|
Chuckie Lurgan seems to be a symbol of a generation
of men in Belfast that grew up with all the terror but somehow
still try to get along with it. Never successful in his entire
life, he still lives with his mother with whom he shares a difficult
past. Their communication is usually reduced to a smalltalk about
food while eating together and even that only once a month. Chuckie's father left them long before he was able to walk.
Suddenly Chuckie has an idea how to make money which sounds very
unrealistic but he has success with it. He makes more and more money,
develops to a very capable businessmen that takes care of his businesses
while he goes to America to search his pregnant girl-friend. Luckily,
he is able to bring her back to Ireland, suddenly he is happy, rich,
has a family and also starts to act politically by announcing he has
contacts with a secret "OTG" group (which he didn't have).
His mother's situation also improved since she discovered her
affection for a girl-friend of her childhood and who is now her
neighbour. She leaves her family and now also lives in Chuckie's
home. The "OTG" |spot
on OTG| give him their OK and the book leaves the
end open, if he is also able to have success in the political
Ireland - which would change a lot and might bring peace to the
country. 
What
I find so interesting is the fact that McLiam Wilson is able to
create a tragic, lucky and likeable man in just one person and
successfully adds him to the novel without any loss of sense or
humour. Leave alone the story with and about his girl-friend, which
could fill a whole book without any problems, all his business
success, his meeting with an American Billionaire in a plane |spot
on Evans| and the
complete change of his situation in life is described like he
doesn't really care what is happening to him, but one can easily
imagine nearly everything that is going on inside him. So the
human brain is never restless while reading this book, because many
somehow funny facts can als be an example of the cruel past of
Northern Ireland and especially Belfast.
back
|
