Power & Perdition, by Eamonn Lenihan
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Power & Perdition, by Eamonn Lenihan
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The meek shall inherit the earth. But when, exactly? Certainly not in this novel set in an Ireland of the near future. John Power is an amiable, intelligent young man; but one grievously lacking in direction. Evidently well-read, he knows little about life. Power has, however, already grasped that commuting to work to make money to pay for things he doesn't want or need is no way to live. Though he strongly believes in the right of the individual to be an individual, the burden of choice weighs heavily upon him. Does John Power's feckless drifting mirror the irrelevant meanderings of a small country that's stranded on the Western most tip of Europe? Could his ambivalent loyalty be compared to those types who can't wait to leave Ireland but - as soon as they do - long to return? That, dear reader, is for you to decide...
Power & Perdition, by Eamonn Lenihan - Amazon Sales Rank: #3222185 in eBooks
- Published on: 2015-05-18
- Released on: 2015-05-18
- Format: Kindle eBook
Power & Perdition, by Eamonn Lenihan About the Author Eamonn Lenihan is an award-winning short-story writer and novelist who frequently presents radio programmes for the Irish state broadcaster. He was born in London, not long after his father had stopped playing right-back for the Chelsea F.C. reserves. Eamonn spent 7 of his pre-pubescent years in Montreal, Canada. He's lived - mostly - in Co Clare since 1978. A self-taught musician, Eamonn studied studio production and movie composition at the Berklee College of Music, in Boston. Eamonn's fiction and non-fiction was first published in the 1990s, at a time when he was represented by a literary agency in London. Eamonn has worked in a variety of day-jobs - among them, off-stage duties with a community theatre company; in 2002, he began an association with RTÉ which continues to this day: currently, Eamonn presents "The Blue Of The Night" every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night on RTÉ lyric fm...
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The road to adulthood...or to perdition?! An Irish writer's brilliant debut novel By Ellis J. Sisley After taking great delight in reading Eamonn Lenihan's excellent short story collection "SIX PACK", I was eagerly awaiting the publication of "POWER & PERDITION". I must say it exceeded my highest expectations: it's not every day that I got the chance of enjoying such an intelligent mix of subtle, low-key humour, captivating dialogue and very serious, thought-provoking themes! In fact, last time I did, I was reading the unforgettable "KRAPP'S LAST TAPE" by Samuel Beckett, a play with which Lenihan's bitter-sweet coming-of-age novel surely has more than one thing in common. "Seriousness stimulates laughter and pain pleasure", noted the famous German playwright and critic Gotthold Lessing - and there's nothing more serious than THE RIGHT OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL! But understanding that freedom involves responsibility, falling in love with the right person and choosing carefully your friends - in one word, becoming an adult - can be difficult indeed, each and everyone of us had to learn this the hard way, and I'm sure we all have good reasons to laugh nostalgically when thinking back at our teenage trials and tribulations!...Lenihan has a deep understanding of the psychology of young people, he depicts realistic, multifaceted (two-faced, in some cases) characters, all seen from the subjective angle of the main one. This young protagonist, very ironically named John Power, is trying to navigate his way through this the most complicated and confusing period in one's life - in fact, "navigate" isn't the right word, he's just floating aimlessly, sadly the Shavian motto "YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG" fits the good-natured, but conflicted and disoriented Power like a glove - and fits, at a closer look, many of Lenihan's humorous characters... Power feels misunderstood by his own parents, what's more, treated in a schizoid manner: the overprotective mother who speaks in wise proverbs seems to think he's still a little boy, while the father constantly and harshly criticizes him. That's how HE sees things. Maybe his parents feel rejected too - although he loves them, and they love him, there's surely a mutual lack of understanding between the two generations. What's certain is that the lack of social skills is one of the weak points of this Sociology (sic!) drop-out. An intelligent introvert, a jazz and classical music lover having to live in the middle of a typical average Irish family, the kind that likes reels, jigs and happy seasonal get-togethers... Not many things in common with them, therefore - his attention is centred, anyway, on higher (but depressing and purely theoretical!) aspects of this life - on concepts such as "disappointment, loss, disillusionment and the ABSURD OF LIFE"! In Beckett's words, "all the light and dark and famine and feasting of the ages"...In fact, Power is just unconsciously running away from reality - and from himself. No wonder that choosing a present for his parents, or the right career for him, in fact, making ANY choice, in general, is sheer torture for this over-analytical mind! What's more, when he finally decides on something, he's still tormented by all kinds of doubts and by a (very Irish) feeling of pointlessness and hopelessness which - again - put me in mind of Krapp. The famous older tragicomic hero painstakingly tries to reconstruct his past by playing over and over again tape recordings of a younger self commenting contemptuously on the vain hopes and foolishness of another - even younger (around Power's age) - self. Power seems to be an ALTER EGO of BECKETT'S young KRAPP, a man who spent all his life caught in the vicious circle of self-deception - self-derision. Undecided and unrealistic in his expectations, going from bragging to a deep feeling of insecurity, Power is in great risk of following in his footsteps!Moving out the house where, like in the best absurd theater plays, all the many clocks "tell what time IT ISN'T" seems like a very good idea, especially when you suddenly fancy yourself as a self-reliant know-it-all red-blooded male (!). His "ally", the clever sister who, although younger than him, is much more resourceful considers doing the same, as soon as possible.The problem is that Power has absolutely no idea what an independent life REALLY means! Although he's a walking encyclopedia of everything one can possibly think of, this bookish erudition isn't of much help when he's faced with practical problems: first of all, choosing a suitable flat-mate for the damp bedsit he can afford. His former colleague, an unemployed, lazy drop-out himself, is undoubtedly the worst option possible! He'll soon regret the idea, this circumstantial friend will be quite a nuisance sometimes. The spectacle of their intellectual swordplay and constant teasing is truly comic (the humour is laced with sadness, this is Irish humour!). The author builds a very complex character here, the erudite Mulligan is a kind of modern-day Casanova seen through a humorous lens, a selfish, narcissistic cynic who has no scruples about deceiving his closest friends or taking advantage of other's weakness. A real "SLEEVEEN", as the Irish say...It is a mystery how this devious character who never worked a day in his life and plays hide-and-seek with the Employment Services manages to go so frequently on foreign trips and live pretty comfortably - but always milks his much too patient flat-mate for money when it comes to paying his share of the expenses! Certainly not his so-called art is funding his extravagances, Mulligan is only a ridiculous, boastful dilettante. And much worse than that, a very interesting case of hypocritical moralist, under his sophistication and amusing self-assurance lie some ugly truths, to say the least. Although coming from a family affected by unemployment, and often penniless, Power remains an honest person, he would never resort to his shady means. The way they test each other's general knowledge in daily competitions (what a hilarious parody of the popular tv quiz games!) says very much about the true nature of their "friendship"!Another interesting character, the laid-back singleton Paddy from Cork is also - eternally -"between jobs". This phlegmatic mechanic who spends his time trying in vain to repair a wreck of a car is an anachronic presence in the post-electric car era the novel is set in. Good-humoured and reassuring, he has an avuncular attitude towards our young hero, who surely reminds him of his own youth. Cured of the "AMBITION", as he describes it, of being a conscientious (read "exploited") worker, he seems happy with his current spartan lifestyle - the best possible for him, because it was him who chose it! The freedom to be yourself and live life the way you want to matters more than all the money in the world, after all, and Power couldn't agree more... Even though he's a minor character, Paddy's laconic voice is an important one in the narrative, he acts as a very unexpected role model for the disoriented, friendless protagonist.Life certainly throws up surprises and plays a confusing game with his wishes (assuming he has the slightest idea about what he wants!). Although he applies for a job only for the sake of appearances, hoping he will..."SUCCESSFULLY UNIMPRESS", in an ironic - but very characteristic - twist of fate, the former Sociology student finds himself... working (temporarily, thank God!) in... a factory!... Issuing kits for machines, making friends among welders and electricians and attending union meetings are, of course, a far cry from in-depth analysing the complicated problems of the Irish society. But this is a first - and very necessary - contact with the reality. Harsh, sometimes truly shocking, rarely comic (ABSURDLY COMIC) - but always better than his abstractions! The plant is in itself a world in miniature, as multicultural as Shannon, the city it's fictionally located in. There are people with very different backgrounds, from Scotsmen to Americans, Northern Irish and Asians, quite a gallery of characters, each and everyone interesting and funny in his own way. Needless to say these workers generally do their best to work as little as possible, but can be surprisingly efficient when under the pressure of a deadline! Power's perceptive eye doesn't fail to notice here all kinds of examples of social injustice, besides the eternal "war of attrition" between the employees and the (evidently!) five-chinned foreign manager. He is especially struck by the miserable life of an educated man who was reduced to sweeping the plant's floors for a living (a serious wake-up call for this immature young man!)."WORK IS DIGNITY". Believe it or not, this is a quote from Mulligan! And, surprisingly (for both him and the reader) - Power is able to adapt to this new environment, he becomes a dependable, responsible employee. But he feels like a slave. Far from being a materialistic person, and by no means one of those shopaholics, Power values more than anything his personal freedom. Unlike his work colleagues, he's capable of understanding the disadvantages of the consumerist society he lives in, and feels, in a way, trapped: what kind of a life is that to spend more and more time working for things you have less and less time to enjoy - your own four walls at least, for example? A very classic paradox rediscovered - the hard way - by our young man...The life of a "hamster caught in the running wheel", toiling every day for useless and unnecessary things is indeed a kind of slavery, it seems his friend Paddy was right..."WE ALL WANT