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Himself
Blending strange kindnesses, casual violence and buried secrets: an unforgettable debut from a dark new voice in Irish fiction
When Mahony returns to Mulderrig, a speck of a place on Ireland’s west coast, he brings only a photograph of his long-lost mother and a determination to do battle with the village’s lies.
His arrival causes cheeks to flush and arms to fold in disapproval. No one in the village - living or dead - will tell what happened to the teenage mother who abandoned him as a baby, despite Mahony's certainty that more than one of them has answers.
Between Mulderrig’s sly priest, its pitiless nurse and the caustic elderly actress throwing herself into her final village play, this beautiful and darkly comic debut novel creates an unforgettable world of mystery, bloody violence and buried secrets.
When Mahony returns to Mulderrig, a speck of a place on Ireland’s west coast, he brings only a photograph of his long-lost mother and a determination to do battle with the village’s lies.
His arrival causes cheeks to flush and arms to fold in disapproval. No one in the village - living or dead - will tell what happened to the teenage mother who abandoned him as a baby, despite Mahony's certainty that more than one of them has answers.
Between Mulderrig’s sly priest, its pitiless nurse and the caustic elderly actress throwing herself into her final village play, this beautiful and darkly comic debut novel creates an unforgettable world of mystery, bloody violence and buried secrets.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2017
1,236 people are currently reading
19.2k people want to read
About the author
Jess Kidd
16books2,243followersJess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has been praised for her unique fictional voice. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016. She won the Costa Short Story Award the same year. Her second novel, The Hoarder, published as Mr. Flood's Last Resort in the U.S. and Canada was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Both books were BBC Radio 2 Book Club Picks. Her latest book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, has been released to critical acclaim. Jess’s work has been described as ‘Gabriel García Márquez meets The Pogues.�
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,251 reviews
June 15, 2023
He
sees
dead people.
Yowza! Yowza! Yowza!
If ever a book could grab my attention right from the first page, it was this one!
For a very long time, I have yearned for an author like Jess Kidd to appear: the ghosts of Dylan Thomas, Gabriel García Márquez and James Joyce must surely have come to roost in her beautiful, mischievous mind.
This magical, vengeful story reconnected me with my Irishness and might possibly have brought my dear departed mother, Kathleen, scurrying to read it over my shoulder (she'd have loved this too).
Mahoney, a libertine hippy with flared trousers you could mop a road with, arrives in the ghost-ridden Irish town of Mulderrig (shades of Llareggub). He has brooding looks and an easy charm: men want to be him, women want to be with him.
Mahoney is a man on a secret mission, but he has walked into a viper pit of parochial mistrust and murderous secrets. By day Mulderrig appears respectable; a solid fat-ankled mammy dressed in patchworked fields. But at night she's gypsied to the nines, beringed and braceleted with fairy forts.
Author Jess Kidd has an imagination gifted only to the few and writes in my favourite genre of magical realism. There really isn't a weak character to be found, and Mahoney's kindred spirit (caustic geriatric, Merle Cauley), is an absolute joy to behold.
The humour is Guinness-dark and spiteful; there is a splendid scene towards the end where
I felt compelled to dive into this wrathful-yet-charming story after noticing a host of friends' laudatory reviews and I'm so pleased I did. It was easily the best thing I've read in ages! Kidd's writing is altogether lyrical, bursting with imagery, delightfully irreverent, folkloric and devilishly humorous.
This, my fellow Goodreaders, is Neil Gaiman for adults; I adored it from its dark, intriguing beginning to its heart-racing finale.
Highly recommended, I LOVED it!
sees
dead people.
Yowza! Yowza! Yowza!
If ever a book could grab my attention right from the first page, it was this one!
For a very long time, I have yearned for an author like Jess Kidd to appear: the ghosts of Dylan Thomas, Gabriel García Márquez and James Joyce must surely have come to roost in her beautiful, mischievous mind.
This magical, vengeful story reconnected me with my Irishness and might possibly have brought my dear departed mother, Kathleen, scurrying to read it over my shoulder (she'd have loved this too).
Mahoney, a libertine hippy with flared trousers you could mop a road with, arrives in the ghost-ridden Irish town of Mulderrig (shades of Llareggub). He has brooding looks and an easy charm: men want to be him, women want to be with him.
Mahoney is a man on a secret mission, but he has walked into a viper pit of parochial mistrust and murderous secrets. By day Mulderrig appears respectable; a solid fat-ankled mammy dressed in patchworked fields. But at night she's gypsied to the nines, beringed and braceleted with fairy forts.
Author Jess Kidd has an imagination gifted only to the few and writes in my favourite genre of magical realism. There really isn't a weak character to be found, and Mahoney's kindred spirit (caustic geriatric, Merle Cauley), is an absolute joy to behold.
The humour is Guinness-dark and spiteful; there is a splendid scene towards the end where
I felt compelled to dive into this wrathful-yet-charming story after noticing a host of friends' laudatory reviews and I'm so pleased I did. It was easily the best thing I've read in ages! Kidd's writing is altogether lyrical, bursting with imagery, delightfully irreverent, folkloric and devilishly humorous.
This, my fellow Goodreaders, is Neil Gaiman for adults; I adored it from its dark, intriguing beginning to its heart-racing finale.
Highly recommended, I LOVED it!
July 27, 2016
This is a beguiling, dark atmospheric and wondrous literary read interwoven with the supernatural and the fantastical. It is a stunning debut from Jess Kidd that draws the reader into what is a spellbinding read. A dark fairytale brimming with folklore, humour and flawless comic touches. For me, it called to mind the talented Kevin Barry and other Irish writers, past and present. The past gives us Orla's story and the present in the 1970s focuses on Mahony, her son. It begins with the murder of teenage single mum, Orla, and when the murderer looks to kill her baby, plants and nature have grown to magically protect the child.
Now in his twenties, Mahony rides into Mulderrig, County Mayo, armed with a letter and a photograph he has just received to find out what happened to his mammy. Mahony is scruffy, has a devil may care smile that floors every woman he encounters and oozes charm. Everywhere he goes, the ghosts of the dead, human and animal, tumble out all around him, on occasion to help him. Despite resistance from a village that harbours lies, secrets and a murderer, he is implacable in his determination to discover what happened to his mother. He finds himself allied to and protected by a trio of Irish women you would not want to mess with. Mrs Cauley, a strong, yet frail and elderly actress with a magical library who insists on investigating Orla's death, has no qualms about shaking things in the village to see what falls out and is not afraid of the danger that lurks. Shaunna is Mahony's landlady who falls in love with Mahony and will let harm befall him only over her dead body. Bridget was a friend of Orla's, and uses her knowledge and gifts to help Mahony.
Mrs Cauley directs J M Synge's The Playboy of the Western World with Mahony as the lead to conduct the investigation which sends the village into uproar. With poisoned scones, letter bombs, a hypocritical, cunning and loathsome priest, the judgemental evil Widow Farrelly, further murders, Mahony and his cohorts find themselves in danger. We find out Orla was a wayward, poverty stricken, promiscuous girl who also had the gift of seeing ghosts who passed on secrets that horrified the villagers. This made her a reviled figure, the truth was an evil not to be countenanced. To top it all, she had a child out of wedlock. The stench of hypocrisy is overwhelming. We have a supernatural storm that brings out rats, bats, spiders and badgers as an aid to the search for Orla's body. The truth finally emerges. Mahony who sees every ghost in town finds that the ghost of his mother eludes him until the end when he does see her.
This is a beautifully imagined novel. The writing is poetic, lyrical, artistic and sublime. The characters are rich, diverse, quixotic, eccentric, and undeniably Irish. The story is seamless, complex, endearing and funny. What more could I ask for? An exceptional and talented writer. A literary triumph. Thanks to Canongate for an ARC.
Now in his twenties, Mahony rides into Mulderrig, County Mayo, armed with a letter and a photograph he has just received to find out what happened to his mammy. Mahony is scruffy, has a devil may care smile that floors every woman he encounters and oozes charm. Everywhere he goes, the ghosts of the dead, human and animal, tumble out all around him, on occasion to help him. Despite resistance from a village that harbours lies, secrets and a murderer, he is implacable in his determination to discover what happened to his mother. He finds himself allied to and protected by a trio of Irish women you would not want to mess with. Mrs Cauley, a strong, yet frail and elderly actress with a magical library who insists on investigating Orla's death, has no qualms about shaking things in the village to see what falls out and is not afraid of the danger that lurks. Shaunna is Mahony's landlady who falls in love with Mahony and will let harm befall him only over her dead body. Bridget was a friend of Orla's, and uses her knowledge and gifts to help Mahony.
Mrs Cauley directs J M Synge's The Playboy of the Western World with Mahony as the lead to conduct the investigation which sends the village into uproar. With poisoned scones, letter bombs, a hypocritical, cunning and loathsome priest, the judgemental evil Widow Farrelly, further murders, Mahony and his cohorts find themselves in danger. We find out Orla was a wayward, poverty stricken, promiscuous girl who also had the gift of seeing ghosts who passed on secrets that horrified the villagers. This made her a reviled figure, the truth was an evil not to be countenanced. To top it all, she had a child out of wedlock. The stench of hypocrisy is overwhelming. We have a supernatural storm that brings out rats, bats, spiders and badgers as an aid to the search for Orla's body. The truth finally emerges. Mahony who sees every ghost in town finds that the ghost of his mother eludes him until the end when he does see her.
This is a beautifully imagined novel. The writing is poetic, lyrical, artistic and sublime. The characters are rich, diverse, quixotic, eccentric, and undeniably Irish. The story is seamless, complex, endearing and funny. What more could I ask for? An exceptional and talented writer. A literary triumph. Thanks to Canongate for an ARC.
February 13, 2025
Himself started off with a bang and kept me engaged until the very end!
Abandoned in a Dublin orphanage as a baby, Mahony, now aged twenty-six, receives a letter left for him long ago that hints he might not have been abandoned after all.
Returning to the remote coastal town of Mulderrig, in search of the raw truth about his mother, a profoundly complicated past rises and the local ghosts come out to greet him, giving the story an otherworldly spin.
Jess Kidd's rollicking debut is chock-full of magical-realism, Irish folklore, and devilish humor, with a bit of romance adding the cherry on top. The characters are well thought out and Kidd’s writing is intriguing. I found myself cheering on Mahony and his band of lovely ladies as they unwind the layers of lies and deceit surrounding the mystery of his, and his mother's, disappearance from Mulderrig.
I thoroughly enjoyed Himself, with its many twists and turns and recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great mystery allied with supernatural elements.
Abandoned in a Dublin orphanage as a baby, Mahony, now aged twenty-six, receives a letter left for him long ago that hints he might not have been abandoned after all.
Returning to the remote coastal town of Mulderrig, in search of the raw truth about his mother, a profoundly complicated past rises and the local ghosts come out to greet him, giving the story an otherworldly spin.
Jess Kidd's rollicking debut is chock-full of magical-realism, Irish folklore, and devilish humor, with a bit of romance adding the cherry on top. The characters are well thought out and Kidd’s writing is intriguing. I found myself cheering on Mahony and his band of lovely ladies as they unwind the layers of lies and deceit surrounding the mystery of his, and his mother's, disappearance from Mulderrig.
I thoroughly enjoyed Himself, with its many twists and turns and recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great mystery allied with supernatural elements.
April 28, 2017
4.5 Magical and delightful, was not at all ready to leave this small Irish town nor these wonderful characters. Mahoney, raised in an orphanage, come to Murdering to uncover the truth about the young mother he never knew. He creates quite a stir with his Byronic good looks, sets hearts a quivering, but not all because many in this place are holding secrets and one is a murderer. He meets some amazing characters, willing to help him with his quest: the old Mrs., Cauley, who was quite a stage sensation in her youth and still has vestiges of her bold character, Bridget Doosey, who has talents that are unseen, and the intrepid Shauna, a young women who falls hard to Mahoney.
Magical realism, humor, the paranormal all combine in this enchanting story. Mahoney has an unforeseen talent, like his mother before him, he can see and talk to ghosts, and his return stirs all the town's residents, living and dead. So much humor, I laughed continuously, smiled often. Mrs. Cauley owes a debt of gratitude to Jane Austen's Collected Works, War and Peace and a few other large tomes, after all books do save lives. There is one part of only a few paragraphs that is quite unsavory, concerning a dog and some violence because as I said there is a murderer about and he is bent at not having his secret uncovered.
More plot oriented than Lincoln in the Bardo, but if you enjoyed that one you will probably love this one.
Magical realism, humor, the paranormal all combine in this enchanting story. Mahoney has an unforeseen talent, like his mother before him, he can see and talk to ghosts, and his return stirs all the town's residents, living and dead. So much humor, I laughed continuously, smiled often. Mrs. Cauley owes a debt of gratitude to Jane Austen's Collected Works, War and Peace and a few other large tomes, after all books do save lives. There is one part of only a few paragraphs that is quite unsavory, concerning a dog and some violence because as I said there is a murderer about and he is bent at not having his secret uncovered.
More plot oriented than Lincoln in the Bardo, but if you enjoyed that one you will probably love this one.
November 12, 2019
This book is going straight onto my shelf of favourite reads. I think I will put it next to because the ghosts inside their pages have so much in common, and because both books just struck a chord in me and made for such great reading.
In we meet Mahoney, 26 years old, charismatic, very good looking and able to charm even ghosts with just a wink. What he does to the female population of Mulderrig, a small town in County Mayo Ireland, is amazing:) I am pretty sure he has charmed many of the readers of this book, including me.
writes good characters altogether. Mrs Cauley is just wonderful and practically drives the whole book. The ghosts are good too, Johnnie with his unfortunate antics, Ida the small girl who tries to help, Miss Mulhearne who gets Mahoney to read her poetry and many others.
This is certainly a book of many genres. It is described on the cover as "a magic realist murder mystery set in rural Ireland." I think that just about covers it, although it should be mentioned that it is frequently very funny. I loved every magical beautifully written word of it.
In we meet Mahoney, 26 years old, charismatic, very good looking and able to charm even ghosts with just a wink. What he does to the female population of Mulderrig, a small town in County Mayo Ireland, is amazing:) I am pretty sure he has charmed many of the readers of this book, including me.
writes good characters altogether. Mrs Cauley is just wonderful and practically drives the whole book. The ghosts are good too, Johnnie with his unfortunate antics, Ida the small girl who tries to help, Miss Mulhearne who gets Mahoney to read her poetry and many others.
This is certainly a book of many genres. It is described on the cover as "a magic realist murder mystery set in rural Ireland." I think that just about covers it, although it should be mentioned that it is frequently very funny. I loved every magical beautifully written word of it.
March 15, 2017
I'd rate this 4.5 stars.
"Mulderrig is a place like no other. Here the colors are a little bit brighter and the sky is a little bit wider. Here the trees are as old as the mountains and a clear river runs into the sea. People are born to live and stay and die here. They don't want to go. Why would they when all the roads that lead to Mulderrig are downhill so that leaving is uphill all the way?"
Mulderrig is a small Irish village, a Brigadoon of sorts. One spring day in 1976, Mahony arrives in Mulderrig from Dublin, where he has lived all of his life. Or most of his life. Because just recently, he found out that one of his chief nemeses at the orphanage where he was raised, Sister Veronica, left him an envelope when she died. And in this envelope was news which changed his life: a picture of him as an infant with his mother, telling him his real name, and that he is from Mulderrig. The note also said that his mother was "the curse of the town," so they took him from her.
For Mahony, who has always been a bit of a rake (yet a handsome one) and a ne'er-do-well, this is powerful stuff. He had believed his mother had abandoned him, but he couldn't understand why, or why she never searched for him. So he heads to Mulderrig to try and uncover the truth about what happened to her 26 years ago.
"He has always believed two things, that his mother was dead and that he had known her. In order to feel her loss he must have known her presence. And he does feel her loss, he always has. Which is why he has been searching for her all his life: because he had loved her and because he had lost her. He'd searched but she'd never answered."
Mahony's return creates quite a stir in Mulderrig for a number of reasons. His physical appearance (even though he's a bit of an unwashed hippie-type) and his newness appeal to women of all ages, who react in unusual ways. His similarities to his mother quickly raise the ire, suspicion, and guilt of those residents who knew her, and might have had a hand in her circumstances. Oh, and his return has also raised the dead, many of whom were alive or around 26 years ago, and only a few people in town, including Mahony, can see and communicate with them.
Teaming up with Mrs. Cauley, an eccentric former theater actress who likes nothing more than to stir up trouble among Mulderrig's residents, Mahony is determined to uncover the truth about his mother. The two concoct a plan to interrogate those who might know something, and hopefully flush out the truth, with the help of some of the town's colorful residents. But this scandal ran far and wide through Mulderrig, and the two might be putting themselves and those they care about in danger as they get closer and closer to the truth.
This is such a charming, magical book, and as quirky as it is, it's quite emotionally moving as well, as it explores the ideas of loss and grief, of a girl trying to rise above circumstances she has been handed although everyone wants to fight her at every turn, and the rejuvenating power of friendship. I know that at its heart, this book is a mystery, but I could have done without its brief foray into actual crime novel territory, even though I understood the point, in showing that even lovely towns like Mulderrig have these types of secrets which many want to remain hidden.
While Jess Kidd spent so much time creating the "good" characters, and they are so tremendously appealing, some of the "bad" characters don't get the same attention, so they feel a little more like stereotypical characters than fully realized. But the beauty of Kidd's storytelling, and the warmth of this book is wonderful, reminding me a bit of those quirky Irish movies like Waking Ned Devine . (In tone, not subject matter.) This is a book which would be absolutely terrific as a movie because there is so much your mind's eye pictures, and it would be great to see that portrayed on screen.
If you're looking for a book with a little bit of charm and whimsy along with its terrific story, pick up Jess Kidd's Himself . In a literary world of copycats, this feels pretty original in many ways.
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at .
"Mulderrig is a place like no other. Here the colors are a little bit brighter and the sky is a little bit wider. Here the trees are as old as the mountains and a clear river runs into the sea. People are born to live and stay and die here. They don't want to go. Why would they when all the roads that lead to Mulderrig are downhill so that leaving is uphill all the way?"
Mulderrig is a small Irish village, a Brigadoon of sorts. One spring day in 1976, Mahony arrives in Mulderrig from Dublin, where he has lived all of his life. Or most of his life. Because just recently, he found out that one of his chief nemeses at the orphanage where he was raised, Sister Veronica, left him an envelope when she died. And in this envelope was news which changed his life: a picture of him as an infant with his mother, telling him his real name, and that he is from Mulderrig. The note also said that his mother was "the curse of the town," so they took him from her.
For Mahony, who has always been a bit of a rake (yet a handsome one) and a ne'er-do-well, this is powerful stuff. He had believed his mother had abandoned him, but he couldn't understand why, or why she never searched for him. So he heads to Mulderrig to try and uncover the truth about what happened to her 26 years ago.
"He has always believed two things, that his mother was dead and that he had known her. In order to feel her loss he must have known her presence. And he does feel her loss, he always has. Which is why he has been searching for her all his life: because he had loved her and because he had lost her. He'd searched but she'd never answered."
Mahony's return creates quite a stir in Mulderrig for a number of reasons. His physical appearance (even though he's a bit of an unwashed hippie-type) and his newness appeal to women of all ages, who react in unusual ways. His similarities to his mother quickly raise the ire, suspicion, and guilt of those residents who knew her, and might have had a hand in her circumstances. Oh, and his return has also raised the dead, many of whom were alive or around 26 years ago, and only a few people in town, including Mahony, can see and communicate with them.
Teaming up with Mrs. Cauley, an eccentric former theater actress who likes nothing more than to stir up trouble among Mulderrig's residents, Mahony is determined to uncover the truth about his mother. The two concoct a plan to interrogate those who might know something, and hopefully flush out the truth, with the help of some of the town's colorful residents. But this scandal ran far and wide through Mulderrig, and the two might be putting themselves and those they care about in danger as they get closer and closer to the truth.
This is such a charming, magical book, and as quirky as it is, it's quite emotionally moving as well, as it explores the ideas of loss and grief, of a girl trying to rise above circumstances she has been handed although everyone wants to fight her at every turn, and the rejuvenating power of friendship. I know that at its heart, this book is a mystery, but I could have done without its brief foray into actual crime novel territory, even though I understood the point, in showing that even lovely towns like Mulderrig have these types of secrets which many want to remain hidden.
While Jess Kidd spent so much time creating the "good" characters, and they are so tremendously appealing, some of the "bad" characters don't get the same attention, so they feel a little more like stereotypical characters than fully realized. But the beauty of Kidd's storytelling, and the warmth of this book is wonderful, reminding me a bit of those quirky Irish movies like Waking Ned Devine . (In tone, not subject matter.) This is a book which would be absolutely terrific as a movie because there is so much your mind's eye pictures, and it would be great to see that portrayed on screen.
If you're looking for a book with a little bit of charm and whimsy along with its terrific story, pick up Jess Kidd's Himself . In a literary world of copycats, this feels pretty original in many ways.
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at .
April 19, 2017
5 Stars.
Bewitching, Mysterious and Whimsical.
“Himself� by Jess is a spellbinding fairytale that intertwines the magical with the supernatural. Its dark whimsy draws you in with its brilliance.
Mahoney returns to Mulderrig, on Ireland’s coast, as it’s the place of his birth. He was raised in an orphanage in Dublin and never knew his mother, having always thought he was abandoned. As a young adult, he is given a photograph of his mother and him and discovers that he wasn’t abandoned after all and thus sets out to Mulderrig to search for answers. There he finds more than he bargained for.
For Mulderrig is a place where secrets run amok and stay hidden forever. And the town folks? They are friendly to newcomers - that is, until they realize who Mahoney is and what he is after. Yet Mahoney is a charmer, swoon-worthy even. The smile, the scruffiness, the charm. And he has a gift. He can see and speak to ghosts of the past, some of whom are happy to help with his plight, while others are simply afraid of him.
When investigating what happened to his mother, Orla, Mahoney also gets help from some pretty incredible friends: Ms. Cauley, the quirky theatre performer who is wildly entertaining and full of ideas as to how to help Mahoney; Bridget Doosey, a woman who knew his mother and has gifts of her own; and Shauna, Mahoney’s, landlady who will do anything to protect him. These women are instrumental in his finding the truth.
Set in the 1950’s and the 1970’s, Himself is a fairytale of folklore. It’s endearing, dark, beguiling, and utterly charming to no end. In truth, it is not the type of book I would normally read. Whimsy, fantastical is not my style - but I must say this: it pulls the reader in from the first sentence. You can’t tear your eyes away. The prose is absolutely flawless, beautiful even. The characters are lovely, comical & ensnaring. In short, this novel is not to be missed.
With “Himself,� Jess Kidd bewitches the reader. I, for one, am glad I fell under his spell. I hope you will consider doing the same.
A big thank you to my GR friend Larry for his fantastic review of Himself - which is what convinced me to read this book in the first place. Your review was stellar! :)
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Jess Kidd for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley, ŷ and Amazon on 4/16/17.
Bewitching, Mysterious and Whimsical.
“Himself� by Jess is a spellbinding fairytale that intertwines the magical with the supernatural. Its dark whimsy draws you in with its brilliance.
Mahoney returns to Mulderrig, on Ireland’s coast, as it’s the place of his birth. He was raised in an orphanage in Dublin and never knew his mother, having always thought he was abandoned. As a young adult, he is given a photograph of his mother and him and discovers that he wasn’t abandoned after all and thus sets out to Mulderrig to search for answers. There he finds more than he bargained for.
For Mulderrig is a place where secrets run amok and stay hidden forever. And the town folks? They are friendly to newcomers - that is, until they realize who Mahoney is and what he is after. Yet Mahoney is a charmer, swoon-worthy even. The smile, the scruffiness, the charm. And he has a gift. He can see and speak to ghosts of the past, some of whom are happy to help with his plight, while others are simply afraid of him.
When investigating what happened to his mother, Orla, Mahoney also gets help from some pretty incredible friends: Ms. Cauley, the quirky theatre performer who is wildly entertaining and full of ideas as to how to help Mahoney; Bridget Doosey, a woman who knew his mother and has gifts of her own; and Shauna, Mahoney’s, landlady who will do anything to protect him. These women are instrumental in his finding the truth.
Set in the 1950’s and the 1970’s, Himself is a fairytale of folklore. It’s endearing, dark, beguiling, and utterly charming to no end. In truth, it is not the type of book I would normally read. Whimsy, fantastical is not my style - but I must say this: it pulls the reader in from the first sentence. You can’t tear your eyes away. The prose is absolutely flawless, beautiful even. The characters are lovely, comical & ensnaring. In short, this novel is not to be missed.
With “Himself,� Jess Kidd bewitches the reader. I, for one, am glad I fell under his spell. I hope you will consider doing the same.
A big thank you to my GR friend Larry for his fantastic review of Himself - which is what convinced me to read this book in the first place. Your review was stellar! :)
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Jess Kidd for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley, ŷ and Amazon on 4/16/17.
January 5, 2020
This is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. I already owned it when I was offered Jess Kidd's next book, "Things in Jars," to review. I thought this would be the perfect time to read "Himself" and now I know anytime is the perfect time to read "Himself." What a book! It's got mystery, comedy, magical realism, violence, romance and terrific, memorable characters.
Orphan Mahony has come from Dublin to Mulderrig in County Mayo to try and learn what happened to his mam and who his father is. Mahony sees the dead, takes no crap from anyone, and oh boyo is he sexy. The book opens in the forest by the river as Mahony's mom is murdered there. While the killer is disposing of her body the forest protects the child, covering him in ferns and ivy, branches and leaves. Things like that happen in Mulderrig, a small town not used to strangers, where to many the son of pariah Orla Sweeney is especially unwelcome.
The town is filled with people with something to hide, some who are canny and charming, others who are bitchy or brutal. There are some great minor characters as well as the dead, who make themselves visible to Mahony but never speak. And then there's Mrs. Cauley, a remarkable creation, an older woman, a former actress with wits and wit and wigs whose books are apt to dance and whirl and maybe knock an eejit in the head. She lives at the house where Mahony is boarding and he couldn't have a better friend in Mulderrig, where everyplace plays a part: St. Patrick's and the pub, the forest and the river, and the play Mrs. Cauley puts on every year to benefit the church. This year she's chosen a doozy; she and Bridget Doosey mean to stir up the sanctimonious and smarmy.
I hope this is not a cliche as I'm not Irish and haven't had the pleasure of visiting Ireland, but Kidd's writing for me has a lilt. It's rhythmic and lovely even when she's describing violence and cruelty. She's got a great gift and I'm enchanted. This is a fairy tale for adults and if you've read the original fairy tales and know how Grimm they can be, you know what I mean. Jess Kidd's talent is breathtaking. Even at its darkest, "Himself" is a wonderful, wondrous book. I'm glad I've been able to go directly from it to cozily tucking into "Things in Jars."
Orphan Mahony has come from Dublin to Mulderrig in County Mayo to try and learn what happened to his mam and who his father is. Mahony sees the dead, takes no crap from anyone, and oh boyo is he sexy. The book opens in the forest by the river as Mahony's mom is murdered there. While the killer is disposing of her body the forest protects the child, covering him in ferns and ivy, branches and leaves. Things like that happen in Mulderrig, a small town not used to strangers, where to many the son of pariah Orla Sweeney is especially unwelcome.
The town is filled with people with something to hide, some who are canny and charming, others who are bitchy or brutal. There are some great minor characters as well as the dead, who make themselves visible to Mahony but never speak. And then there's Mrs. Cauley, a remarkable creation, an older woman, a former actress with wits and wit and wigs whose books are apt to dance and whirl and maybe knock an eejit in the head. She lives at the house where Mahony is boarding and he couldn't have a better friend in Mulderrig, where everyplace plays a part: St. Patrick's and the pub, the forest and the river, and the play Mrs. Cauley puts on every year to benefit the church. This year she's chosen a doozy; she and Bridget Doosey mean to stir up the sanctimonious and smarmy.
I hope this is not a cliche as I'm not Irish and haven't had the pleasure of visiting Ireland, but Kidd's writing for me has a lilt. It's rhythmic and lovely even when she's describing violence and cruelty. She's got a great gift and I'm enchanted. This is a fairy tale for adults and if you've read the original fairy tales and know how Grimm they can be, you know what I mean. Jess Kidd's talent is breathtaking. Even at its darkest, "Himself" is a wonderful, wondrous book. I'm glad I've been able to go directly from it to cozily tucking into "Things in Jars."
October 16, 2017
4.5 for this delightful, magical debut!!! I just loved these characters, especially Mahony, who had been raised in an orphanage, comes to the Irish village Muldering from Dublin to find out about his mother's disappearance or death shortly after he was born.
June 16, 2020
So I really want to read Jess Kidd's latest novel, . Like, REALLY want to read it. But I don't have it.
Yet.
So to hold myself over, I decided to read Kidd's first novel, , instead.
And -- I loved it.
Like, REALLY LOVED it.
Himself, at its core, is a mystery. But it's also so much more than that.
It's a charming, magical tale-- one that is filled with warmth, humor, and a touch of romance.
Kidd's writing is stellar. She is extremely skilled at capturing the emotion of a scene in unique and varied ways. And she tells the tale in a beautiful, folkloric style that very pleasantly reminded me of Neil Gaiman. (You should know that I don't say this lightly. This is my highest of praise. Most writers can't even hold a candle to Gaiman, in my humble opinion.)
Mystery fans should be forewarned, however . . . the story is also infused with the paranormal and has been given a strong dose of magical realism.
Because . . . um . . . well . . . Mahoney, the lead character . . . .
He sees dead people. Lots and lots of dead people.
Kidd utilizes the spectral cast of characters to add depth to the story and moments of comic relief. But the paranormal element also brings a certain creepiness along with it.
Because even for all of the novel's warmth and whimsy, there is also a profound darkness to it. The story is not all fun and games. Although brief, there are a few scenes of violence that I found to be gut-wrenchingly disturbing.
And animal lovers -- beware. There is one violent scene involving the death of a dog. It was again, brief, but nonetheless difficult to read. I must give credit to Kidd, though. I believe the animal's death was particularly horrific because of the way she crafted the scene on the page. It was tragically and beautifully done, if it's even possible to describe the demise of an animal in that manner.
I also am left with the smallest of hope that Kidd may one day gift us with a sequel. I don't want to say too much in fear of spoiling the story . . . but only one of the two central mysteries surrounding Mahoney is truly resolved. If you read very carefully and pay close attention to the ending, you will find that Kidd does not provide us with ALL the answers to our questions.
I hope that one day she will finish the job.
Okay -- so now I really, REALLY need Things in Jars.
Yet.
So to hold myself over, I decided to read Kidd's first novel, , instead.
And -- I loved it.
Like, REALLY LOVED it.
Himself, at its core, is a mystery. But it's also so much more than that.
It's a charming, magical tale-- one that is filled with warmth, humor, and a touch of romance.
Kidd's writing is stellar. She is extremely skilled at capturing the emotion of a scene in unique and varied ways. And she tells the tale in a beautiful, folkloric style that very pleasantly reminded me of Neil Gaiman. (You should know that I don't say this lightly. This is my highest of praise. Most writers can't even hold a candle to Gaiman, in my humble opinion.)
Mystery fans should be forewarned, however . . . the story is also infused with the paranormal and has been given a strong dose of magical realism.
Because . . . um . . . well . . . Mahoney, the lead character . . . .
He sees dead people. Lots and lots of dead people.
Kidd utilizes the spectral cast of characters to add depth to the story and moments of comic relief. But the paranormal element also brings a certain creepiness along with it.
Because even for all of the novel's warmth and whimsy, there is also a profound darkness to it. The story is not all fun and games. Although brief, there are a few scenes of violence that I found to be gut-wrenchingly disturbing.
And animal lovers -- beware. There is one violent scene involving the death of a dog. It was again, brief, but nonetheless difficult to read. I must give credit to Kidd, though. I believe the animal's death was particularly horrific because of the way she crafted the scene on the page. It was tragically and beautifully done, if it's even possible to describe the demise of an animal in that manner.
I also am left with the smallest of hope that Kidd may one day gift us with a sequel. I don't want to say too much in fear of spoiling the story . . . but only one of the two central mysteries surrounding Mahoney is truly resolved. If you read very carefully and pay close attention to the ending, you will find that Kidd does not provide us with ALL the answers to our questions.
I hope that one day she will finish the job.
Okay -- so now I really, REALLY need Things in Jars.
February 8, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up
A very quirky novel, Jess Kidd has a distinctive style that is difficult to describe. The tone and language were everything in this novel. The humor lightened up what is a serious murder mystery and brought in much needed levity. The language and descriptions oozes charm.
And the characters were delightful! I absolutely loved the scene where books saved a character’s life - it may just be my favorite scene in the entire book, and you will just have to read it to find out how and who 😊
I loved the magical elements and the ghosts. That can sometimes be a difficult genre for me but in this case I thought it was charming and amusing. I’ve discovered that I enjoy magical realism done right, and Kidd does it exceptionally well.
