The Salesman

There's a fine line between love and hate. There's also a fine line between friend and enemy in this book. The author does a great job of conveying the emotions of his characters, from the anguish of a middle aged man who finds himself without his family to the rage of a young man who never really had a family at all.The evolving relationship between the two men forms the heart of the story but it is not like any relationship you've ever experienced before.The book explores the loneliness of all the characters but mainly the 2 men. The irony of these people befriending each other shows how deep the need for companionship can be. Even so. I doubt I would have the change of heart that comes over Sweeney given his situation. Then again sometimes we find friendship and redemption where we least expect to. That's what maks this such a moving book

Tautly written, with the kind of wry, dark humor that brings you just to edge of acceptance and never lets you go. This is a smashing work, and one of the best "Irish novels" I've read in awhile. Highly recommended. (By the way, does everyone know that the author, Joseph O'Connor, is none other than the brother of the famous Sinead O'Connor Herself! )

This author is new for me. I found it to be a marvelous tale, keeping the people interesting, the places fascinating and the intrigue excellent. One of the few Irish tellings not wallowing in self-pity, the "salesman" regales us with his life, his loves, and his hates (which turn out to not be so far from his loves). I enjoyed the meter of past memories and current events as they unfold, twisting in and around the central desire on the part of the "salesman" for retribution against one of the perpetrators who hospitalized his youngest daughter. Even that turns out differently than he plans. Truly a great story!

Written as a diary, this is a brilliant novel of suspense, love, loneliness, alcoholism, fatherhood, redemption and of course, tragedy. The salesman of the title is a dumpy middle-aged satellite dish salesman who pissed away his family and life as an alcoholic. He's been sober for years, trying to raise his daughter by himself when she is attacked and put into a coma. One of the defendants escapes, and the salesman is left frustrated and angry.When he happens to see the escapee on the street one day he daydreams of revenge. The suspense builds and builds as he follows the criminal and plots his revenge. Interspersed with this is his recounting of meeting his wife and their life together, which he tries to explain to his daughter. Outstanding.

BRILLIANT! I was transported into the psyche of Liam. O'Connor is brilliant in explaining the tormented thoughts of the characters in rich detail. He allows us to enter their minds, yet while telling the story from the character's point of view, they leave out details they know to be true, but don't necessarily pertain to the story at hand. I know I'll read it again.