John the Revelator by Peter Murphy

John the Revelator

Peter Murphy

Loneliness, love, loss, family and friendship all play their part in this original and atmospheric coming of age tale set in a small Irish town. I couldn’t wait to see how John and his chain-smoking mother Lily fared with his charismatic friend Jamey and their nosy neighbour, Mrs Nagle. Full of dark unsettling passages, terrifying dreams, biblical quotes and cleverly inserted short stories, I really enjoyed this excellent debut novel.

Extract
When I woke, the too-sweet reek of old-lady perfume filled my nostrils. It smelled like fly-spray, overripe fruit. I crept onto the landing and sat on the top step and listened. Downstairs in the kitchen, tea gurgled from the pot and cups clattered on saucers. I needed to go to the bathroom but couldn’t resist eavesdropping for a bit.

Parallels
  • The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
  • Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle