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Review
'Immensely well-written, original, inventive and most readable' Guardian
'An excellent debut, crisply written and full of dark observations of the fragility of worldly success' Daily Telegraph
'Fresh and funny' Independent on Sunday
'Something of a coup…O'Neill knows his subject and comments incisively on the legal fetishism of language and intellect with a light touch' TLS
'An engaging first novel' GQ
'An assured, inventive performance' Irish Times
Product Description
The debut novel from Joseph O'Neill, author of the Man Booker Prize longlisted and Richard & Judy pick, ‘Netherland’.
James Jones is slipping steadily through life. He has a steady job as a junior partner at a solicitor's firm, a steady girlfriend and a steady mortgage. Nothing much is happening in Jones's life but he really doesn't mind – this is exactly the way he likes it.
Michael Donovan, meanwhile, is a star – a world-class international lawyer and advocate – he's everything Jones wanted to be and isn't. Jones was once Donovan's pupil and, for a while, it looked like he too would make his name – but he left that high-powered world behind a long time ago, or so he thought.
One day Jones reads in the paper that Donovan has collapsed in court – then, out of the blue, Donovan contacts him; he has a job he needs Jones to work on…
Joseph O'Neill's debut is wonderfully clever and comic novel – about ambitions and aspirations and the realities that they inevitably collide with.
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Customer Reviews
The story revolves around a solicitor named James Jones and his unravelling of the story of Donovan, a lawyer he was taught under. Donovan has become a hot shot lawyer, while Jones is very much an underachiever. The plot develops from Donovan dropping into Jones' life once more.
At this point, I felt intrigued by Jones' dealings with Donovan. They are lovingly contrasted and it is easy to sympathise with Jones' uselessness. However, by about halfway through the book, I had realised that this was a story not worth telling. While thin plots can make good books, it is essential to present wonderful characters along with a style that hooks you in. Quite frankly, Jones is a bore and the style reflects this. He does nothing and he wants nothing. There are several passages in which he pontificates and eventually decides to do nothing. This proves very frustrating. On the other hand, Donovan, while not a revelation, is an interesting man. It is just a shame that we do not spend more time with him.
Instead we are treated to Jones' sexism and lethargy, with some passages completely out of place. At one point I had to rub my eyes as Jones describes how he excrements in Donovan's house!
On the upside there are some passages that suggest O'Neill to be an insightful writer, but as the novel progresses these grow few and far between.
By its disappointing, monotone ending I was glad to put the book down.
My ex-partner read it too, and shared my opinion. I can't recommend it highly enough. Such a shame it now seems to be out of print.
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