Resurrection Man

Eoin McNamee has conjured, from beyond the grave, the doomed characters of his novel. Soulless death squad members who stalk Belfast in the wee hours. Abducting, mutilating, butchering dozens of innocent Catholic boys and men. Resurrection Man, is full of intelligence operatives, homosexual blackmail, too much amphetamine, the smell of stale whiskey, and ghoulish murder.

This book was a great read. THough it did not go into detail about many of the historical facts and figures of the Troubles, it centered on the emotional turmoil that people experience when facing death. It was also interesting because it was written from the perspective of a Ulster Protestant, showing that people on both sides of the conflict are affected deeply by the death and destruction cause by the fighting. The book is very violent, with violent images and harsh words, but those characteristics add a very human dimension to the book, bringing it down to a level at which people can relate to. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the Northern Ireland conflict. It is a quick read because you don't want to put it down.

I am adding this to my wishlist although I remember the sense of discovery very vividly from first reading more than 2 years ago. One of the few authors, along with Brian Moore, to present a vision of life in the North, again Belfast here too. And his style is bril -- absolutely groundbreaking. Remember being mesmerized by the hypnotic pace, the phrasing, and complete innovation in style. I would be eager to read more of his work.

One reviewer here called this book `poetic' and I wonder why. There is certainly nothing very poetic about this book: the prose is very stark and detached. Obviously McNamee is trying to capture the dark passages of a land torn by civil unrest and ridden in human bondage. I must admit, however, that the novel is certainly well written, almost brutal in its gripping descriptions of the murderous minds and violent manifestations that pervade the novel. One cannot come across a better book on serial killings, internecene war and human fragmentation than the `Resurrection Man.'

Politics and crime blur in this evocative novel that explores the Irish underground. Somehow managing to be both brutal and musical, McNamee follows a violent gang leader, his followers, and his enemies as their intersecting lives inevitably degnerate in a hopeless environment. This book is not for the squeamish, by the way.