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Eureka Street

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 1,112 ratings · 114 reviews

"All stories are love stories, " begins Eureka Street. Set in Belfast before and after the latest cease-fire, it takes us into the lives and families of Chuckie Lurgan and Jake Jackson, a Protestant and a Catholic - unlikely pals and staunch allies in a world of Northern Irish troubles, a world where your street address can either save your life or send it up the creek, de...more

Paperback, 396 pages

Published February 22nd 1999 by Ballantine Books (first published 1996)

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Mar 16, 2008 Am rated it 5 of 5 stars

The title couldn't be more precise, as this is truly a depiction of contemporary Belfast that is like no other (as far as I know...). It lacks sentimentality to the point where terrorist bombings are framed by cynical love scenes. A refreshingly, humanly complex treatment of politics on an individual level.

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Feb 03, 2011 Bondama rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having lived in Ireland for over 17 years, I've always made a point of reading virtually any book by either a well known or new writer from this country. Having said this, "Eureka Street" was recommended to me by a Polish friend.. (Thanks, Mac)

This book is about love - it's a love song written to the greyest, wettest, dampest, most depressing city I've ever seen. Robert Wilson McLiam was, of course, "bred and buttered" in Belfast - to use an old Irish expression. This book is set in 1996, just a...more Having lived in Ireland for over 17 years, I've always made a point of reading virtually any book by either a well known or new writer from this country. Having said this, "Eureka Street" was recommended to me by a Polish friend.. (Thanks, Mac)

This book is about love - it's a love song written to the greyest, wettest, dampest, most depressing city I've ever seen. Robert Wilson McLiam was, of course, "bred and buttered" in Belfast - to use an old Irish expression. This book is set in 1996, just at the tail end of the last edition of the "Troubles", as they are called over in this perplexing, totally unique country (Northern Ireland.) The two main characters have both reached the age of thirty, and, as the book begins, are realizing that they've accomplished little to nothing in their lives - the way they go about changing their lives is the secret of this wonderful, incredible book.

Jake Jackson is a lapsed Catholic - He has survived what was apparently a horrific childhood, to be educated beyond his "station," only to find that the only thing he's truly good at is fighting. He tends to fall in love two to three times a day, primarily with lamentable results. Jake is the narrator of this unique, hilarious book.

The outstanding character of "Eureka Street" is Chuckie Lurgan, Jake's best friend. Fat and pale, he grew up in his Methodist home, raised by his mother - his father took off long ago. After his thirtieth birthday, Chuckie makes a list of his accomplishments, and decides to get rich. In the course of the book, not only does he succeed, but he manages to have Max, a lovely American girl, fall in love with him. Chuckie's hilarious - so well drawn, and so well described --- I've met dozens of "Chuckies" in the North of Ireland myself.

I can't think of another book that I've read recently where the author is so deeply in love with the culture and the people of a city. McLiam writes absolutely beautifully - and it's the kind of beauty that sneaks up on the reader. To those of you who have not seen Belfast, it's a miracle of a book, it truly is.

"Eureka Street" is such a wonderful read -- I couldn't think of anyone I know who wouldn't completely enjoy it. McLiam does a particularly good job in separating the various groups because believe me, the people in the North of Ireland suffer from a unique insanity -- and I don't think it will ever change.

The peace is still holding up in the North, and it's a blooming miracle that it is. Almost as much of a miracle as "Eureka Street" itself.(less)

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Jan 06, 2009 Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tightly written, fast-paced, and compelling.

I've read numerous books involving the troubles in Northern Ireland and I am usually left feeling cold and despondent. There is nothing wrong with that as the subject is, well, it conjures up a plethora of emotions. What's different about this book is that the "troubles" rage throughout yet, for the most part, just beneath the surface. This is a human story above all else told by characters who live with the reality of war on a daily basis and the (mo...more

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Aug 21, 2007 Katherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

The author does a very good job of placing the reader right in the middle of 1990s wartorn Belfast. His book is full of memorable characters with Dickensian names who get into hilarious and sometimes tragic predicaments. A money-making scheme involving giant dildos is truly brilliant (why didn't I think of that?!?). I was riveted by (and I reread twice) the chapter describing in excrutiatingly grotesque detail the scene of a tiny sandwich shop filled with patrons that gets blown up by a 100 poun...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Aurora added it

Sono stata a Belfast una sola volta, anzi due, in meno di una settimana. Era il 1997: ho visto solo il porto e la stazione.
L'impressione che ne ho ancora ora è di una città messa lì per caso, che cozza contro l'immagine di Dublino e di altre città irlandesi e nello stesso tempo che ricorda dannatamente Londra e il suo stile vittoriano.
Dovevo leggere questo libro per buttare alle ortiche quella strana e complessa sensazione, che non so neanche raccontare.
E' un libro bello, lungo, ma mai pesante,...more Sono stata a Belfast una sola volta, anzi due, in meno di una settimana. Era il 1997: ho visto solo il porto e la stazione.
L'impressione che ne ho ancora ora è di una città messa lì per caso, che cozza contro l'immagine di Dublino e di altre città irlandesi e nello stesso tempo che ricorda dannatamente Londra e il suo stile vittoriano.
Dovevo leggere questo libro per buttare alle ortiche quella strana e complessa sensazione, che non so neanche raccontare.
E' un libro bello, lungo, ma mai pesante, complesso, articolato, che mischia stili narrativi diversi e un po' ti ingloba e un po' ti fa sentire fuori posto.
Ci sono pagine assolutamente deliranti e passionate (non appassionate, passionate), che ti danno uno schiaffo e ti offrono un biglietto gratis per quella città complicata e fragile.
E tutto il resto della storia forse passa in secondo piano, succhiato dalla storia, dalla vicenda, dal contorno. E così poi ti trovi pieno di domande e di dubbi, con qualche risposta e la voglia dannata di tornare a vedere quel porto, quella stazione, quelle vie. Adesso che sai che c'è di più, molto di più, ci sono cuori, vite, donne e uomini, ragazzini, soldi, birre e gatti vagabondi. e ti sconvolgi perché quella volta non ci avevi neanche fatto caso al fatto che ti fossero sembrate assenti.
Il miglior libro per concludere un anno e iniziarne uno nuovo.

"Che cielo incredibile: una distesa di nuvole metropolitane imbottite di polvere e di smog e un'aria torbida come un tè non filtrato. A mezzogiorno ero uscito a comprarmi le sigarette ed ero rimasto sorpreso da tutta quella gente in movimento, a piedi o in macchina indaffarata o tranquillamente a passeggio.
Sono su di giri. Questa sera questo dolcissimo mondo mi fa venire voglia di stendermi nudo sul letto. Da qualche parte c'è una radio accesa e un uomo che sta leggendo la lettera di una donna che dice di avere il cuore in pezzi, imprigionato in un blocco di ghiaccio. Poi lui mette su una canzone che lei adora e la semplicità e la tenerezza di un simile gesto mi sciolgono il cuore.
Ieri, mi ha semplicemente sorriso, si è scostata una ciocca di capelli dagli occhi e mi ha dato un bacio, nient'altro.
E oggi il mondo è un mondo nuovo, grandioso, fantastico, come una favola che da piccolo nessuno ti ha mai raccontato. E questa sera il cielo è davvero incredibile."

@BC.com: http://auro.bookcrossing.com/journal/...

(less)

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Dec 29, 2012 Smcleish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published on my blog here in October 2001.

We had just moved to London from Northern Ireland when we saw the TV adaptation of this novel; we were entranced by the way in which it seemed to encapsulate so much of the character of the country and the bitter struggle fought over it. Against an atmospheric soundtrack, a moving story full of black humour was very well acted.

Soundtrack and actors are obviously missing, but in all other ways this description holds for the original novel as we...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Rita Monticelli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autori-britannici-e-irlandesi, storie-di-vita

Mi è piaciuto solo a metà

Che Robert McLiam Wilson sappia scrivere bene è indubbio. Riesce a coinvolgerti completamente nella lettura. Purtroppo questo ha l'effetto di trasmetterti sia gli aspetti positivi che quelli negativi di ciò che leggi. L'immedesimazione è tale che, quando ti viene raccontato nei minimi dettagli ciò che accade ai corpi delle vittime di un attentato, la cosa ti disturba parecchio. Allo stesso modo non riesci a non considerare poco credibili certe parti della storia, poiché...more Mi è piaciuto solo a metà

