Joyride to Jupiter E-Book

Nuala O'Connor

• Herausgeber: New Island
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

A heartbroken man deals with his wife's Alzheimer's as best he can. The Jesus of O'Connell Street reflects on his situation, which isn't half bad. A too-young girl witnesses her father's shocking infidelity. A quiet murder on a riverbank. Imperfect lovers and unlikely friends thwart and bolster each other as they act out their dramas on the beaches of Brazil, in the bedrooms of Dublin, and in the wilds of North America. With prose both lyrical and profound, the award-winning Nuala O'Connor writes of maternal love and cross-generational friendship but here, also, are stories of ageing, suicide, and the buoyancy of new love. In these urgent, humane stories of ill-advised couplings, loneliness and burgeoning hope, we find O'Connor's trademark humour and sensuality, and the quest for longed-for truths. A truly stunning collection by one of Ireland's finest writers.

Leseprobe

Nuala O’Connor (AKA Nuala Ní Chonchúir) was born in Dublin and lives in East Galway. A novelist, short story writer and poet, she is the author of three novels, including Miss Emily (Penguin USA/Canada, Sandstone (UK)), about the poet Emily Dickinson and her Irish maid, five short story collections, and four collections of poetry. Miss Emily was shortlisted for the Novel of the Year award at the 2015 Irish Book Awards, and longlisted for the 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award. Nuala’s fourth novel, Becoming Belle, is published in 2018.

www.nualaoconnor.com

Praise forMiss Emily

‘There can be no better pairing than the great American poet Emily Dickinson recreated through the magical imagination of Irish writer Nuala O’Connor … Miss Emily is mesmerizing from its first pages, a feat made possible only by the pen of a writer of immense talent who connects with Dickinson. She writes from the poet’s perspective with utter confidence, without cliché and with the same love of words. A gift indeed.’ – Linda Diebel, Toronto Star

‘Nuala O’Connor’s lovely novel pulls us in from its first limpid lines and then detonates with an explosion of power – much like Emily Dickinson’s poems. The novel captivates with its high emotions and rich images. Hope, Ada comments, ‘may be small and bald at first, but then it gathers feathers to itself and flies on robust wings.’ So, too, does O’Connor’s quietly soaring novel.’ – Heller McAlpin, Washington Post

‘O’Connor brings one of America’s most beloved poets to life. [She] is a gifted writer; not only does she bring a believable sense of poetry (clay is “deathly cool around my fingers”) and self-assurance to Emily, she is also capable of conveying complex feeling succinctly, a talent shared by her historical heroine. This novel has the possibility of being a book club juggernaut.’ – Starred review in Publishers Weekly

‘… beautifully and convincingly evokes the startling, luminous world captured in Dickinson’s poems …’ – John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman in Library Journal’s July 2015 issue

‘Irish writer Nuala O’Connor breathes new life into reclusive poet Emily Dickinson in her mesmerizing U.S. debut. Like one of Dickinson’s poems, the deceptively simple narrative packs a powerful punch.’ – Margaret Flanagan, Booklist

‘Dickinson in Nuala O’Connor’s revelatory American debut novel Miss Emily. O’Connor’s narrative is no small feat, bringing together the life of Dickinson the poet and her fictional Irish maid Ada Concannon. What follows is a moving and often engrossing tale of the bonds of friendship, the power of language, and the intricacies of the human heart.’ – Irish America Review

‘All aspects of the book – characterization, prose, setting and storyline – are in top form, setting this author apart from many who take on a rehash of a well-known and documented historical figure. Lyrical and beautifully written, this story should not be missed by fans of Emily Dickinson, or anyone simply looking for a great historical read.’ – Historical Novels Review

‘… Nuala O’Connor’s excellent Miss Emily which gave us a wilful and tormented Emily Dickinson.’ – Alex Preston,The Guardian

‘This accomplished novel is deftly structured. In its economy of scale it may deliberately emulate a Dickinson poem … a lyrical and thoroughly readable novel with a compelling storyline.’ – Éilís Ní Dhuibhne,The Irish Times