I laughed out loud more than once. The relationship between Mahoney and Mrs. Cauley (“Mrs. Marple with balls�) was sweet. And I also loved Bridget. The characters, the writing, the setting...I loved all of it. Her writing - her command of language and just the right turn of phrase or metaphor/simile - the humor - is perfect!
Recommended for those who love quirky with a dose of magical realism. Not recommended for those who like their endings neatly tied in a bow. I knocked it down 1/2 star for a somewhat confusing ending.
A very quirky novel, Jess Kidd has a distinctive style that is difficult to describe. The tone and language were everything in this novel. The humor lightened up what is a serious murder mystery and brought in much needed levity. The language and descriptions oozes charm.
And the characters were delightful! I absolutely loved the scene where books saved a character’s life - it may just be my favorite scene in the entire book, and you will just have to read it to find out how and who 😊
I loved the magical elements and the ghosts. That can sometimes be a difficult genre for me but in this case I thought it was charming and amusing. I’ve discovered that I enjoy magical realism done right, and Kidd does it exceptionally well.
I laughed out loud more than once. The relationship between Mahoney and Mrs. Cauley (“Mrs. Marple with balls�) was sweet. And I also loved Bridget. The characters, the writing, the setting...I loved all of it. Her writing - her command of language and just the right turn of phrase or metaphor/simile - the humor - is perfect!
Recommended for those who love quirky with a dose of magical realism. Not recommended for those who like their endings neatly tied in a bow. I knocked it down 1/2 star for a somewhat confusing ending.
June 15, 2017
I almost didn’t make it past the first sentence of this book, but I am glad I did. The prologue is, fortunately, mercifully short � and with a bit of magical realism at the end, it poses the questions: “Where did he go? What happened to him and his family?� The rest of the book sets out to answer those questions.
Mahoney is on a quest, and his destination is the village of Mulderrig in Ireland. He is also a sensitive, so he sees things most other folks don’t see, where “sometimes the details come vivid and stay etched,� and other times they are foggy and faint. Mahoney has other allies, besides those who can’t be seen by everyone, and they are well-drawn and endearing in their own ways. Mahoney also has some powerful enemies � those who do not want him to discover his family or where they are and will do everything they can, even evil, to stop him from discovering what happened to them.
This book is definitely magical. It combines realism with a mystery with supernatural and fantasy. I have read all of these genres at one time or another and the combination here works quite well. Jess Kidd’s writing is lyrical at times, literary at times, and very inventive.
- Smells “crawl� from their source;
- �. . . tree roots nuzzle old bones and finger lost coins�;
- �. . . woodworms sing in skirting boards and mice skate in basins�;
- �. . . where cats shake their tails through a series of exclamations�;
- �. . . as shifty as a fox with a hen in every pocket�.
Inventive, visual, funny, and the kinds of phrases that made me stop and think and often chuckle.
Is there anyone among us whose head has not experienced this? “She’s put him out like a cat a million times but like a cat he has a habit of slinking back and curling up in the warm corners of her mind.�
Writing like this is beyond terrific, even when taken out of context: “Words are capable of flying. They dart through windows, over fences, between bar stools, and across courtyards. They travel rapidly from mouth to ear, from ear to mouth. And as they go, they pick up speed and weight and substance and gravity. Until they land with a scud, take seed, and grow as fast as the unruliest of beanstalks.�
Later in the book, the story veered heavily into the magical/supernatural/fantasy realm and while it didn’t exactly lose me, it did seem to break the immersion somewhat. When realism was restored into the driver’s seat, I was back “at one� with the story again.
Despite a couple of weak spots, this book is an interesting synthesis of genres and a fine example of visual, visionary, literary writing and will likely appeal most to those who have a broad range of different genres under their reading belts.
Mahoney is on a quest, and his destination is the village of Mulderrig in Ireland. He is also a sensitive, so he sees things most other folks don’t see, where “sometimes the details come vivid and stay etched,� and other times they are foggy and faint. Mahoney has other allies, besides those who can’t be seen by everyone, and they are well-drawn and endearing in their own ways. Mahoney also has some powerful enemies � those who do not want him to discover his family or where they are and will do everything they can, even evil, to stop him from discovering what happened to them.
This book is definitely magical. It combines realism with a mystery with supernatural and fantasy. I have read all of these genres at one time or another and the combination here works quite well. Jess Kidd’s writing is lyrical at times, literary at times, and very inventive.
- Smells “crawl� from their source;
- �. . . tree roots nuzzle old bones and finger lost coins�;
- �. . . woodworms sing in skirting boards and mice skate in basins�;
- �. . . where cats shake their tails through a series of exclamations�;
- �. . . as shifty as a fox with a hen in every pocket�.
Inventive, visual, funny, and the kinds of phrases that made me stop and think and often chuckle.
Is there anyone among us whose head has not experienced this? “She’s put him out like a cat a million times but like a cat he has a habit of slinking back and curling up in the warm corners of her mind.�
Writing like this is beyond terrific, even when taken out of context: “Words are capable of flying. They dart through windows, over fences, between bar stools, and across courtyards. They travel rapidly from mouth to ear, from ear to mouth. And as they go, they pick up speed and weight and substance and gravity. Until they land with a scud, take seed, and grow as fast as the unruliest of beanstalks.�
Later in the book, the story veered heavily into the magical/supernatural/fantasy realm and while it didn’t exactly lose me, it did seem to break the immersion somewhat. When realism was restored into the driver’s seat, I was back “at one� with the story again.
Despite a couple of weak spots, this book is an interesting synthesis of genres and a fine example of visual, visionary, literary writing and will likely appeal most to those who have a broad range of different genres under their reading belts.
May 30, 2017
”Mulderrig is a place like no other. Here the colors are a little bit brighter and the sky is a little bit wider. Here the trees are as old as the mountains and a clear river runs into the sea. People are born to live and stay and die here. They don’t want to go. Why would they when all the roads that lead to Mulderrig are downhill so that leaving is uphill all the way?�
Mahoney returns to Mulderrig, although he has no memory of being there, it was in Mulderrig he was born. Raised in a Dublin orphanage, he never knew his mother, has no memory of her or of family, or even of this place.
”She couldn’t have known it but it was then that her baby stopped crying. The void her son had fallen into without the cradle of her gaze was immeasurable. He lay as mute as a little mushroom.�
He’s an adult now, old enough to search for her, for the reasons why she abandoned him. Who, and where he comes from.
At first Mahoney’s presence goes mostly unnoticed by the mortal members of town, but Mahoney is aware of those beyond the realm who hover around him, teasing him with their presence. Their eyes tell so much, and nothing at all at the same time.
”For the dead are drawn to those with shattered souls�.
He is aware of the others, can see them, but he can’t see her. His mother. Orla Sweeney.
He has a photograph of her, where she’s holding him as an infant, given to him as he was leaving the Orphanage. Sister Veronica had left him an envelope, his real name, and the town of his birth: Mulderrig. He knows from the note that he was taken from his mother, by unknown townspeople, because his mother was “the curse of the town.�
”His dark eyes are her eyes, the shape of his face, hers. The way he stands with his weight shifted back on his heels and his nose in the air, hers.�
And so, Mahoney arrives in Mulderrig in search of himself.
Jess Kidd shares her story in writing that is lovely, inspired, ingenious, and quintessentially Irish in the colloquial expressions. The mysterious mystical setting revealed with enough cleverness and wit to keep the heebie-jeebies at bay. Her characters are complex, including the intimidating local priest to Mrs. Cauley, a rather unconventional, wealthy, former theatre actress who is not afraid of much, and who takes Mahoney a bit under her wing.
The hairs at the back of my neck stood up often, but perhaps most often at the splendor of her prose. Still there is an element that many would consider supernatural. Creepy, even.
”It is a truth universally acknowledged that when the dead are trying to remember something, the living are trying harder to forget it.
Magical, moving, magnificent debut novel from Jess Kidd. I loved ”H�, a uniquely beautiful blend of genres, a tale of love and loss, grief, and of secrets kept too long. Secrets that might rise from the grave under the right conditions and circumstances. With a little help.
Mahoney returns to Mulderrig, although he has no memory of being there, it was in Mulderrig he was born. Raised in a Dublin orphanage, he never knew his mother, has no memory of her or of family, or even of this place.
”She couldn’t have known it but it was then that her baby stopped crying. The void her son had fallen into without the cradle of her gaze was immeasurable. He lay as mute as a little mushroom.�
He’s an adult now, old enough to search for her, for the reasons why she abandoned him. Who, and where he comes from.
At first Mahoney’s presence goes mostly unnoticed by the mortal members of town, but Mahoney is aware of those beyond the realm who hover around him, teasing him with their presence. Their eyes tell so much, and nothing at all at the same time.
”For the dead are drawn to those with shattered souls�.
He is aware of the others, can see them, but he can’t see her. His mother. Orla Sweeney.
He has a photograph of her, where she’s holding him as an infant, given to him as he was leaving the Orphanage. Sister Veronica had left him an envelope, his real name, and the town of his birth: Mulderrig. He knows from the note that he was taken from his mother, by unknown townspeople, because his mother was “the curse of the town.�
”His dark eyes are her eyes, the shape of his face, hers. The way he stands with his weight shifted back on his heels and his nose in the air, hers.�
And so, Mahoney arrives in Mulderrig in search of himself.
Jess Kidd shares her story in writing that is lovely, inspired, ingenious, and quintessentially Irish in the colloquial expressions. The mysterious mystical setting revealed with enough cleverness and wit to keep the heebie-jeebies at bay. Her characters are complex, including the intimidating local priest to Mrs. Cauley, a rather unconventional, wealthy, former theatre actress who is not afraid of much, and who takes Mahoney a bit under her wing.
The hairs at the back of my neck stood up often, but perhaps most often at the splendor of her prose. Still there is an element that many would consider supernatural. Creepy, even.
”It is a truth universally acknowledged that when the dead are trying to remember something, the living are trying harder to forget it.
Magical, moving, magnificent debut novel from Jess Kidd. I loved ”H�, a uniquely beautiful blend of genres, a tale of love and loss, grief, and of secrets kept too long. Secrets that might rise from the grave under the right conditions and circumstances. With a little help.
November 30, 2022
I think this is a no-go for me. Something about it, though a mystery, though set in Ireland, though occasionally populated with ghosts, just failed to catch my attention. It could be me, certainly. But I'll also throw out there that it just seems a touch... Irish. �
I work with a man from Ireland, and it's been more than a bit fascinating to watch how white Americans interact with him. Because Americans aren't shy about claiming Irish heritage (although it's the jocular kind, for whatever that may mean), or sharing stories about what they perceive as local Irish culture (as I live in Wisconsin, you may correctly perceive this as an oxymoron), and frequently fall over themselves trying to connect with him in a way that you would never, ever see them do for most other ethnicities. I mention this, because Kidd's characters feel a little bit like the idea of what Irish people are: the disapproving priest, the drunk barman, the handsome rogue, the daffy old lady that sees into the beyond.
