- Paperback: 315 pages
- Publisher: Dzanc Books (24 Jan 2012)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1936873044
- ISBN-13: 978-1936873043
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14 x 3.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 332,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
The Backslider
The Backslider......A Review......
Seán McGrady has produced a first class novel and introduced readers to a new and often ignored view of life in Belfast. In fact, as close a view of normal, everyday life as was possible in 1972, one of the bloodiest years of The Troubles.
We meet Marius Moonston a sixteen year old boy, who has an unusually keen eye for detail and a mind which never rests. Marius has an astute sense of his own being within a home environment which is set to test his honesty and a life lived without much by way of love. He may be seen initially as the leader of his loyal posse of friends, especially the rather gullible Linus, yet there is a strong sense of his severe loneliness. Marius often retreats into his `crow's nest' of an attic of darkness, to consider exactly his earthly position and relationship with God. He is often tortured by shadows of doubt, the constant fear, or even the enjoyment of finding himself being labelled as a backslider. The Evangelical Pastor with spitting words, collide with the questioning mind and desires which Marius is seeking to find and to taste, about life itself.
The external threat from The Troubles impact upon his own family, together with the internal turmoil within the family home. A cold and lonely place for a Belfast teenager, trapped by the impact of an action taken on a Saturday morning in south Belfast.
The Backslider is a breath of overdue fresh air. Set in a Belfast ravaged with the daily mayhem of death and destruction, yet a city where living life as close to the normality of one's age, was paramount. Seán McGrady has skilfully interspersed the story with common Belfast phraseology, which works wonderfully well and lends a feel of knowing the characters intimately. It breaks down the barriers and allows a philosophical vein to run through the story very successfully, as Marius is consumed by both the internal and existential worries which hang over his sixteen years.
The Backslider is a most compelling, disturbing and emotional read, lived out through the journey of Marius Moonston and the adventure of his life. Highly recommended......
Written By Eileen T O'Neill 05/02/2012
The Backslider......A Review......
Seán McGrady has produced a first class novel and introduced readers to a new and often ignored view of life in Belfast. In fact, as close a view of normal, everyday life as was possible in 1972, one of the bloodiest years of The Troubles.
We meet Marius Moonston a sixteen year old boy, who has an unusually keen eye for detail and a mind which never rests. Marius has an astute sense of his own being within a home environment which is set to test his honesty and a life lived without much by way of love. He may be seen initially as the leader of his loyal posse of friends, especially the rather gullible Linus, yet there is a strong sense of his severe loneliness. Marius often retreats into his `crow's nest' of an attic of darkness, to consider exactly his earthly position and relationship with God. He is often tortured by shadows of doubt, the constant fear, or even the enjoyment of finding himself being labelled as a backslider. The Evangelical Pastor with spitting words, collide with the questioning mind and desires which Marius is seeking to find and to taste, about life itself.
The external threat from The Troubles impact upon his own family, together with the internal turmoil within the family home. A cold and lonely place for a Belfast teenager, trapped by the impact of an action taken on a Saturday morning in south Belfast.
The Backslider is a breath of overdue fresh air. Set in a Belfast ravaged with the daily mayhem of death and destruction, yet a city where living life as close to the normality of one's age, was paramount. Seán McGrady has skilfully interspersed the story with common Belfast phraseology, which works wonderfully well and lends a feel of knowing the characters intimately. It breaks down the barriers and allows a philosophical vein to run through the story very successfully, as Marius is consumed by both the internal and existential worries which hang over his sixteen years.
The Backslider is a most compelling, disturbing and emotional read, lived out through the journey of Marius Moonston and the adventure of his life. Highly recommended......
