Patrick McCabe (1) (1955–)

McCabe's strange novel of a small town on Ireland's border starts slowly, but once I caught the rhythm of McCabe's storytelling and cadence of his characters the book twisted and turned and came to life. Though the action takes place in a provincial town, the universality of the themes is inescapable. McCabe writes about the passions of ordinary people, their dreams and lusts and secrets and fears, and about where those passions take them. While these passions are common to us all, each show more individual's are private to herself, and unfathomable even to those closest to her. McCabe uncovers those moments in which everything and everyone around us seems strange and alien, even ourselves. show less

Francie Brady is raised in 1950s and 60s Ireland by an angry alcoholic father and half-mad suicidal mother. His life is sad and disturbing. His behavior is troublesome and leading up to worse. Half the town is scared of him. After he loses his mother, then father, Francie clings to his relationship with his best friend Joe. The loss of that friendship is one blow too many and Francie eventually takes revenge on the person he holds responsible.

The entire story takes place in Francie’s show more unreliable stream of consciousness point of view. His observations are reliable. His interpretations are suspect. It keeps things interesting.

Patrick McCabe’s trademark horror-humor style is perfect for this story. (A musical based on the book is about to run in New York City. I plan on seeing it.) show less

"All the beautiful things in this world are lies. They count for nothing in the end."

Set in a small town in the early 1960's Ireland 'The Butcher Boy' is a hybrid of first-person narrative and stream of consciousness told by Francis 'Francie' Brady, also known as the 'pig boy'.

We first meet Francie hiding out "in hole under a tangle of briars" whilst being hunted by the police "on account of what I done on Mrs Nugent." It is only much later that we learn what his actual crime was.

The only show more child of an alcoholic father and a mother driven mad by despair, as his troubled home life collapses Francie retreats into a fantasy world. Sexually abused whilst at a Catholic reform school, ridiculed by his neighbour Mrs. Nugent, when he is dropped by his best friend Joe Purcell who has outgrown their boyhood mischief in favour of Mrs. Nugent’s son, Philip, Francie finally finds a target for his twisted rage. This novel chronicles 'the pig boy’s' chilling loss of innocence and descent into tragedy and madness.

Written in the regional vernacular it initially takes a bit of getting used to but once I did I found its rhythm strangely compelling that seemed to match Francie's deteriorating mental state really well. My feelings towards Francie were constantly shifting; at times I pitied him, at times I despaired of him and would have liked to have got my own hands upon him. One New York Times critic described the book as “part Huck Finn, part Holden Caulfield, part Hannibal Lecter” and its hard to disagree with that assessment. This novel is certainly dark but there are also touches of humour. I cannot say in truth that I actually enjoyed it but that may have something to do with the subject matter, however I still found it a remarkable piece of writing that is likely to live in the memory. show less

I found The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe a powerful, engrossing and disturbing read. Young Francie Brady never really stood a chance at having a normal life. His father spent all his time in the local, drinking and feeling sorry for himself for how his life had turned out. Francie’s mother, whom he loved very much, had emotional problems and at one point is taken off to the ‘mad-house’. After his parents have a particular nasty fight, Francie runs away. He makes it to Dublin, but show more misses his mother, his friends and his village and so returns. He buys a present for his mother, hoping that will make her happy. Unfortunately, while he was gone his mother had killed herself. His father tells him it was Francie’s fault that she did this and he responds by withdrawing further into his violent fantasy world.

He takes against one particular family; in particular the mother, Mrs. Nugent and her son, Philip, but it’s obvious that he longs to have his mother back and in such a close, caring and safe relationship. As his obsession grows stronger, Francie’s behavior gets worse and worse until he crosses the line from mischief to madness. A spell in reform school under the care of priests only served to make him worse. When he gets back home, he picks up a job at the local butcher’s, which of course, doesn’t help. The author never uses quotation marks so I found I had to read carefully to figure out who was talking, also Francie was so into his strange visions that the reader had to figure out what was really taking place and what was just happening in his head. Even with these difficulties, this is a book that I am glad that I didn’t miss.

The Butcher Boy was a violent, pitiful, sometimes funny and exhausting read. I felt almost traumatized by being placed in Francie’s mind and experiencing the blurring of his reality taking form. You can’t help but feel compassion for this young man even as he shocks and revolts you. The content of Francie’s mind is horrific, but his inner voice can be quite funny. In the end you are left wondering if things would have been different if this boy had only been nurtured on love and hope instead of indifference and despair. This will definitely be a book that I will remember as much for it’s uniqueness as for it’s unrelenting darkness. show less