I also don't know that she quite achieved her balance. When French writes her character-driven mysteries, I find tension is solidly maintained despite character backstory. I never felt any sense of tension here, despite ghosts and despite Kidd opening the book with a murder. I literally set it down for a week at a time, and I'm a person who had to set a 'no mysteries after 10 pm' rule so I would go to sleep more or less on time.
Two other things hampered me: one, it's told in present tense, which is odd. Two, there are narrative time switches between the current time frame (April-May 1976) and different dates in the past (1950, 1948, 1944) along with narrative switches between characters. Altogether, with the lack of tension, it made it extremely putdownable. But who knows? Maybe you'll have better luck with it. I quit at 20% in, so I gave it a fair shake.
For a flavor of the writing, I present the opening passage from Chapter 2, of little plot significance:
"April 1976
By the third pint it's decided. Tadhg will bring Mahony up to Rathmore House to see Shauna Burke about the room, for he has a box of strawberries for the Widow Farelly that will go over if left until tomorrow. He hopes to be rewarded with a little kiss on the cheek or a squeeze of the hand. But he's by no means certain of that; so far the Widow Farelly has kept her gentler feelings well hidden. But then Tadhg knew that a decent woman would be slower to court: the higher the mind, the trickier the knickers."
I work with a man from Ireland, and it's been more than a bit fascinating to watch how white Americans interact with him. Because Americans aren't shy about claiming Irish heritage (although it's the jocular kind, for whatever that may mean), or sharing stories about what they perceive as local Irish culture (as I live in Wisconsin, you may correctly perceive this as an oxymoron), and frequently fall over themselves trying to connect with him in a way that you would never, ever see them do for most other ethnicities. I mention this, because Kidd's characters feel a little bit like the idea of what Irish people are: the disapproving priest, the drunk barman, the handsome rogue, the daffy old lady that sees into the beyond.
I also don't know that she quite achieved her balance. When French writes her character-driven mysteries, I find tension is solidly maintained despite character backstory. I never felt any sense of tension here, despite ghosts and despite Kidd opening the book with a murder. I literally set it down for a week at a time, and I'm a person who had to set a 'no mysteries after 10 pm' rule so I would go to sleep more or less on time.
Two other things hampered me: one, it's told in present tense, which is odd. Two, there are narrative time switches between the current time frame (April-May 1976) and different dates in the past (1950, 1948, 1944) along with narrative switches between characters. Altogether, with the lack of tension, it made it extremely putdownable. But who knows? Maybe you'll have better luck with it. I quit at 20% in, so I gave it a fair shake.
For a flavor of the writing, I present the opening passage from Chapter 2, of little plot significance:
"April 1976
By the third pint it's decided. Tadhg will bring Mahony up to Rathmore House to see Shauna Burke about the room, for he has a box of strawberries for the Widow Farelly that will go over if left until tomorrow. He hopes to be rewarded with a little kiss on the cheek or a squeeze of the hand. But he's by no means certain of that; so far the Widow Farelly has kept her gentler feelings well hidden. But then Tadhg knew that a decent woman would be slower to court: the higher the mind, the trickier the knickers."
August 8, 2017
One day, a young Irish man comes sauntering into the town of Mulderrig, and he's on a mission. You see, Mahony, was born in this town but was raised in an orphanage. While living in Dublin, he recently learned that his mother disappeared in this town. The town folk think he's a gobshite. Well, just the men. The women think he's dreamy, handsome with dark eyes and long hair, in need of a bath. Let's just say when he arrives, all h*ll breaks loose.
Most of the town do not want him here. Especially when they find out who his mother is, Orla. Orla was a bad girl in town and they wanted to get rid of her. Any way they could. Mahony just wants to find her or find out what happened to her. Orla had a special gift, she could talk to the dead. And the dead really had something to say about those in town. Which made them even more mad at her. Now, Mahony returns, bringing up the past, having that same special skill, he can talk to the dead. Along the way, he does have the help of three special women in town, and one is quite the spitfire. Oh Mrs. Cauley, how she goes toe-to-toe with the local priest is just priceless.
What a wonderful, magical story this one was. Early on I saw a few reviews by GR friends and was immediately enchanted. Bring on the addition of ghosts to the story, a thoroughly enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud at times. It's dark, violent, funny, with touches of magical realism. To me, the stars of this book were the ghosts. They added such humour to the story. Especially since they had this thing...forgetfulness....that really helped with the story. There are some wonderful characters in this one. But the issue I had (hence only 4 stars) the bad characters were not fully developed. I wanted to know why they did what they did. Some of the final story is a bit open too. (Oh, and there was an especially horrible scene with a dog, why?!?!?!?) I loved a different area for reading, Ireland, and learning a bunch of slang. I loved the whole good vs evil story line, and loved Mrs. Cauley. Glad I finally picked this one up and read it.
Most of the town do not want him here. Especially when they find out who his mother is, Orla. Orla was a bad girl in town and they wanted to get rid of her. Any way they could. Mahony just wants to find her or find out what happened to her. Orla had a special gift, she could talk to the dead. And the dead really had something to say about those in town. Which made them even more mad at her. Now, Mahony returns, bringing up the past, having that same special skill, he can talk to the dead. Along the way, he does have the help of three special women in town, and one is quite the spitfire. Oh Mrs. Cauley, how she goes toe-to-toe with the local priest is just priceless.
What a wonderful, magical story this one was. Early on I saw a few reviews by GR friends and was immediately enchanted. Bring on the addition of ghosts to the story, a thoroughly enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud at times. It's dark, violent, funny, with touches of magical realism. To me, the stars of this book were the ghosts. They added such humour to the story. Especially since they had this thing...forgetfulness....that really helped with the story. There are some wonderful characters in this one. But the issue I had (hence only 4 stars) the bad characters were not fully developed. I wanted to know why they did what they did. Some of the final story is a bit open too. (Oh, and there was an especially horrible scene with a dog, why?!?!?!?) I loved a different area for reading, Ireland, and learning a bunch of slang. I loved the whole good vs evil story line, and loved Mrs. Cauley. Glad I finally picked this one up and read it.
August 24, 2018
That was a grand reading... Himself is a most magical novel with a perfect mystery behind it. If this is a debut, it is an astounding one and the bar set by the readers for Jess Kid's next books is rather high. I was engrossed by the writing style and the ambience of an Irish town and the woods.
February 19, 2018
In a forest dark and deep, the murmuring trees keep their own counsel. They know everything, as do the bees. Mulderrig, Ireland. Where sleep conjures dreams of screaming eels and snapping dentures. Beware of spiteful wells, flying spiders, and meddlesome winds. Note the creeping shadow who has a taste for religious paraphernalia. You are about to enter a world of tricky knickers and wigs that tilt askew at alarming angles. 'Be still. The dead are drawing in.' The dead, wanting to be seen, needing to be heard, flickering . . .
November 13, 2017
I seem to be on a kick for reading books which take place in Ireland lately. Not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s amusing that after reading The Heart's invisible furies, my mind seemed much more well-put-together for this particular book. The two don’t share much else in common, but honestly, the charm of Irish writing is more than enough to keep me paying attention.
And Kidd definitely knows how to tell a story.
I thought this novel had all the things I like in a book such as Irish folklore, a mystery to solve, and ghosts of both people and pets. The Irish setting is original and alive with exceptionally skillful writing, with gems of phrasing on every page.
So what went wrong? As it's often happens with great story, stupid characters doing stupid shit. Like can we not have a male MC who is so “handsome� and so “flawless� that women of all ages ranging from 14 year old to 60 are ready to become his sex slave without actually giving any real insight as to what makes him so special? Also can we not have female characters whose sole purpose in the story is to pine over a dude who has no interest over her whatsoever?
Lastly, my biggest concern was combination of the lyricism and magic realism that too frequently tip over into Irish whimsy. Perhaps throwing crime, comedy and magic realism into the one novel is a combination too far.
And Kidd definitely knows how to tell a story.
I thought this novel had all the things I like in a book such as Irish folklore, a mystery to solve, and ghosts of both people and pets. The Irish setting is original and alive with exceptionally skillful writing, with gems of phrasing on every page.
So what went wrong? As it's often happens with great story, stupid characters doing stupid shit. Like can we not have a male MC who is so “handsome� and so “flawless� that women of all ages ranging from 14 year old to 60 are ready to become his sex slave without actually giving any real insight as to what makes him so special? Also can we not have female characters whose sole purpose in the story is to pine over a dude who has no interest over her whatsoever?
Lastly, my biggest concern was combination of the lyricism and magic realism that too frequently tip over into Irish whimsy. Perhaps throwing crime, comedy and magic realism into the one novel is a combination too far.
June 6, 2018
Norma and I were lost in the magical lush coulee with two of our Traveling Sisters reading Himself. At times we were hidden in the bushes looking over our shoulders for the supernatural who were wanting to find us and tell us their secrets.
Himself starts off dark and violent and left us wanting to stay hidden in those magical bushes to hide from the dark but soon humor is introduced into the story to lighten the darkness of this story. Jess Kidd does a good job balancing the dark with some light here with magic and humor.
She adds some supernatural elements here with our main character Mahony who sees the dead that holds the secrets and lies in a small Irish town. At times we were left confused with some of the supernatural and magical parts of the story and we were grateful to have a discussion to help us figure out some aspects of this story. It lead to a very interesting discussion amongst us and in the end about reading and discussing this story we were left very satisfied to come out of the bushes to recommend this story.
This is Traveling Sisters GR Reading Group Review and it can be found posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley
Himself starts off dark and violent and left us wanting to stay hidden in those magical bushes to hide from the dark but soon humor is introduced into the story to lighten the darkness of this story. Jess Kidd does a good job balancing the dark with some light here with magic and humor.
She adds some supernatural elements here with our main character Mahony who sees the dead that holds the secrets and lies in a small Irish town. At times we were left confused with some of the supernatural and magical parts of the story and we were grateful to have a discussion to help us figure out some aspects of this story. It lead to a very interesting discussion amongst us and in the end about reading and discussing this story we were left very satisfied to come out of the bushes to recommend this story.
This is Traveling Sisters GR Reading Group Review and it can be found posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley
February 21, 2018
Things are all mysterious and magical in small town Ireland
This book has flashes of The Sixth Sense with main character Mahoney (pronounced MAH-hinny by the narrator of my audiobook) who sees the dead, everywhere he goes.
Unfortunately for him, the only ghost he really wants to see (his mother's), eludes him. Ghosts in this book are like cats - they don't come when they're called. They aren't particularly helpful. They don't uncover crucial clues or whisper murderers� names, though their presence is integral to the book.
It's 1976. Mahoney, in his tight leather bell-bottoms, has returned to the town of Mulderrig. He’s determined to find out once and for all, what happened to his mother, Orla, who disappeared in 1950 when he was just a baby. He's met with an inordinate amount of resistance from the villagers. Each of them, it seems, has something to hide, and none of them want him around. He finds an ally in the elderly diva Mrs. Cauley, who takes up his cause. She's a former actress who puts on the church's annual fundraising play. She makes Mahoney the star of the show while the two of them sleuth around. Kidd likens her to Miss Marple, a Miss Marple who cusses and drinks with special Irish flair.