Che Robert McLiam Wilson sappia scrivere bene è indubbio. Riesce a coinvolgerti completamente nella lettura. Purtroppo questo ha l'effetto di trasmetterti sia gli aspetti positivi che quelli negativi di ciò che leggi. L'immedesimazione è tale che, quando ti viene raccontato nei minimi dettagli ciò che accade ai corpi delle vittime di un attentato, la cosa ti disturba parecchio. Allo stesso modo non riesci a non considerare poco credibili certe parti della storia, poiché la sospensione dell'incredulità non riesce sempre a funzionare, quando hai l'impressione di essere lì pure tu.
Tutto ciò non può che influenzare il giudizio finale su di un'opera.
La prima metà mi è piaciuta parecchio, poiché l'ho trovata divertente e leggera, sebbene in uno sfondo tragico, quasi a voler accentuare il fatto che nonostante la "guerra" la vita, con i suoi piccoli e grandi problemi, continua. Ho inoltre trovato divertente la caratterizzazione dei nordirlandesi, che, come afferma l'autore, protestanti o cattolici alla fine sono tutti uguali e non se ne rendono conto.
Poi a metà romanzo c'è stato un vero e proprio trauma. Il dettaglio della violenza mi ha ricordato scene da "The Final Destination 3D", il che non è precisamente un pregio. Mi ha disturbato parecchio e in altri tempi avrei probabilmente messo il libro da parte, poiché la voglia di leggere mi era passata.
Ho però continuato e la storia è in parte tornata ai toni precedenti, aumentando però nel contempo la distanza tra i due personaggi principali: Chuckie che in un incredibile escalation diventa da sfigato a famoso e dall'altra parte Jake che invece segue un percorso più plausibile in tutti i sensi, ma decisamente meno interessante.
I due aspetti stridono notevolmente. Alla fine, poiché leggo per divertirmi, ho apprezzato di più la storia incoraggiante di Chuckie, nonostante la sua totale improbabilità e nonostante il fatto che l'autore l'abbia lasciata furbescamente aperta alla fine, proprio perché aveva superato il limite e andare avanti non avrebbe portato niente di buono.
Quella di Jake è invece una storia segnata già dall'inizio con un finale assolutamente scontato e banale, mascherato da colpo di scena.
Ho apprezzato inoltre la scelta stilistica di usare due punti di vista nella narrazione, sebbene il fatto di separarli fisicamente da un capitolo all'altro, senza specificarlo adeguatamente, disorienta un po', soprattutto all'inizio.
In ogni caso è stata una lettura interessante, soprattutto per chi come me che è stato a Belfast, ma molto dopo la fine dei Troubles e quindi trova difficoltà a confrontare il proprio ricordo con quando raccontato nel libro.
Ci vedrei bene come colonna sonora il brano "Take Back The City" degli Snow Patrol, dedicato appunto a Belfast.(less)

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Mar 03, 2012 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved this book when I started reading it. The first half is incredibly funny (often laugh-out-loud hysterical), with a clear voice that pulls you along effortlessly. It satirizes The Troubles in Northern Ireland brilliantly. But after reaching the half-way point (chapter 11 -- a really moving stand alone story, which by itself is worth reading this book for), it goes downhill immediately. Nothing happens, the jokes become more predictable (i.e. didn't we just read all this?), and everything i...more

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Nov 18, 2008 K rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Somewhere in South Belfast, Robert McLiam Wilson tells the story of a single man in his early thirties dealing with dating and segregation, poetry and war, family and violence, with the ghost of Van Morrison and the smell of cheap beer in the background. This is an ode to Belfast The Great and the music of whatever floats through your mind when the ideological fight is not what you want for your life. Poetry Street has never been closer to his lyricism.

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Nov 06, 2012 Thais rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Io adoro i libri che parlano di Irlanda e di amicizia, ma qui proprio non ci siamo, mi dispiace. È sicuramente una dichiarazione d'amore per la città di Belfast, e i protagonisti sono anche simpatici, ma non ho proprio capito dove andava a parare la (lunghissima, o così mi è parso) storia... Mi è sembrata quasi un mero pretesto per parlare della turbolenta vita politica dell'Irlanda del Nord. In più c'è il mistero di questa nuova scritta sui muri della città, che forse appartiene a un nuovo grup...more

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Mar 25, 2009 Tahleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: irish-literature

I did really like this book, one of my favorites from my Irish lit class. It had a lot of humor and there were times when I laughed out loud (I love his cat...), plus he was great at description and (I thought) creating characters you liked in spite of yourself. But there are times when I felt like the author was trying waaaaaay too hard. Like, I just wanted to be like *PUKE*. Notably the last sentence of the book, which is a shame... but oh well.

Another thing I really liked was the way the auth...more

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Dec 30, 2008 Clara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: infinite-rereadables, influences, recommended

One of my all time favourites. Gut-wrenching, laugh-out-loud, crazy, true, wonderful book.

