Boyne's Lassie

While the flowing, Kerouacian stream-of-conciousness prose is overwhelming at times, overall this book comes across as a breath of fresh air. Wimmer has a true gift for capturing the excitement of Ireland.

Wimmer's stroke of genius in his fifth work is resurrecting his irreverently bawdy hero and world-renown painter, Seamus Boyne (Irish Wine). Boyne's antics of faking his own death to escape the burden of fame backfire when his estranged 17-year-old daughter Tory arrives from New York for his "funeral" in defiance of her mother, only to be kidnapped shortly after being reunited with her very much alive madcap father at his own Irish wake. Tomfoolery and intrigue continue amid Dublin's narrow streets and the Irish countryside as Boyne tries desperately to rescue Tory without revealing to the public that he is still alive --and without telling his overly-protective ex-wife about their daughter's disappearance. Strange twists and turns of the hilarious misadventure keep the pages turning as Boyne and Tory deal not only with their unpleasant circumstances and unknown adversaries, but with the emotional turmoil and insecurities about the past and each other. Wim! mer's brilliant use of traditional Irish flow-of-thought narration is what brings a unique perspective and a sustained vividness to his characters, compelling the reader to cheer for Seamus Boyne and fervently hope that we haven't seen the last of Wimmer's zany and lovable artist.

Find the time and the place to read "Boyne's Lassie" in one reading! From the first page of the first chapter, the pacing of Wimmer's writing is fast and mesmerizing. We are re-introduced to Seamus Boyne from Wimmer's "Irish Wine." This internationally renowned character, an Irish artist, has reached the pinnacle of fame which has become a major burden in his life. So...he calls in a marker from a funeral home owner to fake his death. What some people will do to avoid the press! The hilarious results are non-stop escapades: well-dressed castle ghosts that beg the question, why do ghosts wear clothes? a "Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" kidnapping, and a renewed relationship with his American daughter that begins at his funeral. Wimmer writes in the first person -- for each main character. It is a crea-tive and enjoyable style that puts the reader right into the character, allowing us to move with them as they move, think as they think. And, he is able to accomplish this in real-time -- not in author-descriptive time! Fast paced, humorous, and insightful as to how much fame is too much fame -- what does one really gain and what does one really lose. Underlying Wimmer-Boyne's story is the concern about how focused one becomes on professional success -- Are the losses worth it? Can there be family and professional balance, especially for the artist? Is the creative person selfish when concentrating on his/her work at the moment of creation, regardless of any other social obligations or how long the creative moment may be? These questions are certainly at hand in "Boyne's Lassie," but like a great wine, the essence follows the taste. Consume this literary entre without leaving the table and savor the craftily-writen larger issues as a reflective dessert. Leave the table only to call a friend about this book. "Boyne's Lassie" is a pleasure to read and is destined as one of the great writing success of 1998.