On a late August night in 2004 a young man is kicked to death by his teammates outside a Dublin nightclub and celebration turns to devastation. The reverberations of that event, its genesis and aftermath, is the subject of this extraordinary story, stripping away the veneer of a generation of Celtic cubs, whose social and sexual mores are chronicled and dissected in this tract for our times. The victim, Conor Harris, his killers - three of them are charged with manslaughter - and the trial judge share common childhoods and schooling in the privileged echelons of south Dublin suburbia. The intertwining of these lives leaves their afflicted families in moral freefall as public exposure merges with private anguish and imploded futures.This stark, elliptical tale tells of catharsis and self-examination through the eyes of the narrator and Laura Haines, girlfriend, confidante and catalyst. Akin to Lionel Shriver's "We Need to Talk About Kevin", John Banville's "The Book of Evidence" and Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood", it deals with the unacceptable, and the nature of truth. Like all good fiction, it illuminates a society and transcends its age with the searchlight of a sympathetic imagination. It is a significant debut by an intuitive writer.
Bad Day in Blackrock
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"'This is the defining story of his generation. It should be told.' Frank McGuinness"
About the Author
Kevin Power attended University College Dublin and lives in Dublin. In his late twenties, this is his first novel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By noc
Format:Paperback
Hardly a Dubliner was not fascinated by the true life events on which this book is based. The material was ready-made for an excellent novel that could capture the zeitgeist of the Celtic Tiger and kudos to Kevin Power for pouncing on this opportunity. It could have been a tacky take that did nothing but rehash many of the sensational newspaper articles that came out at that time but thankfully the author avoided this pitfall and this novel did not disappoint. It is well-written, surprisingly sympathetic when it could have been a complete hatchet job, yet still driving the point home in the end about the moral hypocrisy of this social set. Impressive from such a young writer and of potential interest universally - not just to Dubliners.
If there's a second edition of this though there are some irritating and sloppy mistakes that need to be cleaned up and should have been spotted by the editors. The Irish Sea is referred to as 'the ocean' by the narrator at one point, the victim's mother's name is given incorrectly during the courtroom sentencing scene, and at one point in the book one of the characters gets angry with his college friend for sleeping in his parents' bedroom in their holiday home, worrying because they would be coming down the following weekend, when a few chapters earlier (and a few years earlier in the characters' lives) much is made of the fact that this character's mother died when he was 13. These problems, though small, should be corrected and ironed out as they distract and detract from what is otherwise a gripping and well-written tale.
If there's a second edition of this though there are some irritating and sloppy mistakes that need to be cleaned up and should have been spotted by the editors. The Irish Sea is referred to as 'the ocean' by the narrator at one point, the victim's mother's name is given incorrectly during the courtroom sentencing scene, and at one point in the book one of the characters gets angry with his college friend for sleeping in his parents' bedroom in their holiday home, worrying because they would be coming down the following weekend, when a few chapters earlier (and a few years earlier in the characters' lives) much is made of the fact that this character's mother died when he was 13. These problems, though small, should be corrected and ironed out as they distract and detract from what is otherwise a gripping and well-written tale.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By J. Coulton
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
This is the first novel from young Irish writer Kevin Power. It is a very studied, and fascinating study into the Dublin elite, into the rarefied world of rugby clubs, private schools, the old boys network, and the feeling of invincibility that young people from such backgrounds possess.
The story concerns the death of one of their own, the university student Conor Harris, who is beaten to a pulp outside a Dublin nightclub one barmy August evening. The shock it however, that it is three of his own friends who do the beating, or in this case, the kicking in the head. Power tells the story through the eyes of a narrator, who has observed the goings on of the group at a distance for some time, and who gradually pieces together in his mind the possible reasons and causes of this tragedy.
Alongside the explanation of the friendships, often built on nothing more than mutual backslapping and adoration of the trappings of their wealth, there is a beautiful young woman entangled in the tragedy. Laura Haines was the girlfriend of Conor, but is now going out with Richard Culhane, one of the most beautiful creatures on the earth, a fact that he is well aware of. Culhane is one of the three students who are involved in the fracas that results in Conor's death, some suspect that is was he who delivered the final fatal kick to the head. And Richard saw Laura talking to Laura shortly before the incident.
The story also shows us how the families of all the students are affected by the tragedy. They are affected so profoundly that their lives will never be the same again. The things which they took for granted have been snatched away with three kicks to the head.
This is much more than a simple love rivalry. Power has fantastic powers of observational writing. He lets us into a world that we are not part of. The writing is taut, and very, very addictive. This is a great first novel from a talented young author that is sure to become a book club favourite.
The story concerns the death of one of their own, the university student Conor Harris, who is beaten to a pulp outside a Dublin nightclub one barmy August evening. The shock it however, that it is three of his own friends who do the beating, or in this case, the kicking in the head. Power tells the story through the eyes of a narrator, who has observed the goings on of the group at a distance for some time, and who gradually pieces together in his mind the possible reasons and causes of this tragedy.
Alongside the explanation of the friendships, often built on nothing more than mutual backslapping and adoration of the trappings of their wealth, there is a beautiful young woman entangled in the tragedy. Laura Haines was the girlfriend of Conor, but is now going out with Richard Culhane, one of the most beautiful creatures on the earth, a fact that he is well aware of. Culhane is one of the three students who are involved in the fracas that results in Conor's death, some suspect that is was he who delivered the final fatal kick to the head. And Richard saw Laura talking to Laura shortly before the incident.
The story also shows us how the families of all the students are affected by the tragedy. They are affected so profoundly that their lives will never be the same again. The things which they took for granted have been snatched away with three kicks to the head.
This is much more than a simple love rivalry. Power has fantastic powers of observational writing. He lets us into a world that we are not part of. The writing is taut, and very, very addictive. This is a great first novel from a talented young author that is sure to become a book club favourite.
By jojo
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
i bought this book after watching the film based on it "What Richard did". The story is good, and is clearly based on a true incident that happened in 2000. For me, the writing isn't exceptional, more mediocre. it tells the story, describes the characters and their emotions, but doesn't really stand out as great writing. So it's a good read, the story really makes you think how easily your life can change and how money does appear to buy you some protection in this world.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An unforgettable book
"Bad Day in Blackrock" has recently attracted attention again, because it's inspired the storyline for the new Irish movie, "What Richard Did. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sarah
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling and brutal
I found portions of this book very hard to read - some of the descriptions of the central incident are so graphic as to be thoroughly unsettling. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Lady Petra Wimsey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Examination of South County Dublin in the 2000's
Kevin Power has writtn a book that is in some ways very similar to the 'Ross O-Carroll Kelly'series. Read more
Published on 23 July 2010 by BenT
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling, engaging and incredibly well-written
Bad Day in Blackrock combines a gripping storyline with an original and engaging writing style. It is a must read for anyone who truly enjoys a good book!
Published on 23 Mar 2010 by C
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tiger With A Thorn In Its Paw
I was in Ireland for a few days and desperately needed something to read, so I picked this up in a bookshop. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2008 by AK 1957-05
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic debut
A harrowing, occasionally amusing, desperately sad and above all moving read. An insightful view into the insular world of wealthy OC-wannabe types that is more than a tad... Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2008 by tower002
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