Written By Eileen T O'Neill 05/02/2012
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Clever and honest, playful but disturbing--The Backslider is a demanding and hugely enjoyable novel." --Roddy Doyle
"Seàn McGrady has brought loquacious delight to the loss of innocence. Every sentence in The Backslider savors "the peculiar and sometimes painful world of decisions," as that world orbits through the tumultuous spirit of the 16-year-old Marius. The boy has a stolen bill in his pocket and he's on the verge of more serious trouble, perhaps even murder, and meanwhile the peregrinations of the kid's meditations pop and maunder wondrously, often hilariously. Now he's swept up in some anarchic urge, and now he's carried away by the no-account types on a city corner. A troubled corner, that would be, in a dangerous city. Yes, now for McGrady's greatest trick: he does it in early-`70s Belfast, church-riven and bullet-riddled. It's as if Flann O'Brien took his blarney to Stalingrad -- and there held the armies spellbound." --John Domini, author of Earthquake I.D. and A Tomb on the Periphery
"With echoes of the distinctive humour and philosophical meditations inherited from a rich Irish literary legacy, The Backslider is an accomplished and deeply affecting novel, McGrady's observations on the nature of adolescence are powerful and provocative." --Ian Holding, author of Unfeeling: A Novel and Of Beasts and Beings
"I read The Backslider in one fell swoop, with increasing admiration and delight. An absolute stunning coming of age novel, set in The Troubles and you can literally smell the cordite and the litany of The Evangelical Church. Beautifully wrought with a skill that seems to be more in line with an assured half dozen books under your belt. Moving and drenched in the appalling consequences of an apparently petty act. Catcher in the Northern Province, with a compassion that echoes long after the book is read, and an assurance that here is anovel to return to over and wonderfully over." --Ken Bruen, author of The Guards and The White Trilogy
"Seàn McGrady has brought loquacious delight to the loss of innocence. Every sentence in The Backslider savors "the peculiar and sometimes painful world of decisions," as that world orbits through the tumultuous spirit of the 16-year-old Marius. The boy has a stolen bill in his pocket and he's on the verge of more serious trouble, perhaps even murder, and meanwhile the peregrinations of the kid's meditations pop and maunder wondrously, often hilariously. Now he's swept up in some anarchic urge, and now he's carried away by the no-account types on a city corner. A troubled corner, that would be, in a dangerous city. Yes, now for McGrady's greatest trick: he does it in early-`70s Belfast, church-riven and bullet-riddled. It's as if Flann O'Brien took his blarney to Stalingrad -- and there held the armies spellbound." --John Domini, author of Earthquake I.D. and A Tomb on the Periphery
"With echoes of the distinctive humour and philosophical meditations inherited from a rich Irish literary legacy, The Backslider is an accomplished and deeply affecting novel, McGrady's observations on the nature of adolescence are powerful and provocative." --Ian Holding, author of Unfeeling: A Novel and Of Beasts and Beings
"I read The Backslider in one fell swoop, with increasing admiration and delight. An absolute stunning coming of age novel, set in The Troubles and you can literally smell the cordite and the litany of The Evangelical Church. Beautifully wrought with a skill that seems to be more in line with an assured half dozen books under your belt. Moving and drenched in the appalling consequences of an apparently petty act. Catcher in the Northern Province, with a compassion that echoes long after the book is read, and an assurance that here is anovel to return to over and wonderfully over." --Ken Bruen, author of The Guards and The White Trilogy
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
Book cover endorsements
18 Jan 2012
Format:Paperback
"Clever and honest, playful but disturbing--The Backslider is a demanding and hugely enjoyable novel." --Roddy Doyle
"Seàn McGrady has brought loquacious delight to the loss of innocence. Every sentence in The Backslider savors "the peculiar and sometimes painful world of decisions," as that world orbits through the tumultuous spirit of the 16-year-old Marius. The boy has a stolen bill in his pocket and he's on the verge of more serious trouble, perhaps even murder, and meanwhile the peregrinations of the kid's meditations pop and maunder wondrously, often hilariously. Now he's swept up in some anarchic urge, and now he's carried away by the no-account types on a city corner. A troubled corner, that would be, in a dangerous city. Yes, now for McGrady's greatest trick: he does it in early-`70s Belfast, church-riven and bullet-riddled. It's as if Flann O'Brien took his blarney to Stalingrad -- and there held the armies spellbound." --John Domini, author of Earthquake I.D. and A Tomb on the Periphery
"With echoes of the distinctive humour and philosophical meditations inherited from a rich Irish literary legacy, The Backslider is an accomplished and deeply affecting novel, McGrady's observations on the nature of adolescence are powerful and provocative." --Ian Holding, author of Unfeeling: A Novel and Of Beasts and Beings
"I read The Backslider in one fell swoop, with increasing admiration and delight. An absolute stunning coming of age novel, set in The Troubles and you can literally smell the cordite and the litany of The Evangelical Church. Beautifully wrought with a skill that seems to be more in line with an assured half dozen books under your belt. Moving and drenched in the appalling consequences of an apparently petty act. Catcher in the Northern Province, with a compassion that echoes long after the book is read, and an assurance that here is anovel to return to over and wonderfully over." --Ken Bruen, author of The Guards and The White Trilogy
"Seàn McGrady has brought loquacious delight to the loss of innocence. Every sentence in The Backslider savors "the peculiar and sometimes painful world of decisions," as that world orbits through the tumultuous spirit of the 16-year-old Marius. The boy has a stolen bill in his pocket and he's on the verge of more serious trouble, perhaps even murder, and meanwhile the peregrinations of the kid's meditations pop and maunder wondrously, often hilariously. Now he's swept up in some anarchic urge, and now he's carried away by the no-account types on a city corner. A troubled corner, that would be, in a dangerous city. Yes, now for McGrady's greatest trick: he does it in early-`70s Belfast, church-riven and bullet-riddled. It's as if Flann O'Brien took his blarney to Stalingrad -- and there held the armies spellbound." --John Domini, author of Earthquake I.D. and A Tomb on the Periphery
"With echoes of the distinctive humour and philosophical meditations inherited from a rich Irish literary legacy, The Backslider is an accomplished and deeply affecting novel, McGrady's observations on the nature of adolescence are powerful and provocative." --Ian Holding, author of Unfeeling: A Novel and Of Beasts and Beings
"I read The Backslider in one fell swoop, with increasing admiration and delight. An absolute stunning coming of age novel, set in The Troubles and you can literally smell the cordite and the litany of The Evangelical Church. Beautifully wrought with a skill that seems to be more in line with an assured half dozen books under your belt. Moving and drenched in the appalling consequences of an apparently petty act. Catcher in the Northern Province, with a compassion that echoes long after the book is read, and an assurance that here is anovel to return to over and wonderfully over." --Ken Bruen, author of The Guards and The White Trilogy
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
The Backslider
6 Feb 2012
Format:Paperback
The Backslider
The Backslider......A Review......