‘This charming novel, full of baking aromas and household hints … as well as darker almost deathly episodes, returns towards the end to a lovely, untamed buoyancy …’ – Penny Perrick,Sunday Times

‘… O’Connor is overdue a larger audience for her carefully crafted fiction that gut-punches the reader with its honesty and emotion … the author goes deep into her characters to offer a meditation on the human condition.’ – Sarah Gilmartin,Sunday Business Post

‘Miss Emilygains considerable pace towards its finale, and is a satisfying and enjoyable read from one of Ireland’s more unsung talents, who deserves to make the step to a much wider readership.’ –Desmond Traynor,Sunday Independent

‘A superb novel, I was captivated from the first page. With gorgeous, compelling period detail and graceful prose, Nuala O’Connor reimagines a friendship between one of our greatest poets and her Irish maid … O’Connor celebrates her women with great delicacy and exuberance.’ – Kathleen Grissom, bestselling author ofThe Kitchen House

‘I read this wonderful novel in a gulp. Nuala O’Connor is a gifted storyteller with a poet’s eye for detail … I can’t wait to read what O’Connor writes next.’ – Natasha Solomons,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe House at Tyneford

‘Beautifully written and utterly compelling, this vivid portrait of Emily Dickinson examines her humanity, complexity and profound relationship with words …Miss Emilydeftly braids together the stories of two intriguing women in this highly accomplished novel.’ – Cathy Marie Buchanan,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Painted Girls

‘Nuala O’Connor’s Miss Emily is evocative, thought-provoking, and beautifully rendered … Readers will delight in this richly imagined glimpse into the worlds – both inner and outer – of the immortal Emily Dickinson. I wanted to race through the novel, and yet, the language was so engrossing that I forced myself to slow down, just enough to savor each sentence.’ – Allison Pataki,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Traitor’s WifeandThe Accidental Empress

‘Miss Emilyis a triumph of a novel, creating an utterly human and believable Emily Dickinson through the eyes of an enchanting and complex fictional Irish woman … Nuala O’Connor has long been one of my favorite contemporary Irish writers.’ – Pulitzer Prize-winning authorRobert Olen Butler

‘A jewel of a novel … With its luminous prose and sympathetic, realistically drawn characters, you will feel yourself irresistibly drawn into Emily’s and Ada’s private worlds with every turn of the page.’ – Syrie James, bestselling author ofJane Austen’s First LoveandThe Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

‘I lost myself in the beautiful detail of 1860s Amherst, a cast of characters that leapt off the page with life, and the constant reminder that words, properly wielded, can transcend time, transmit love, and, above all, inspire hope.’ – Charlie Lovett,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Bookman’s Tale

‘In the same way as Emily Dickinson’s poems were once the best kept secret in Massachusetts, Nuala O’Connor’s luminous prose has long been one of Ireland’s most treasured literary secrets … Through a fusion of historical ventriloquism and imaginative dexterity, O’Connor vividly conjures up … two equally unforgettable characters who pulsate with life …’ – Dermot Bolger

Praise forThe Closet of Savage Mementos

‘… the poet’s aesthetic and linguistic sensitivity is evident throughout … She doesn’t flinch when tackling the dark truths of human behaviour, the savage mementos at the heart of family relationships and growing up. Earlier work has drawn comparisons to Edna O’Brien. With her ability to get inside a story, and a writing style that is both lyrical and exact, it is easy to see why.’ –The Irish Times

‘This isn’t a story of sparkle and bling; there are no cosy fire-side chats, fun shopping sprees or drunken parties. It is raw, beautiful and compelling, a ‘must read’.’ –The Sunday Independent

‘… her finest novel yet.’ –The Sunday Times

‘Compelling and deeply accomplished,The Closet of Savage Mementos is the product of a powerful literary talent.’ –The Evening Echo

‘It is difficult to write sex well, but Ní Chonchúir manages to strike a delicate balance between passion and poetry.’ –The Sunday Business Post

‘… this engaging book … this most readable novel.’Irish Independent

Praise forMother America

‘I’m going through this [book] slowly, reluctant to leave its atmosphere of blended light and shadow.’ – Helen Oyeyemi,The Guardian