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Nov 14, 2009 Danielle Arostegui rated it 5 of 5 stars

Eureka Street is a lot of things. It is a story about growing up. Uncharacteristic in that it's main characters are aged 30 instead of 18, it is nonetheless the story of two boys learning how to live with themselves and finding out what really matters in life. It is a story about identity in a setting in which the labels by which we identify ourselves-- Catholic, Protestant, English, Irish, liberal, conservative-- can also condemn us to death. But even more than being a story about two men growi...more Eureka Street is a lot of things. It is a story about growing up. Uncharacteristic in that it's main characters are aged 30 instead of 18, it is nonetheless the story of two boys learning how to live with themselves and finding out what really matters in life. It is a story about identity in a setting in which the labels by which we identify ourselves-- Catholic, Protestant, English, Irish, liberal, conservative-- can also condemn us to death. But even more than being a story about two men growing up, it is the story of an entire city--Belfast-- learning to grow up and deal with itself as a single entity, and not as a score of factitious parts that refuse to be reconciled. In Eureka Street, the city of Belfast mirrors the human being that has to learn to come to terms with all of its various parts (one is reminded of Harry Haller's internal struggle in Hesse's Steppenwolf: A Novel). It is also a city that must learn to take itself less seriously, a theme which is constantly echoed throughout the book (OTG, anyone?). More than that though, Eureka Street is a story about acceptance and forgiveness: accepting our foibles and flaws, the individualities and idiosyncrasies that make us human, and forgiving them, forgiving ourselves and then forgiving everyone else for being human too. Ultimately, it's a story about love.

Wilson does for Belfast in Eureka Street what China Mieville did for the fictional New Crobuzon in Perdido Street Station: he brings it to life, makes it a tangible entity that the reader can almost reach out and touch. Of course we have all already heard of Belfast, we know it is a real place-- we've seen it on TV and in documentaries. We've seen the horror, the wreckage, the shattered lives and shattered bodies of a city torn by violence and religous-political unrest. We've seen the streets made famous over night for the simple fact of their no longer existing. But that isn't Belfast. It's a piece of it, yes, but not all of it, not close. Wilson's prose doesn't pull any punches: he shows us the very worst of Belfast. But he also shows us the best. Juxtaposed with the devastation, we are shown the beauty. Inserted into the static frames of horror that we have grown accustomed to associate with Belfast, are the details that bring it into focus as a moving picture, as a city in its own right-- complete with love, heartache, tenderness, disappointment, remorse, all the little human dramas that comprise our lives' narrative-- and not just an amalgamation of ruined buildings and ruined lives. We see why people continued to live in Belfast despite the constant danger to their lives; we see why people continue to live at all.

Jake Jackson and Chuckie Lurgan are both looking for something: that proverbial purpose in life, something to fill the emptiness. Both nearing their 30's, both regretting the time wasted drowned in alcohol, both unsatisfied with their lots but unsure of how to go about fixing their respective dilemmas. They know what they're looking for. Jake is looking for love. Chuckie is looking for money. Eureka Street is the story of their quests for these respective holy grails, all set against the backdrop of Belfast in the days right before the IRA ceasefire. The theme of disatisfaction is mirrored in almost all of the minor characters-- we get the sense that Belfast is a city full of people looking for something. A city in which some of these seekers have turned to terrorism and violence to fill the void. Unlike the protagonists of many of the stories set during this time period in Ireland, neither of our main characters have been personally affected by the Troubles. Instead, Eureka Street is the story of life going on, of people continuing to try and eke out a normal existence in an extraordinary time. It's touching, poignant, and importantly, it feels true. I'm not at all doing justice to this story line or its characters; but believe me you will find yourself loving them both and laughing at loud at some of the antics they get up to.

I feel compelled to note that Wilson's writing is, at times, a bit harsh toward Americans. He propounds a number of popular stereotypes about American ignorance of foreign affairs and the level of violence that was prevalent in American cities at the time. In one scene set in New York protagonist Chuckie Lurgan is mugged twice in under five minutes. In another he satirizes the suppossedly hard-nosed American businessmen who were so ignorant of Irish and English history that they are pathetically easily bamboozled by Lurgan's inept assumption of different Irish personae into giving him their money for investment in his hare-brained, yet surprisingly lucrative schemes. It paints an altogether not very kind picture of capitalism. At first I was taken aback, and confused by the irony with which an author who has such obvious contempt for the way in which Americans misunderstand the Irish, and particularly the Northern Irish freedom fighter, could be so woefully unfair to the average New Yorker-- another character whose public image is filtered almost entirely through the media. However the more I read, the more I realized that Wilson's critiques, though unfailingly harsh, were not untrue. Exaggerated? Maybe. Stereotypical? Perhaps. But not fundamentally misinterpreted. It was hard to read and not want to jump to my country's defense, but if I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit that he is pretty much dead on in some instances, and that is really sad. I guess it really takes an outsider to see us for what we really are. Is Wilson's story cruel to Americans? Yes. But is it unfair? Maybe not.