Seán McGrady has produced a first class novel and introduced readers to a new and often ignored view of life in Belfast. In fact, as close a view of normal, everyday life as was possible in 1972, one of the bloodiest years of The Troubles.
We meet Marius Moonston a sixteen year old boy, who has an unusually keen eye for detail and a mind which never rests. Marius has an astute sense of his own being within a home environment which is set to test his honesty and a life lived without much by way of love. He may be seen initially as the leader of his loyal posse of friends, especially the rather gullible Linus, yet there is a strong sense of his severe loneliness. Marius often retreats into his `crow's nest' of an attic of darkness, to consider exactly his earthly position and relationship with God. He is often tortured by shadows of doubt, the constant fear, or even the enjoyment of finding himself being labelled as a backslider. The Evangelical Pastor with spitting words, collide with the questioning mind and desires which Marius is seeking to find and to taste, about life itself.
The external threat from The Troubles impact upon his own family, together with the internal turmoil within the family home. A cold and lonely place for a Belfast teenager, trapped by the impact of an action taken on a Saturday morning in south Belfast.
The Backslider is a breath of overdue fresh air. Set in a Belfast ravaged with the daily mayhem of death and destruction, yet a city where living life as close to the normality of one's age, was paramount. Seán McGrady has skilfully interspersed the story with common Belfast phraseology, which works wonderfully well and lends a feel of knowing the characters intimately. It breaks down the barriers and allows a philosophical vein to run through the story very successfully, as Marius is consumed by both the internal and existential worries which hang over his sixteen years.
The Backslider is a most compelling, disturbing and emotional read, lived out through the journey of Marius Moonston and the adventure of his life. Highly recommended......
Written By Eileen T O'Neill 05/02/2012
The Backslider......A Review......
Seán McGrady has produced a first class novel and introduced readers to a new and often ignored view of life in Belfast. In fact, as close a view of normal, everyday life as was possible in 1972, one of the bloodiest years of The Troubles.
We meet Marius Moonston a sixteen year old boy, who has an unusually keen eye for detail and a mind which never rests. Marius has an astute sense of his own being within a home environment which is set to test his honesty and a life lived without much by way of love. He may be seen initially as the leader of his loyal posse of friends, especially the rather gullible Linus, yet there is a strong sense of his severe loneliness. Marius often retreats into his `crow's nest' of an attic of darkness, to consider exactly his earthly position and relationship with God. He is often tortured by shadows of doubt, the constant fear, or even the enjoyment of finding himself being labelled as a backslider. The Evangelical Pastor with spitting words, collide with the questioning mind and desires which Marius is seeking to find and to taste, about life itself.
The external threat from The Troubles impact upon his own family, together with the internal turmoil within the family home. A cold and lonely place for a Belfast teenager, trapped by the impact of an action taken on a Saturday morning in south Belfast.
The Backslider is a breath of overdue fresh air. Set in a Belfast ravaged with the daily mayhem of death and destruction, yet a city where living life as close to the normality of one's age, was paramount. Seán McGrady has skilfully interspersed the story with common Belfast phraseology, which works wonderfully well and lends a feel of knowing the characters intimately. It breaks down the barriers and allows a philosophical vein to run through the story very successfully, as Marius is consumed by both the internal and existential worries which hang over his sixteen years.
The Backslider is a most compelling, disturbing and emotional read, lived out through the journey of Marius Moonston and the adventure of his life. Highly recommended......
Written By Eileen T O'Neill 05/02/2012
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