‘… Ní Chonchúir, like Frida Kahlo, documents female lives in ripe, uncompromising detail. I was also reminded of Edna O’Brien to whose groundbreaking work most Irish women writers owe a debt. Ní Chonchúir’s precisely made but deliciously sensual stories mark her as a carrier of the flame.’ –The Irish Times

‘… the prose is measured and graceful, rich with delectable turns of phrase and vivid descriptions that seem to paralyse time … Over the past decade, Miss Ní Chonchúir has proven herself a prolific and diverse talent.’ –The Irish Examiner

‘… Ní Chonchúir … immediately arrests the reader’s attention with jolting declarations, oddities and intriguingly out-of-place ideas … A short, satisfying read,Mother Americaoffers shards of humour and solace in a collection primarily concerned with the complexities of love … in the difficult task of writing about sex, the author shows particular flair.’ –The Sunday Times

‘Mother Americais a collection that deserves attention and praise not only for its author’s mastery of her craft, but also for its poignant language and complexity of human bonding. Reliability lies in the dichotomy between darkness and light, or revelation and obscurity that Woolf so well identified in short story language – and which is a major source of strength for Nuala Ní Chonchúir.’ –The Brazilian Journal of Irish Studies

‘Ní Chonchúir’s bravery in forcing her reader to plunge directly into dark waters of the unexpected, the taboo and the downright ugly aspects of motherhood and family, combined with the powerful intimacy of her prose, make hers a literary voice which should and will be heard.’ –The Short Review

Praise forYOU(novel)

‘…Youdeserves to find a place in our pantheon of much-admired, beautifully crafted variations on a theme.’ –The Irish Times

‘… timeless, placeless and universal … a must read.’ –The Irish Independent

‘… a vivid and immediate sensory experience … Ní Chonchúir’s ear – as you might expect of a poet – is alive to the language of her characters … it is about the ordinary, and the secret life that runs beneath it.’The Sunday Business Post

‘The novel flows beautifully and is understated in tone … This gem is sure to win her further acclaim. Nuala Ní Chonchúir is a writer to watch.’ –The Irish Examiner

‘Yousupplies a pitch-perfect voice to the estranged youngster within each of us, the result being a quietly disarming experience for the reader…It is another success from a writer who seems composed of something that literary awards like to be around … It’s all done organically, the hand of the author combining with the reader’s own sense of childhood nostalgia to create literary alchemy.’ –Sunday Independent

‘Ní Chonchúir is excellent on the shifting allegiances between children … this would not have been taken for a début.’ –Sunday Tribune

Joyride to Jupiter

Joyride to Jupiter

stories

Nuala O’Connor

JOYRIDE TO JUPITER

First published in 2017 by

New Island Books

16 Priory Hall Office Park

Stillorgan

County Dublin

Republic of Ireland

www.newisland.ie

Copyright © Nuala O’Connor, 2017

The Author asserts her moral rights in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000.

Print ISBN: 978-1-84840-615-5

Epub ISBN: 978-1-84840-616-2

Mobi ISBN: 978-1-84840-617-9

All rights reserved. The material in this publication is protected by copyright law. Except as may be permitted by law, no part of the material may be reproduced (including by storage in a retrieval system) or transmitted in any form or by any means; adapted; rented or lent without the written permission of the copyright owner.

British Library Cataloguing Data.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

New Island received financial assistance from The Arts Council (An Chomhairle Ealaíon), 70 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Ireland.

New Island Books is a member of Publishing Ireland.

For The Peers, who always help

‘Jupiter from on high smiles at the perjuries of lovers.’

Ovid

Contents

Joyride to Jupiter

Consolata

Yellow

The Donor

The Boy from Petrópolis

Napoli Abú

Tinnycross

Fish

Futuretense®

Squidinky

Men of Destiny

Penny and Leo and Married Bliss

Room 313

Mayo Oh Mayo

Jesus of Dublin

Shut Your Mouth, Hélène

Girlgrief

American Wake

Storks

Acknowledgments