A BETTER WORLD. BUT BETTER FOR WHOM?" Significantly, his essential question about the human condition remains unanswered.And things could go much worse, the extreme gesture of a depressed (with good reason) colleague deeply shocks Power, and makes him realize how tough life can be, and how vital it is to understand someone before it's too late - quite a lesson for a person who finds it complicated even to care for his undemanding pets! Their pretty wretched lives satirically mirror the human's one, its lack of choices and its petty everyday conflicts."BRIGHT, articulate, young man about town and I haven't the SLIGHTEST CLUE what I'm looking for". What an unintentionally accurate self description, full of involuntary irony! The fact that he falls in love with a person like Mary Rose, the factory's receptionist is the best proof he's right about himself! In sharp contrast with him, the very attractive Mary Rose is the living embodiment of hedonism: "limit" is a word unknown to her, men and alcohol are on her regular "menu". Well aware of her beauty, practical and flirtatious, the redhead likes to dominate, which isn't hard when it comes to the unfledged Power (the scene describing his attempt to ask her out for the first time is a real masterpiece of humour!). A somewhat similar couple - or should I say almost couple - is depicted in one of Lenihan's captivating short stories, entitled "FILE UNDER POPULAR".Dazed by her good looks and by what seems to be a kind of genuine interest in him, our shy and clumsy, but perspicacious hero quickly realizes that he's not the only man in her life. They have little common ground, he's much more educated than her, and conversation doesn't quite flow; but the physical attraction is too strong, and the clever temptress (talking of "perdition") certainly knows a thing or two about manipulation! What's more, she sometimes just doesn't seem to understand how much she hurts Power's feelings, her immorality verges on amorality. To further increase Power's confusion, she admits she's impressed by his gentlemanly behaviour, and proves him - in her own way - that she cares about him. But at the same time she sees his thoughtfulness and delicacy as weaknesses, and doesn't hesitate to treat him with brutal indifference. A truly "DANGEROUS LIAISON" for someone as inexperienced as Power - but also an eye opener! None of Lenihan's characters are unidimensional, and good-time Mary Rose is no exception...The things that made him walk on cloud nine at first aren't that appealing at a closer look, and the disappointed Power will gradually realize how superficial he's been. This is, after all, a relationship between TWO immature people who need to read about love in the magazines in order to know if they're really in love!Like Beckett's Krapp, Lenihan's protagonist floats through life taking what comes his way and wastes precious time. The end of the novel finds him - naturally! - penniless, but certainly (a little) wiser!I wouldn't want to spoil the other readers' pleasure of imagining what will happen next. Power is at a turning point and it's only up to him to decide what he will do with his life. Aware of his "INTERNAL GROWTH", he tries to shake off passivity and pessimism and set a few priorities for the near future. Hard to say if he'll stick to his decisions, if we think about the "flagging pursuit of happiness" of the equally conflicted and solitary young Krapp, whose resolutions and aspirations turned out to be bitter failures and illusions...What's very important indeed is that Power finally seems mature enough to understand he SHOULD stop fighting WITH himself and start fighting FOR himself - in his own way, at his own pace. He definitely learned something from all these negative experiences - and realizes, maybe for the first time, that he shouldn't spend his life waiting for a "POTENTIALLY EXHILARATING FUTURE"; on the contrary, being free means he has a right - and a duty to himself - that of trying to build a PURPOSEFUL life by making responsible choices. Surely this won't be easy at all for him, but HE'LL TRY. The right of an individual to be an individual is no longer just an abstraction for him!"POWER & PERDITION" isn't just - quoting the title of another short story by Lenihan - a "candid photograph" of a young Irishman, this novel could also be seen as an unconventional allegory of the very complicated process of "coming-of-age" of his country, which surely had a long struggle in the past for its right as a nation to be a nation, and is still facing no few social and identitary problems. Lenihan doesn't offer an edulcorated, stereotypical postcard image of the Emerald Island. His perspective on Ireland's near future is a very objective and well-informed one - it reminded me of the satirical writings of FLANN O'BRIEN, the famous novelist and "Irish Times" columnist. They certainly share the same darkly humorous look at reality, the same sharp irony when analysing the national idiosyncrasies and conflicted collective identity of their compatriots.Maybe the young man will leave his island where "it always rains for a finish" - like so many Irishmen before him - and search for a better life elsewhere; maybe he'll feel so alienated and homesick that he'll soon return... As I was saying, this isn't one of those books with a compulsory happy ending, peopled by predictable poor young Irish who make it big abroad (preferably in the U.S.!). Whatever he will decide, my hope is that Power won't take the ROAD TO PERDITION, but the one to ADULTHOOD, and perhaps will be able to say one day, paraphrasing the lyrics of a song from that part of the world, "I RAN THE RACE, AND THE RACE WAS WON/BY RUNNING SLOWLY."I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eamonn Lenihan's "POWER & PERDITION" and highly recommend this novel to all those interested in Irish literature at its best!
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