Tournament of Books discussion

Beatlebone by Kevin Barry

About the Book: (from Amazon.com)
A searing, surreal novel that blends fantasy and reality—and Beatles fandom—from one of literature’s most striking contemporary voices, author of the international sensation City of Bohane

It is 1978, and John Lennon has escaped New York City to try to find the island off the west coast of Ireland he bought eleven years prior. Leaving behind domesticity, his approaching forties, his inability to create, and his memories of his parents, he sets off to calm his unquiet soul in the comfortable silence of isolation. But when he puts himself in the hands of a shape-shifting driver full of Irish charm and dark whimsy, what ensues can only be termed a magical mystery tour.
Beatlebone is a tour de force of language and literary imagination that marries the most improbable elements to the most striking effect. It is a book that only Kevin Barry would attempt, let alone succeed in pulling off—a Hibernian high wire act of courage, nerve, and great beauty.

About the Author: (bio source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_B...)
Kevin Barry is an Irish writer. He is the author of two collections of short stories, and the novel City of Bohane, which was the winner of the 2013 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His 2015 novel Beatlebone won the 2015 Goldsmiths Prize.

Interview: https://electricliterature.com/madnes...
Rave Review: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/boo...
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This book is available from Audible as well and highly recommended as an audiobook as the author reads it himself with his Irish accent and peppered language.
If you would like to chat about this book, or this author, here's a place to do so!

Happy reading!!

Is anybody reading this one? I listened to the audio and fell in love. Anybody?

Working on it (also audio)... Due to the heavy accent from Cornelius I can't listen on the freeway so I'm making slow progress.

Okay. I'm actually switching to print on this one... I just couldn't keep the thread with audio.

I read it in print. I enjoyed it, I think, but only because I gave up trying to understand what was happening or what it was trying to say, and just let the words wash over me....which was quite a relaxing thing to do, actually. Trippy!

Okay maybe I need to relax then because I am working too hard to figure out WTF is going on and evaluate if I think it's okay or not.

Ooooh. I read this. I thought the premise was interesting and the prose is stunning at times. It's definitely disorienting, but intentionally so. I didn't love it, but I'm not sorry I read it.

@Lagullande, that seems like a great way to approach this one. It definitely gave me a feeling of being lost in the fog, searching for a possibly nonexistent island and going in and out of time. Very 1960's.

Oh excellent Jan! I think I'm being too "21st Century" about this one and failing to think of the time this takes place in; the drugs in John's past, and the dabbling in gurus and such that was so popular at the time (which for the Beatles included actual trip(s) to India and influence on their music. For instance, I laughed when "The Rants" were first mentioned but then quite alarmingly thought Joe Director was abusing the kids when they were screaming upstairs :S
Of course,I'm also being influenced by reading "The Girls" a few months ago... So there's my excuse!

Lagullande wrote: "I read it in print. I enjoyed it, I think, but only because I gave up trying to understand what was happening or what it was trying to say, and just let the words wash over me....which was quite a ..."

I'm only about 1/3 of the way through this but that's the approach I'm using and it's working for me.

Drew wrote: "I'm only about 1/3 of the way through this but that's the approach I'm using and it's working for me.
......"

Glad to hear it!