The story starts off so well. This is Jess Kidd's first novel and there is some truly fine writing here. It's often lyrical verging on the poetic, building tension and cadence with repeated refrains. I also enjoyed the whole superstitious Irish village thing she has going on, even if it’s teetering on the edge of cliche. It’s pretty humorous at times. And, I quite enjoyed the slithery character of Father Quinn. BUT... as I went along, I noticed problematic elements that lessened my enjoyment:
* - I had a really tough time believing every female in the town of Mulderrig found Mahoney so irresistible. I got kind of tired hearing about how ridiculously good looking he was.
* - He has a love affair that is pretty pointless to the plot, other than to show us yet again how studly he is... yawn.
* - The main romantic relationship isn’t very believable. Kidd doesn’t really show what either of them see in one another. It seemed like the author was just trying to fit in the "romance" jigsaw piece, just for the sake of it.
* - There’s a hideous dog-murder, which felt like a gratuitous assault. It was a lazy way of showing us the psychopathy of one of the characters, by having them brutally kill a lovely and loyal-to-the-end animal.
The story went on a bit too long, and there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and a few loose ends that never get resolved. But I still followed with interest, to the end. I did want to find out what happened to Orla. I wanted Mahoney to connect with her, as a ghost or otherwise. I wanted so much. But the ending is messy, and kind of disappointing. Especially the very end. Just when you think you know what's what, Kidd chucks in a bit of uncertainty. Why? To leave it open for a sequel? Miss Marple would never do that.
This is an ambitious and enjoyable debut by Jess Kidd. I applaud her for bringing her musical prose to the mystery genre and look forward to seeing what she writes next.
3.5 stars
This book has flashes of The Sixth Sense with main character Mahoney (pronounced MAH-hinny by the narrator of my audiobook) who sees the dead, everywhere he goes.
Unfortunately for him, the only ghost he really wants to see (his mother's), eludes him. Ghosts in this book are like cats - they don't come when they're called. They aren't particularly helpful. They don't uncover crucial clues or whisper murderers� names, though their presence is integral to the book.
It's 1976. Mahoney, in his tight leather bell-bottoms, has returned to the town of Mulderrig. He’s determined to find out once and for all, what happened to his mother, Orla, who disappeared in 1950 when he was just a baby. He's met with an inordinate amount of resistance from the villagers. Each of them, it seems, has something to hide, and none of them want him around. He finds an ally in the elderly diva Mrs. Cauley, who takes up his cause. She's a former actress who puts on the church's annual fundraising play. She makes Mahoney the star of the show while the two of them sleuth around. Kidd likens her to Miss Marple, a Miss Marple who cusses and drinks with special Irish flair.
The story starts off so well. This is Jess Kidd's first novel and there is some truly fine writing here. It's often lyrical verging on the poetic, building tension and cadence with repeated refrains. I also enjoyed the whole superstitious Irish village thing she has going on, even if it’s teetering on the edge of cliche. It’s pretty humorous at times. And, I quite enjoyed the slithery character of Father Quinn. BUT... as I went along, I noticed problematic elements that lessened my enjoyment:
* - I had a really tough time believing every female in the town of Mulderrig found Mahoney so irresistible. I got kind of tired hearing about how ridiculously good looking he was.
* - He has a love affair that is pretty pointless to the plot, other than to show us yet again how studly he is... yawn.
* - The main romantic relationship isn’t very believable. Kidd doesn’t really show what either of them see in one another. It seemed like the author was just trying to fit in the "romance" jigsaw piece, just for the sake of it.
* - There’s a hideous dog-murder, which felt like a gratuitous assault. It was a lazy way of showing us the psychopathy of one of the characters, by having them brutally kill a lovely and loyal-to-the-end animal.
The story went on a bit too long, and there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and a few loose ends that never get resolved. But I still followed with interest, to the end. I did want to find out what happened to Orla. I wanted Mahoney to connect with her, as a ghost or otherwise. I wanted so much. But the ending is messy, and kind of disappointing. Especially the very end. Just when you think you know what's what, Kidd chucks in a bit of uncertainty. Why? To leave it open for a sequel? Miss Marple would never do that.
This is an ambitious and enjoyable debut by Jess Kidd. I applaud her for bringing her musical prose to the mystery genre and look forward to seeing what she writes next.
3.5 stars
February 25, 2024
This captivating Irish mystery tells the story of a long-ago murder in a remote coastal village and Mahony, the young man who, twenty-six years later, seeks to avenge it.
Set almost entirely in Mulderrig, a benign little speck of a place. Pretending to be harmless,� this dark fairytale is chock-full of folklore, humor, and flawless comic touches. Reading this, I was particularly impressed with how successfully Kidd managed to meld superstition and folklore with real personal tragedy.
Mrs Cauley, the ancient former actress who inhabits the guesthouse where Mahony is staying, is one of the most memorable fictional characters I’ve ever met. She’s fully original and fearless, and her encounters with both Mahony and the local priest are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny.
Set almost entirely in Mulderrig, a benign little speck of a place. Pretending to be harmless,� this dark fairytale is chock-full of folklore, humor, and flawless comic touches. Reading this, I was particularly impressed with how successfully Kidd managed to meld superstition and folklore with real personal tragedy.
Mrs Cauley, the ancient former actress who inhabits the guesthouse where Mahony is staying, is one of the most memorable fictional characters I’ve ever met. She’s fully original and fearless, and her encounters with both Mahony and the local priest are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny.
January 1, 2023
This was not at all what I expected. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. It was a fun, entertaining story. Mahony arrives in the small town of Mulderrig seeking answers. An orphan, at age 26 he receives a picture of his young mother holding him as a baby. The back of the photo identifies her and the town and tells him not to trust anyone in the town. Mahony is an odd soul. For starters, he sees ghosts, a trait he inherited from his mother. He finds a fellow detective in Mrs. Cauley, an aging actress.
The writing here is spectacular. I wish I had been reading so I could have highlighted the phrases. “If she had a heart, it would break for him, like a communion wafer.� There’s a dark humor lurking underneath the story. I just adored Mrs. Cauley and a lot of the humor revolves around her. Kidd firmly sets his story in rural Ireland and it’s so easy to picture every scene.
It was a surprisingly fast paced story and I had no clue until it was revealed who the murderer/father was.
There is one scene of animal cruelty that left me wanting the fate for the man that he bestowed on the dog.
I’ve read several reviews that compared this to Lincoln in the Bardo. I was NOT a fan of that book. So, if like me, that one did nothing for you, don’t be dissuaded from trying Himself. This book has a comprehensive plot and fully realized main characters.
I was totally impressed with Aidan Kelly as the narrator. His range of voices was amazing and brought its own humor.
The writing here is spectacular. I wish I had been reading so I could have highlighted the phrases. “If she had a heart, it would break for him, like a communion wafer.� There’s a dark humor lurking underneath the story. I just adored Mrs. Cauley and a lot of the humor revolves around her. Kidd firmly sets his story in rural Ireland and it’s so easy to picture every scene.
It was a surprisingly fast paced story and I had no clue until it was revealed who the murderer/father was.
There is one scene of animal cruelty that left me wanting the fate for the man that he bestowed on the dog.
I’ve read several reviews that compared this to Lincoln in the Bardo. I was NOT a fan of that book. So, if like me, that one did nothing for you, don’t be dissuaded from trying Himself. This book has a comprehensive plot and fully realized main characters.
I was totally impressed with Aidan Kelly as the narrator. His range of voices was amazing and brought its own humor.
June 22, 2018
I appreciate the authors imagination: a child ghost who lost her yo-yo in the forest - the eeriness created- the whimsical dead ensemble- etc. etc.
but too many things going on for me to love-LOVE- it.
The overall message ‘did� move me: a man digging into himself...needing to see deeper into his own soul.
or - why else would a dead baby come back to life?
but too many things going on for me to love-LOVE- it.
The overall message ‘did� move me: a man digging into himself...needing to see deeper into his own soul.
or - why else would a dead baby come back to life?
October 3, 2019
The novel opens with a prologue in which a man is violently attacking a woman while their son looks on. Love once existed between these two, hands which once lovingly caressed, now smash with force. That strong love now replaced with an equally destructive rage. A rage so powerful that the woman realises that this rage, in the form of the man’s fists pummelling into her head, will take her life. She looks for her baby, but can no longer see, she listens for his cries, but can no longer hear.
The man plans to kill both mother and son, but after burying the mother and returning to find the son, he is perplexed, puzzled. It is almost as if the very forest itself has hidden the child from him. No matter how hard he searches he cannot find the child. Ferns have curled around him, branches have stooped and dropped their leaves in a blanket covering him.
The first chapter will vault the reader twenty-six years into the future from the prologue. Mahony will exit his bus and find himself in a village named Mulderrig. Mahony has not been here for twenty-six years and even if he could remember, he would not notice that nothing has changed.
The bus driver turns the bus around leaving Mahony with an ominous warning claiming that,
“It’s as if a hundred summers have come at once to the town, when a mile along the coast the rain’s hopping up off the ground and there’s a wind that would freeze the tits of a hen. If you ask me it all spells a dose of trouble.�
We then find out that the dead are watching Mahony, watching from multiple vantage points in the town. Peering through windows, watching from back alleys and lanes. They seem to have an interest in Mahony. Mahony has moved from Dublin to this nowhere town ostensibly for a bit of peace and quiet but he is in fact there to investigate his mother’s disappearance. He is told by one of the locals, Tadhg, the first to meet him, “It’s the arse end of beyond�.
As Mahony chats with some men at Flanagan’s Bar, it seems that he was raised by Sister Mary Margaret since he was left on the orphanage’s doorstep as a baby. Strangely he was found in a basket with leaves for a blanket and rose petals for a pillow.
Back at the bar he has an envelope that was given to him by the sisters with instructions to not be opened until the child is grown. He opens the envelope at the bar.
What he finds after reading the contents of the letter sets up an amazing narrative filled with magical realism. Ghosts, start to appear everywhere approaching and engaging Mahony who is crestfallen because he used to see them all the time and thought that he was rid of them. Talking trees that don’t just talk, but gossip like a group of old ladies at their Sunday bridge game.
Mahony, as we know, has come to Mulderrig to find out what happened to his mother. He is caught in quite the conundrum. If his mother is alive, why did she leave him? And as he has the power to see dead people, if dead than why can’t he see her?
Chapter seven will roll back in time to 1948, to give us a beguiling, tantalizing glimpse of Orla, Mahony’s mother. This chapter is superb.
By chapter eight, the reader will notice a dark humour slowly enmeshing itself into the narrative, building until it is almost palpable, and you will feel yourself with a permanent smile on your face as you read. Then, believe me, the laughter will start. I will throw the challenge down and defy anybody not to be laughing as they read chapter thirteen.
As well as a narrative that you simply can’t put down you will notice that Kidd sure can write,
� says Jack Brophy, standing left of stage as tall and trustworthy as a locked parochial wine press�
“says Mrs Cauley in a voice as unctuous as medicinal syrup�
“start to convey Mrs Lavelle out of the hall with the tenacity of a swarm of worker ants seeing off a trespassing wasp�
What is it about these Irish writers and their wonderful metaphors?
