: "Think we all know a few Sebastian Dangerfields Sir K! Great review as ever - hope you are staying cool! 🥂"Yes, we've all met a few Sebastian Dangerfields!
Thank you, Lady C. Cool as a cucumber, I am. : )
Ceecee wrote: "I don’t know why I asked 😂😂😂": D
Sir Kevin...love the review! Where is my copy? I'll have to climb my beanstalk. Is there a GPS for a skyscraper of piled books? I hope there will not be Fran splatter on the ground! 🤣
Fran wrote: "Sir Kevin...love the review! Where is my copy? I'll have to climb my beanstalk. Is there a GPS for a skyscraper of piled books? I hope there will not be Fran splatter on the ground! 🤣"My apologies for only just noticing your kind comment, Fantastic Fran.
📣 Step away from the beanstalk! ... I repeat. Step away from the beanstalk! 😀
Having started and got about a quarter of a way through the book I'm struggling with the idea that the protagonist is American, the 'voice' seems completely Irish.
Peter wrote: "Having started and got about a quarter of a way through the book I'm struggling with the idea that the protagonist is American, the 'voice' seems completely Irish."I know what you mean, Peter.
Though the two main characters are Irish American, they seemed to have picked up more than a touch of the Irish accent.
That said, an English friend of mine moved to Baltimore and sounded American after just one year!