Rick O'Shea recommends books where magical realism and delightful weirdness reign supreme
Today at 00:30
How often do you find yourself tired of the same old Groundhog Day routine – not in real life, but in books? That feeling hits me all the time. The repetitive patterns, the predictable relationships, the endless cycles of loves and break-ups, pain, suffering and even death. This week, I've found two books that break free from that dull cycle, each exploring lives that are anything but ordinary, though in very different ways.
Emily Habeck's Shark Heart has been on the shelf at home since it was one of Sophie White's choices at my very first Writehawks event last November. Wren and Lewis have just gotten married; they spend their wedding night in a small Texas bed and breakfast planning their actual honeymoon later in the year.
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Irish Independent
27-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Rick O'Shea recommends books where magical realism and delightful weirdness reign supreme
For a touch of whimsical madness on your bookshelf, try Emily Habeck's 'Shark Heart' or Sayaka Murata's 'Vanishing World' Today at 00:30 How often do you find yourself tired of the same old Groundhog Day routine – not in real life, but in books? That feeling hits me all the time. The repetitive patterns, the predictable relationships, the endless cycles of loves and break-ups, pain, suffering and even death. This week, I've found two books that break free from that dull cycle, each exploring lives that are anything but ordinary, though in very different ways. Emily Habeck's Shark Heart has been on the shelf at home since it was one of Sophie White's choices at my very first Writehawks event last November. Wren and Lewis have just gotten married; they spend their wedding night in a small Texas bed and breakfast planning their actual honeymoon later in the year.
Irish Examiner
02-06-2025
- Irish Examiner
Clowning around: Ireland's oldest working clown on life in the Big Top
The country's oldest working clown has revealed how he swapped life in the Big Top for a regular nine to five, but the 'groundhog nature' of the job had him rushing back to his greasepaint. Mikey Gerbola has been clowning around now for more than half a century and is showing no sign of slowing down. The 58-year-old, who performs with Circus Gerbola, said he and his wife Tara tried working regular jobs in the past, but were both miserable. 'I went truck driving while she worked in the cash office in Tesco. We were in good jobs that paid well. 'About a year and a quarter in, she told me she couldn't do it anymore. I was relieved because I felt the exact same way. It was the same thing every day. The whole thing felt like Groundhog Day. "With circus every day is different. Every day is a challenge. It's like moving a business to a different town every day.' Mikey begin performing as a clown from the age of four, but it was as an eight-year-old that he got his big break in the Big Top, performing full-time. In the wings, beneath the high wire, Mikey Gerbola quietly watches the young performers in his troop wow the audience with their high-flying act. Picture: Chani Anderson 'I started clowning when I was eight but I was doing it well before that. I had two uncle-in-laws who were Spanish that I really admired. "You would always see me there waiting outside the ring for the moment that they called me. "I was only four at the time, but they picked me to perform once a week. "They would put a hat on my head and a cigarette in my mouth. "The act involved them knocking the hat off my head with juggling clubs. "You're basically a stooge or a prop until you learn your trade and do dialogue." 'I went full-time from the age of eight. I learned everything in the circus from the trapeze to roller-skating.' Pay and pensions aside, life in the Big Top brings it own rewards, according to Mikey, who calls Navan, Co Meath, home when he is not touring. "I feel like I make a difference. Kids come up to me and give me a hug. You can't pay for memories like that. People who know me my whole life still remember my first act. Mikey begin performing as a clown from the age of four, but it was as an eight-year-old that he got his big break in the Big Top, performing full-time. Picture: Chani Anderson "One lady came up to me and told me she was so touched by my performance it made her cry. I'm never going to be famous or a millionaire but I have touched a lot of people in the last 50 years. Knowing that is what keeps me going. The showman, whose children Blake Dean, Michael Cole, and Isabella are all involved in the business, hopes that circuses will continue to thrive for generations to come. 'My ancestors were the founders of circus. I have posters and pictures dating back to the 1700s. "How long I go on will depend on how long I live. I'll do it for as long as I can. "Circus people don't retire. They just die.' Circus Gerbola is currently touring different locations in Cork
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Author of Convenience Store Woman returns with a nightmare world where sex between married couples is taboo
Vanishing World is another quirky novel by Japanese writer Sayaka Murata, where 'relationships' with anime or manga characters is commonplace and children are raised without their biological family Today at 21:30 Sayaka Murata is the Japanese novelist who made her name here with Convenience Store Woman. The novel follows shop-worker Keiko, who challenges societal norms by showing no interest in having a relationship or moving to a different job. Her character was isolated by society for not wanting to have a husband or start a family. Muraka herself worked in a convenience store, and didn't start writing until she was in her forties. The short novel, her 10th book and first to be translated, was wacky, introspective and, as is Muraka's style, beautifully descriptive.