Mrs Cauley, who has taken it upon herself to help Mahony, has taken over the role of my favourite character of the year, wrestling it just from the grip of Dead Papa Toothwort from “Lanny�.
In a nutshell this is your classic whodunnit. Oh, but it is more, so much more. in fact, it is like comparing a nutshell to a pistachio plantation.
The narrative and writing alone are powerful enough to power this novel to the heights of one of the best debut’s I have read, but the magical realism element propels it to another stratum entirely. The ghosts, the ever-pervading presence of the forest, the little town which feels like a living, breathing, sentient being itself. Incredibly magical.
I think I may have to learn a few more languages to enable me to reach the number of superlatives I want to pile on top of this novel. To think that the fact that this novel is a debut is crazy. I am now straight onto “Things in Jars�.
I may be late to the party with this one, but this is my favourite read of the year, and will probably remain so. 5 Stars!
Let me just share with you one more zinger from Kidd.
“He has the look of someone whose soul got up and walked away in disgust a long time ago.�
KAPOW!
The man plans to kill both mother and son, but after burying the mother and returning to find the son, he is perplexed, puzzled. It is almost as if the very forest itself has hidden the child from him. No matter how hard he searches he cannot find the child. Ferns have curled around him, branches have stooped and dropped their leaves in a blanket covering him.
The first chapter will vault the reader twenty-six years into the future from the prologue. Mahony will exit his bus and find himself in a village named Mulderrig. Mahony has not been here for twenty-six years and even if he could remember, he would not notice that nothing has changed.
The bus driver turns the bus around leaving Mahony with an ominous warning claiming that,
“It’s as if a hundred summers have come at once to the town, when a mile along the coast the rain’s hopping up off the ground and there’s a wind that would freeze the tits of a hen. If you ask me it all spells a dose of trouble.�
We then find out that the dead are watching Mahony, watching from multiple vantage points in the town. Peering through windows, watching from back alleys and lanes. They seem to have an interest in Mahony. Mahony has moved from Dublin to this nowhere town ostensibly for a bit of peace and quiet but he is in fact there to investigate his mother’s disappearance. He is told by one of the locals, Tadhg, the first to meet him, “It’s the arse end of beyond�.
As Mahony chats with some men at Flanagan’s Bar, it seems that he was raised by Sister Mary Margaret since he was left on the orphanage’s doorstep as a baby. Strangely he was found in a basket with leaves for a blanket and rose petals for a pillow.
Back at the bar he has an envelope that was given to him by the sisters with instructions to not be opened until the child is grown. He opens the envelope at the bar.
What he finds after reading the contents of the letter sets up an amazing narrative filled with magical realism. Ghosts, start to appear everywhere approaching and engaging Mahony who is crestfallen because he used to see them all the time and thought that he was rid of them. Talking trees that don’t just talk, but gossip like a group of old ladies at their Sunday bridge game.
Mahony, as we know, has come to Mulderrig to find out what happened to his mother. He is caught in quite the conundrum. If his mother is alive, why did she leave him? And as he has the power to see dead people, if dead than why can’t he see her?
Chapter seven will roll back in time to 1948, to give us a beguiling, tantalizing glimpse of Orla, Mahony’s mother. This chapter is superb.
By chapter eight, the reader will notice a dark humour slowly enmeshing itself into the narrative, building until it is almost palpable, and you will feel yourself with a permanent smile on your face as you read. Then, believe me, the laughter will start. I will throw the challenge down and defy anybody not to be laughing as they read chapter thirteen.
As well as a narrative that you simply can’t put down you will notice that Kidd sure can write,
� says Jack Brophy, standing left of stage as tall and trustworthy as a locked parochial wine press�
“says Mrs Cauley in a voice as unctuous as medicinal syrup�
“start to convey Mrs Lavelle out of the hall with the tenacity of a swarm of worker ants seeing off a trespassing wasp�
What is it about these Irish writers and their wonderful metaphors?
Mrs Cauley, who has taken it upon herself to help Mahony, has taken over the role of my favourite character of the year, wrestling it just from the grip of Dead Papa Toothwort from “Lanny�.
In a nutshell this is your classic whodunnit. Oh, but it is more, so much more. in fact, it is like comparing a nutshell to a pistachio plantation.
The narrative and writing alone are powerful enough to power this novel to the heights of one of the best debut’s I have read, but the magical realism element propels it to another stratum entirely. The ghosts, the ever-pervading presence of the forest, the little town which feels like a living, breathing, sentient being itself. Incredibly magical.
I think I may have to learn a few more languages to enable me to reach the number of superlatives I want to pile on top of this novel. To think that the fact that this novel is a debut is crazy. I am now straight onto “Things in Jars�.
I may be late to the party with this one, but this is my favourite read of the year, and will probably remain so. 5 Stars!
Let me just share with you one more zinger from Kidd.
“He has the look of someone whose soul got up and walked away in disgust a long time ago.�
KAPOW!
February 17, 2018
For the dead are always close by in a life like Mahoney’s. The dead are drawn to the confused and the unwritten, the damaged, the fractured, to those with big cracks and gaps in their tales, which the dead just yearn to fill. For the dead have secondhand stories to share with you, if you’d only let them get a foot in the door.
Darkly humorous, deviously textured and filled with a cast of quirky characters I won’t soon forget, this novel has an almost mythical quality and it is a helluva of a good read. Mulderring is a town simmering with fiercely kept secrets, quite a few miscreants and a chorus of ghosts that lurk at every corner and crevice.
At times suffering from a little too much of everything: so many deaths, even more characters and shape shifting genres--crime thriller, spirited farce, paranormal forces--it is the writing that had these non-Irish eyes smiling and more than once laughing. One of the characters has ‘the appearance of a benign geriatric spider,� while another laments that ‘a decent woman would be slower to court; the higher the mind the trickier the knickers.� There were so many passages of note, but it is in the moments of thought made imagery where I found myself in awe.
…an unwanted memory shifting in the back of her mind. Past the place where old songs go to pass the time of day with forgotten hymns and nursery rhymes. Where long-ago cats are put out along with lost schooldays and expired coupons…but right now this memory is jumbled deep, tucked firmly behind the shopping lists and the ironing, the Friday fish and Monday-morning gossiping.
This author’s imagination is fertile soil where a priest’s dwelling develops a holy spring replete with a contagion of frogs, soot suddenly permeates a town and for book lovers the most delicious enemy attack you may ever savor. All of this and more awaits in this debut novel and were it not for the overabundance factor, I would give this the full five. And I can’t wait to see what she dreams of next!
Darkly humorous, deviously textured and filled with a cast of quirky characters I won’t soon forget, this novel has an almost mythical quality and it is a helluva of a good read. Mulderring is a town simmering with fiercely kept secrets, quite a few miscreants and a chorus of ghosts that lurk at every corner and crevice.
At times suffering from a little too much of everything: so many deaths, even more characters and shape shifting genres--crime thriller, spirited farce, paranormal forces--it is the writing that had these non-Irish eyes smiling and more than once laughing. One of the characters has ‘the appearance of a benign geriatric spider,� while another laments that ‘a decent woman would be slower to court; the higher the mind the trickier the knickers.� There were so many passages of note, but it is in the moments of thought made imagery where I found myself in awe.
…an unwanted memory shifting in the back of her mind. Past the place where old songs go to pass the time of day with forgotten hymns and nursery rhymes. Where long-ago cats are put out along with lost schooldays and expired coupons…but right now this memory is jumbled deep, tucked firmly behind the shopping lists and the ironing, the Friday fish and Monday-morning gossiping.
This author’s imagination is fertile soil where a priest’s dwelling develops a holy spring replete with a contagion of frogs, soot suddenly permeates a town and for book lovers the most delicious enemy attack you may ever savor. All of this and more awaits in this debut novel and were it not for the overabundance factor, I would give this the full five. And I can’t wait to see what she dreams of next!
July 24, 2018
4 the stuff of dreams that we are made of stars
You can find my reviews here:
There are times when I would love to live in the mind of an author. This would be one of them.
Take me away to the small Irish village of Mulderrig where much is afoot, some of it dark but some of it fun and whimsical. This village, where a murder took place, where a son searches for his mother, where people are for you or agin you will take you on a sojourn to a place where magic and realism meld together . It is a village where ghosts roam, where Irish legends have full sway, where life itself contains many secrets and all who try to delve into those very secrets are not welcome.
Into this village comes Mahony, the boy we eventually learn whose teenage mother, Orla Sweeney, "mysteriously" disappeared. He is looking for her armed with an old photograph, searching for the girl who left him, finding himself not welcome in this town where he was born. He meets and resides with his landlady, Mrs Cauley, a wonderful character, who recruits Mahony to star in in her Christmas play. She teams up with Mahony to try an unravel the mystery of his missing mom and while investigating we meet the good and the bad in the village of Muldering. Interspersed in the story are also the dead of the village who add a kind of mystical charm to the story making you want to find this place and perhaps even dwell there even if only in your mind.
Jess Kidd in her debut novel, has created a world where humor resides among evil, where the good occupy the same world as the not so good, where fantasy and reality blend and merge into realm of sadness and happiness, where a son searches for a long lost mother and eventually finds love and understanding. Truly, this was for me a remarkable tale, and once again found myself loving the unique and mesmerizing storytelling of Ms Kidd.
Thanks once again to my local library for their continued effort to keep me well inundated with marvelous books to read!
You can find my reviews here:
There are times when I would love to live in the mind of an author. This would be one of them.
Take me away to the small Irish village of Mulderrig where much is afoot, some of it dark but some of it fun and whimsical. This village, where a murder took place, where a son searches for his mother, where people are for you or agin you will take you on a sojourn to a place where magic and realism meld together . It is a village where ghosts roam, where Irish legends have full sway, where life itself contains many secrets and all who try to delve into those very secrets are not welcome.
Into this village comes Mahony, the boy we eventually learn whose teenage mother, Orla Sweeney, "mysteriously" disappeared. He is looking for her armed with an old photograph, searching for the girl who left him, finding himself not welcome in this town where he was born. He meets and resides with his landlady, Mrs Cauley, a wonderful character, who recruits Mahony to star in in her Christmas play. She teams up with Mahony to try an unravel the mystery of his missing mom and while investigating we meet the good and the bad in the village of Muldering. Interspersed in the story are also the dead of the village who add a kind of mystical charm to the story making you want to find this place and perhaps even dwell there even if only in your mind.
Jess Kidd in her debut novel, has created a world where humor resides among evil, where the good occupy the same world as the not so good, where fantasy and reality blend and merge into realm of sadness and happiness, where a son searches for a long lost mother and eventually finds love and understanding. Truly, this was for me a remarkable tale, and once again found myself loving the unique and mesmerizing storytelling of Ms Kidd.
Thanks once again to my local library for their continued effort to keep me well inundated with marvelous books to read!
June 3, 2020
An enchanted adult tale which takes place in 1970s Ireland. A special young man leaves the city of Dublin behind to travel to the village of his birth to ferret out his mother’s killer and bring him to justice.
An intriguingly spellbound read.
An intriguingly spellbound read.
