The Absurd Demise of Poulnabrone :Book Review

Genre:          Fiction
Pages:         346
Publishers: Jagged C press

Book Jacket
"'Face facts, will you,' she kept telling me... 'What happens here means nothing and never will.'"

Cornelius Conlon has been forever growing old. Born at the turn of the 20th century, he has lived through a lifetime of madness, and now must witness his towns demise. He preaches, writes, loves and obsesses – of the darkness of the tunnels, of the dangers of the Folly, of the weather – but few pay heed. Deeply frustrated, his daughter, Lily, worries for him, but to many in Poulnabrone, he is simply, Con 'The Loon,' the man who stands on his soap box by the church, his face a cloud of beard and prognostication, his cane pointing as he delivers a sermon. 

Like Cornelius, young Malachy understands, but his mind is as fractured as the streets of the town, and greater forces are at play.

At once both melancholic and magical, The Absurd Demise of Poulnabrone is the debut novel of author Liam Howley. Part comedy, part elegy, and often hallucinatory, it is both a humorous meditation and a dark rendering of a tragic story. Beautifully crafted and with stunning prose, it is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the predicaments of our times.

Book Review:

The Absurd Demise Of Poulnabrone is the debut novel of Liam Howley, an Irish author. In his debut book, he has done a praiseworthy job. His imagination and explanation are beyond limits, it’s gifted. His writing style is poetic and metaphorical, which is quite rare to find. This book will give you the feeling of old school writing (classic).

The book gyrates around a town named, Poulnabrone which is slowly but unremittingly moving towards, it’s judgement day. The one who knew that something was going to happen, considered as a Con “The loon” and the other one was trying to make a money out of it.

The character of Cornelius Colon, Con “The Loon” was the best. He was maniac, matured and obsessed. Malachy was the necessary evil. He was reckless, cruel and provocative. The characters of Tara and Lily were good. Though there are too many characters but most of them were trivial.

The explanation and descriptions were perfect, though it’s too much at times. Things are portrayed in such a way that you can actually imagine them in front of your eyes. There are some sequences which will bind the readers: Walk inside the dark tunnel and the heated conversation between the Priest and Malachy.

But as the book reaches its climax, it fails to deliver. The end is disappointing and the readers are left with loose ends. The ending is discussed, on the whole and important characters are completely left alone.

Overall, I believe, it’s a nice book with a wonderful writing style. It’s a must read for all ASPIRING AUTHORS. This book is a strict no-no for new readers especially those who prefers chick-lit kinda stuffs. Though, the end is weak but read this book for its overall writing style, description and breath taking imagination.

Rated- 3.5/5