Barry McCrea

This book is mesmerising, intoxicating and haunting. I felt drawn into the disturbing world of bibliomancy much like the young protagonist of the book, Niall. Perhaps unsurprisingly there are dangerous shadows of spirituality in what they undertake and I found that very unsettling. The reader is drawn deeper and deeper into their world just as they are drawn deeper.

I do not fully understand this book and although it has the pace of a thriller there is no comforting resolution, despite what show more some of the other reviewers have said here. This adds to the unsettling nature of this book. I feel as if I should be able to understand what it all means and that somehow I've missed the code to unlock the secret. It makes me want to read it again and I want others to read it so that we can talk about it! show less

A wonderful, weird novel that I found absolutely riveting. Niall Lenihan, newly arrived at Trinity College, Dublin, gets involved with a group of students who open books at random and let their eyes fall on a line on the page. They treat these lines as a kind of Ouija board, and follow their cryptic "instructions" all over Dublin, and into all kinds of acts. Whether Niall's increasing obsession with the game is a descent into madness or is being driven by other forces, is show more not...exactly...decided for the reader. JMO, but I could not put it down. show less

Niall Lenihan is entering his first year at Trinity Dublin, as one of two Beckett Scholars. He's somewhat young for his age - bookish and inexperienced; not yet out of the closet to anyone and still nursing an unrequited crush on Patrick, a popular, athletic, and decidedly straight, school chum. As Niall is settling into his rooms at university, a mysterious young man calls him by name from the courtyard below his window and serenades him with the first verse of a traditional song, "Oranges show more and Lemons, say the bells of Saint Clements." The stranger introduces himself as Pablo Virgomare and then promptly runs off. Thus begins Barry McCrea's brilliant and mysterious novel, THE FIRST VERSE. Throughout the first chapter, Niall (and the reader) will notice a series small of incidents - coincidences - that seem to echo, or reflect, the first words of the rhyme. Most significant of these occurs when he briefly meets an eccentric older student, Sarah, who asks him to choose a passage at random from a book she is carrying and, to his shock, it is the very same line Pablo Virgomare recited to him but an hour earlier.

Soon Niall finds himself pursuing Sarah and her cohort John, in order to gain entree into a mysterious cult they belong to where the members base all their actions and/or decisions on randomly chosen passages from randomly chosen books. This allows them to live seemingly as if guided by the fates, without having to make any conscience choices of their own, without having to take responsibility for their actions. This lifestyle is very seductive to a timid young man who largely does what is expected of him and shies away from making bold, decisive moves (such as declaring his love for Patrick or coming out). At first they reject him but, by using their own methods against them, Niall chases them down and forces his way into their exclusive circle. Their nightly meetings are like supernatural seances that last until dawn, fueled by the ritual, repetitive chanting of book passages and the drinking of large quantities of Southern Comfort. As Niall's life begins to spin out of control, the book becomes a story of addiction and attempted recovery. Soon he is unable to make the simplest decision or, as with drugs or alcohol, to even feel normal without first consulting the books.

THE FIRST VERSE can definitely be classified as literary fiction of the highest order, yet it's never difficult, dry or cumbersome to read. On the contrary, the writing is incredibly brisk and tight. The reader gets the impression that every passage, every word has been carefully chosen to fit into a larger, yet-to-be-revealed picture. Every quote, character name or book title mentioned offhandedly is not without a larger significance. Yet beneath the artistry of the writing and the relevance of its themes, this is, first and foremost, a compulsively readable story. It's very much a mystery, a bit of a thriller and even includes a compelling little love story. Above all, it struck me as an intricately wrought puzzle, and not until the last piece was in place did it all make sense. Anyone who can relate to the idea of being seduced by the written word will love this book and the believable, flesh-and-blood protagonist at its heart will have the reader rooting for him until the very last page.

I firmly believe that, if Niall was straight, this book would have been a major bestseller. Personally, I recommend it to any lover of literature - straight or gay. show less

Fascinating book about a young gay college student who gets swept up in a sort of book cult. They use rituals and random passages from books to guide their every move and in the search for deeper truths. Strange and sad.