May 16, 2022
A very special novel, Himself, refers to the handsome, n'er do well, Mahoney, who comes to a small Irish town looking for his mother. He always thought she abandoned him to an orphanage and then ran away, but a letter left with him as a babe, seems to say otherwise.
There is all kinds of spookiness that hovers around the town and Mahoney. He can see spirits, but has never been able to see his ma. That's one of the reasons he thinks she may still be living. The town's folk want the past forgotten, but a few of them are not just complacent and stupid, they are downright evil and Mahoney has to combat them in order to find out what happened.
There is all kinds of spookiness that hovers around the town and Mahoney. He can see spirits, but has never been able to see his ma. That's one of the reasons he thinks she may still be living. The town's folk want the past forgotten, but a few of them are not just complacent and stupid, they are downright evil and Mahoney has to combat them in order to find out what happened.
July 2, 2020
"The pipes sing about a land lost, about forgotten honor and wasted bravery. They sing of sedge-edged water and white skies, of the mountains and the sea, of those who are gone and those who never even were." This book was a complete delight. It's a literary mystery, small town social satire and dark comedy with beautiful language (read with a variety of captivating voices by Aiden Kelly, the narrator of the audiobook).
The prologue is set in Mulderrig, Ireland in 1950 and describes the murder of 16 year old Orla Sweeney while her infant son cries nearby. The baby winds up in a Dublin orphanage. In 1976, 26 year old Mahony returns to Mulderrig with a photo of his mother to find out what happened to her. Mahony is handsome, charming and very attractive to women. Nevertheless, the citizens of Mulderrig are not happy to see his return. Orla had been wild and a troublemaker and everyone had been relieved when she and her baby disappeared. His arrival leads to an outburst of superstition, threats, bribery and murder.
Mahony rents a room in the same house as the retired actress Mrs. Merle Cauley. Mahony and Cauley conclude that his mother must have been murdered and begin to investigate, starting with the interviewing everyone who shows up for auditions for the annual amateur play. The two have a similar way of cutting through bullshit and pretension and make an entertaining team.
Also, this book has lots and lots of ghosts. They are everywhere and Mahony and Ora share the ability to see them. However ghosts are dangerous because they don't lie and they reveal truths about the past that most people would rather keep hidden. Unfortunately, Mahony can't just ask his mother for the name of her murderer. "The dead are like cats, Mahony. You of all people should know that. They don't always come when they're called." I loved this book and would be happy to read anything else the author writes.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The prologue is set in Mulderrig, Ireland in 1950 and describes the murder of 16 year old Orla Sweeney while her infant son cries nearby. The baby winds up in a Dublin orphanage. In 1976, 26 year old Mahony returns to Mulderrig with a photo of his mother to find out what happened to her. Mahony is handsome, charming and very attractive to women. Nevertheless, the citizens of Mulderrig are not happy to see his return. Orla had been wild and a troublemaker and everyone had been relieved when she and her baby disappeared. His arrival leads to an outburst of superstition, threats, bribery and murder.
Mahony rents a room in the same house as the retired actress Mrs. Merle Cauley. Mahony and Cauley conclude that his mother must have been murdered and begin to investigate, starting with the interviewing everyone who shows up for auditions for the annual amateur play. The two have a similar way of cutting through bullshit and pretension and make an entertaining team.
Also, this book has lots and lots of ghosts. They are everywhere and Mahony and Ora share the ability to see them. However ghosts are dangerous because they don't lie and they reveal truths about the past that most people would rather keep hidden. Unfortunately, Mahony can't just ask his mother for the name of her murderer. "The dead are like cats, Mahony. You of all people should know that. They don't always come when they're called." I loved this book and would be happy to read anything else the author writes.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
November 16, 2022
5�
“Prologue May 1950: His first blow: the girl made no noise, her dark eyes widened. She reeled a little as she bent and put the baby down. The man stood waiting.
. . .
But whilst the man had bathed, the forest had hidden the infant.�
In 1976, Mahony arrives in the village of Mulderrig, rucksack on his back, and tells a fellow he meets that he’s looking for work and a place to stay.
“Mahony increases his smile to show his teeth in an expression of considerable natural charm altogether capable of beguiling the hardest bastard of humankind.�
Which is what he does, beguiles many of the villagers. His appearance is remarked upon, coming from Dublin, as he does (in 1976, remember).
“And his trousers are ridiculous: tight around the crotch and wide enough at the bottom to mop the main road.�
Cowboy boots are mentioned later. Mahony is handsome, charming, and suspects he may be one of theirs. He is looking for his mother, whom he was told had abandoned him, but later he heard rumours of her murder. He has come to unearth the secrets and to find out who his father is.
Kidd’s writing hits every note. She can take us in an instant from a vicious encounter to one that is tenderly funny. Even her use of the supernatural seems natural in this small Irish village, where most believe in the ability to see ghosts, even if they don’t have it themselves.
“Now the dead are confined to a brief scud across the room at lights-out, or a wobble now and then in his peripheral vision.
. . .
So Mahony pays no notice at all to the dead old woman pushing her face through the wall next to Tadhg’s right elbow. And Tadhg pays no notice either, for, like the rest of us, he is blessed with a blissful lack of vision.�
[Incidentally, Tadhg is a main character, and I wanted to hear his name in my head. It sounds much like a nickname for Tiger: Tige. I recommend this entertaining short clip of Saoirse Ronan teaching Stephen Colbert how to pronounce Irish names. But I digress.]
Whether Mahony wishes the dead to remain in his peripheral vision or not, he can’t avoid them. He has come to town, searching for his story, and they have stories to tell.
“The dead drift down through floorboards and up through flagstones and through windows and walls and locked doors, listening, yearning.
. . .
Miss Fidelma Mulhearne (schoolteacher, spinster, deceased) watches closely from the back of the hall.�
This moves mostly between the two main time periods of 1950, as in the prologue, and 1976, when Mahony arrives from Dublin. Kidd thoughtfully puts the date at the beginning of each chapter (thank you).
The forest is a dark, mystical place where ghosts roam, lovers meet, and a recluse lives in a caravan. A murderer? There are so many secrets that most of the men seem suspicious and the women are suspicious of their men.
The characters, alive and dead, are real and unforgettable. Mahony goes to visit Mrs. Cauley , who knew his mother well. She is a frail, elderly actress, who appears to be at death’s door but can still command attention.
“They almost reach the foot of the staircase when a voice rolls out into the hallway and along the faded carpet. It’s the sort of voice honed to turn corners, vault walls and open door handles.�
Mahony is spellbound by it. As he is talking to her in her bedroom, there is a poignant scene with Mrs. Cauley’s old lover, Johnnie.
“The bed is carved from dark wood and is horribly ornate. At the head of it stands a dead man holding his hat against his chest. The dead man looks up at Mahony with his eyes low-lidded and full. Mahony sees the famished hollow of his cheeks and the sad drape of his moustache. The dead man lifts his eyebrows imperceptibly then his gaze sinks down again to rest on the floor.
. . .
Mahony watches as the dead man attempts to hang his hat on the bedpost. He gives up with a pained expression, puts it back on his head and drifts across the room, pulling his moustache morosely as he goes.�
Mrs. Cauley understands Mahony’s gaze and tells him his mother will make herself known to him � when she’s ready � eventually. Meanwhile, she has a plan to help encourage people to reveal themselves.
I loved this � the story, the people, the whole idea. Even a question I have at the end doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm. Perhaps Kidd will follow up?
“Prologue May 1950: His first blow: the girl made no noise, her dark eyes widened. She reeled a little as she bent and put the baby down. The man stood waiting.
. . .
But whilst the man had bathed, the forest had hidden the infant.�
In 1976, Mahony arrives in the village of Mulderrig, rucksack on his back, and tells a fellow he meets that he’s looking for work and a place to stay.
“Mahony increases his smile to show his teeth in an expression of considerable natural charm altogether capable of beguiling the hardest bastard of humankind.�
Which is what he does, beguiles many of the villagers. His appearance is remarked upon, coming from Dublin, as he does (in 1976, remember).
“And his trousers are ridiculous: tight around the crotch and wide enough at the bottom to mop the main road.�
Cowboy boots are mentioned later. Mahony is handsome, charming, and suspects he may be one of theirs. He is looking for his mother, whom he was told had abandoned him, but later he heard rumours of her murder. He has come to unearth the secrets and to find out who his father is.
Kidd’s writing hits every note. She can take us in an instant from a vicious encounter to one that is tenderly funny. Even her use of the supernatural seems natural in this small Irish village, where most believe in the ability to see ghosts, even if they don’t have it themselves.
“Now the dead are confined to a brief scud across the room at lights-out, or a wobble now and then in his peripheral vision.
. . .
So Mahony pays no notice at all to the dead old woman pushing her face through the wall next to Tadhg’s right elbow. And Tadhg pays no notice either, for, like the rest of us, he is blessed with a blissful lack of vision.�
[Incidentally, Tadhg is a main character, and I wanted to hear his name in my head. It sounds much like a nickname for Tiger: Tige. I recommend this entertaining short clip of Saoirse Ronan teaching Stephen Colbert how to pronounce Irish names. But I digress.]
Whether Mahony wishes the dead to remain in his peripheral vision or not, he can’t avoid them. He has come to town, searching for his story, and they have stories to tell.
“The dead drift down through floorboards and up through flagstones and through windows and walls and locked doors, listening, yearning.
. . .
Miss Fidelma Mulhearne (schoolteacher, spinster, deceased) watches closely from the back of the hall.�
This moves mostly between the two main time periods of 1950, as in the prologue, and 1976, when Mahony arrives from Dublin. Kidd thoughtfully puts the date at the beginning of each chapter (thank you).
The forest is a dark, mystical place where ghosts roam, lovers meet, and a recluse lives in a caravan. A murderer? There are so many secrets that most of the men seem suspicious and the women are suspicious of their men.
The characters, alive and dead, are real and unforgettable. Mahony goes to visit Mrs. Cauley , who knew his mother well. She is a frail, elderly actress, who appears to be at death’s door but can still command attention.
“They almost reach the foot of the staircase when a voice rolls out into the hallway and along the faded carpet. It’s the sort of voice honed to turn corners, vault walls and open door handles.�
Mahony is spellbound by it. As he is talking to her in her bedroom, there is a poignant scene with Mrs. Cauley’s old lover, Johnnie.
“The bed is carved from dark wood and is horribly ornate. At the head of it stands a dead man holding his hat against his chest. The dead man looks up at Mahony with his eyes low-lidded and full. Mahony sees the famished hollow of his cheeks and the sad drape of his moustache. The dead man lifts his eyebrows imperceptibly then his gaze sinks down again to rest on the floor.
. . .
Mahony watches as the dead man attempts to hang his hat on the bedpost. He gives up with a pained expression, puts it back on his head and drifts across the room, pulling his moustache morosely as he goes.�
Mrs. Cauley understands Mahony’s gaze and tells him his mother will make herself known to him � when she’s ready � eventually. Meanwhile, she has a plan to help encourage people to reveal themselves.
I loved this � the story, the people, the whole idea. Even a question I have at the end doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm. Perhaps Kidd will follow up?
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