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. This reading group guide for Himself includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. How did the violence in the prologue affect your reading of the rest of the book? Is there a shift in tone between the prologue and the following chapters, and, if so, what might the purpose be? Mahony took out his cigarette and squinted at the priest. “Sit yourself down, have a drink with me, Father.” 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.

Jess Kidd - Book Series In Order Jess Kidd - Book Series In Order

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. A suspenseful, professional-grade north country procedural whose heroine, a deft mix of compassion and attitude, would be welcome to return and tie up the gaping loose end Box leaves. The unrelenting cold makes this the perfect beach read. 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.” In her exceptional debut novel, Kidd explores the dark corners of the human mind in small-town 1970s Ireland...A murder mystery on the surface, the story digs past the traditional who-dunit structure to paint a rich portrait of village life..The plot hurtles along in a rapid pace, leading inexorably to the heart-pounding final conflict. Kidd injects ample doses of macabre humor and lyrical description in this memorable story from a strange, bold new voice.” Poisoned scones, letter bombs, a hero who sees dead people and a 1970s Irish village desperate to maintain its pious facade: the ingredients for mystery and drama are all present early in Jess Kidd's debut novel. Citing as its inspirations Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood and JM Synge's The Playboy of the Western World, Himself sets itself up as a tale of violence and death in an insular, close-knit community where any of the inhabitants could be a suspect.Tadhg is propping up the saloon door of Kerrigan’s Bar having changed a difficult barrel and threatened a cellar rat with his deadly tongue. He is setting his red face up to catch a drop of sun while scratching his arse with serious intent. He has been thinking of the Widow Farelly, of her new-built bungalow, the prodigious whiteness of her net curtains and the pigeon plumpness of her chest. Eerie, engrossing … The author skilfully sifts through the secrets harboured in homes and haunting the heart … The tension between concealing and revealing utterly grips”

Himself by Jess Kidd | Waterstones

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. A spectacular new addition to the grand Irish storytelling tradition by an author with “an imagination to die for” ( The Guardian), Himself “will bring tears to your sorry eyes and joy to your hardened heart” ( Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available! 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. Jess Kidd 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.Kidd hasn’t quite found a method of knitting all these different things together in a satisfying way, but the novel fizzes with potential. Set in 1863 London, this lurid but languid gothic mystery from Kidd (Mr. Flood’s Last Resort) finds eccentric female detective Bridie Devine investigating the disappearance of six-year-old Continue reading » The dead old woman opens a pair of briny eyes as round as vinegar eggs and looks at Mahony, and Mahony looks away, smiling full into Tadhg’s big face. “So are there any digs about the town, pal?”

Himself | Book by Jess Kidd | Official Publisher Page | Simon

Kidd's brilliantly bold debut mixes up murder and mayhem with the eerily supernatural. It's a tender, violent and funny story told in prose that is lyrical, lush and hugely imaginative. Utterly unputdownable." - Sunday Express Magazine (UK) And his trousers are ridiculous: tight around the crotch and wide enough at the bottom to mop the main road.”

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.