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David Park

The Truth Commissioner Hardcover – 4 Feb. 2008

by David Park (Author)

34 ratings

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Henry Stanfield, the newly arrived Truth Commissioner, is troubled by his estrangement from his daughter, and struggling with the consequences of his infidelities. Francis Gilroy, veteran Republican and recently appointed government minister, risks losing what feels tantalisingly close to his grasp. In America, Danny and his partner plan for the arrival of their first child, happily oblivious to what is about to pull him back to Belfast and rupture the life they have started together. Retired detective James Fenton, on his way to an orphanage in Romania with a van full of supplies, will soon be forced to confront what he has come to think of as his betrayal, years before, of a teenage boy. In a society trying to heal the scars of the past with the salve of truth and reconciliation, four men's lives become linked in a way they could never have imagined. In a community where truth is often tribal and partial, the secret they share threatens to destroy what they have each built in the present. David Park pieces together these individual stories to create a powerful tale that transcends both time and place. Moving, insightful and utterly involving, The Truth Commissioner is an important novel from one of Ireland's greatest writers.

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publication date

4 Feb. 2008
Dimensions

3.81 x 13.97 x 21.59 cm
ISBN-10

0747591296
ISBN-13

978-0747591290
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Product details

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (4 Feb. 2008)
Language : English
Hardcover : 384 pages
ISBN-10 : 0747591296
ISBN-13 : 978-0747591290
Dimensions : 3.81 x 13.97 x 21.59 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 1,427,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 105,885 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- 117,023 in Contemporary Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews:
34 ratings

Product description

Review

'It's a magnificent novel and I can't stop thinking about it.'
-- Joseph O'Connor

Synopsis

Henry Stanfield, the newly arrived Truth Commissioner, is troubled by his estrangement from his daughter, and struggling with the consequences of his infidelities. Francis Gilroy, veteran Republican and recently appointed government minister, risks losing what feels tantalisingly close to his grasp. In America, Danny and his partner plan for the arrival of their first child, happily oblivious to what is about to pull him back to Belfast and rupture the life they have started together. Retired detective James Fenton, on his way to an orphanage in Romania with a van full of supplies, will soon be forced to confront what he has come to think of as his betrayal, years before, of a teenage boy.In a society trying to heal the scars of the past with the salve of truth and reconciliation, four men's lives become linked in a way they could never have imagined. In a community where truth is often tribal and partial, the secret they share threatens to destroy what they have each built in the present. David Park pieces together these individual stories to create a powerful tale that transcends both time and place. Moving, insightful and utterly involving, "The Truth Commissioner" is an important novel from one of Ireland's greatest writers.

5 star		51%
4 star		22%
3 star		19%
2 star		8%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Dr. W

An intriguing way to tackle issues of truth in Northern Ireland

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 January 2017

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When discussing literature, people too often describe a work as 'important' - in most cases, especially with regard to fiction I don't get the inference behind such an expression, as any immediately obvious 'importance' of the work cited so often eludes. In a previous review of Park's work I drew the similarity between Barthe's notion of a writerly text and Park's fiction, and it is within that realm where I think this work is genuinely important. I state that because of the way Park blends fact and fiction to create a means of getting closer to the Truth. As is often the case with Northern Irish comedy (which isn't often strictly 'funny' per se) they use comedic 'fictions' to tackle political or social problems and use satire as a cloak to speak truth to power. In Park's case he has taken non-fiction events (in part or whole) and washed these through a semi-fictional narrative which allows the reader to draw upon multiple sub-narratives, and threads to arrive (hopefully) at some greater point of understanding than had this been approached in a purely linear manner. It is arguable that this point of understaffing,may ultimately be closer to the Truth than any conclusions drawn from the endless symposia, forums, meetings, conferences, and debates which have taken place here in Belfast since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) in 1998. Furthermore a la 'comedy' mentioned prior, the format that Park has created also allows for much deeper and subtle criticism, and critique, than had he approached the subject face on (like news media so often does), and it is also this which renders the work extremely important. In Northern Ireland, there is a massive disconnect between what the ‘dogs in the street know’ and what actually gets picked up, extrapolated,and ultimately becomes the fabric of the standard narratives and what Park has done with this work is to show a wider audience the inner machinations of Northern irish society and in doing so, in some magditudinal cathartic gesture has given society here a legitimate way to review the past and to question how this can be integrated into the future.

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Carolyn Cahalane

Beautiful prose and a compelling plot

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2013

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I loved this novel. Park 's prose is both taut and poetic, yet this is not an exercise in language for its own sake. The plot follows a number of characters in their journeys. Park's concerns of redemption, understanding and truth are explored with a sympathy and compassion which is never mawkish and always intelligent. The setting may be Northern Ireland and the post-troubles but the existential problems of what we do with truth and if it can ever really set us free are relevant for all readers. This is a wonderful writer.

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bette

Good book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2021

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Onny

ThenTruth Commissioner

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 April 2019

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Found it heavy going and inconsistent.

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Alan H.

Beautifully written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 January 2019

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Excellent novel on the very complex issues pertaining to the process of reconciliation in N. Ireland in the aftermath of The Troubles. Beautifully written and a very fine read.

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Brian Ormerod

Both excellent.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 June 2016

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Saw the dramatisation on TV and then bought the book. Both excellent.

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happy in ballyclare

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2015

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Brilliant and very believable. Living in Northern Ireland it was easy to empathise with all of the characters. David Park is a great writer who knows his countrymen so well.

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Anna Doran

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 August 2015

Verified Purchase

very gripping

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