In a line that I think sums up to me what a good deal of this book is about, the protagonist Jake says: "We're talking about split beer, we're talking about the end of the world." In this novel, Wilson is talking about everything and nothing. The little things that make us tick and the huge truths that govern life. And he is also talking about the tiny things, the arbitrary and perceived differences that are blown up into the biggest deals, the fights, the wars, the unrelenting prejudices based on insubstantial foundations-- congruous and pointless as spilled beer. It's a line that is symbolic of the ambitious scope of the novel, and also its desire to put things back in their place, to recognize everything for what it truly is, and to tell the honest, unedited, unabashed truth. Is it perfect? No. But that's life. It's the realest book I've read in a long time. It's the best book I've read in a long time.(less)

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Oct 17, 2007 Summer rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Men who like reading

A laugh outloud story of men in Ireland. One I need to read again.

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Jun 07, 2007 Patricia rated it 2 of 5 stars

About Belfast in the 1990s. Beautiful descriptions, some good characters.

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Oct 25, 2012 Joyce rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book nearly masterful at times. Its Dublin setting at the height of the IRS /Protestant conflicts gave me a sense of this whole concept of living in a city of terror, a condition we as Americans are only beginning to experience, thankfully. It is a sort of proloteriat novel, which I admit is my weakness. Sort of takes me to Cloudstreet (Australian) though not quite so good. I'll want to read it again. Touches of Joyce, I think, and blue-collar motherhood treated sympathetically and...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Touloulou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

J'ai acheté ce livre parce que je voulais avoir un roman irlandais et que j'ai demandé conseil à un libraire qui a répondu à la question "pourquoi ce livre ?" "parce qu'il va changer votre vie".
C'est un roman qui fait découvrir Belfast, et l'Irlande que personnellement je n'ai pas connue, celle des unionistes et des séparatistes, l'Irlande où chaque jour des gens pouvaient mourir à cause des attentats.
On suit plusieurs personnages attachants par leur imperfection, leur humanité, leur capacité à...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. I loved Jake Jackson and Chuckie Lurgan more than I've loved any other fictional characters in a while. I loved RMW's beautiful and sharp and inventive prose. I loved the story itself and the beautiful and conflicting insight into Belfast and the insider's take on sectarianism.

There is one chapter that contains much more violence (a bombing) than the rest of the novel and because of that, I was actually breathless and out of sorts for a while after I read it- not entirely bec...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Jerica Mercado rated it 5 of 5 stars

Eureka Street is not a perfect novel, nor is it a book for the faint of heart. Wilson’s prose is rough at times and the characters are often crude. The novel is much like its hero, Jake; on the surface it appears rough and gritty, but underneath that hard exterior there is tenderness, love. Both character and novel are diamonds in the rough, so to speak. Wilson is not a Dickens or a Hawthorne or a Hemmingway, but in Eureka Street he has crafted a novel that is wickedly satirical and painfully be...more

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Sep 04, 2008 Pierce rated it 4 of 5 stars

(This novel is just called "Eureka Street" in this country. That tagline is ridiculous.)

There's is a different kind of humour comes out of Northern Ireland. It's as dark as dark. You can't imagine a general populace with as black a sense of humour as the nordies. It's something to do with their history, I'm sure.

This book was rather excellent for the first three quarters. I mean, there's a lot of the author in it, and why not? You can see him get angry occasionally. He drops his funny characters...more

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Aug 07, 2009 Lorenzo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-readings, aaa-my-library, northern-irish

When I was 17 I was going to accept a summer-work offer from a farmer in Londonderry.

I'm not sure to remember properly what I was supposed to pick up in Northern Ireland. Might have been cucumbers. Unfortunately at that time my knowledge of the English language was pretty low, so I thought I would have picked up watermelons (known as "cocomeri" in Italy).
And I was wondering a lot about that task. Perhaps Northern Irish watermelons were smaller than the ones growing up under the warm Mediterran...more When I was 17 I was going to accept a summer-work offer from a farmer in Londonderry.

I'm not sure to remember properly what I was supposed to pick up in Northern Ireland. Might have been cucumbers. Unfortunately at that time my knowledge of the English language was pretty low, so I thought I would have picked up watermelons (known as "cocomeri" in Italy).
And I was wondering a lot about that task. Perhaps Northern Irish watermelons were smaller than the ones growing up under the warm Mediterranean soil.

I contacted the farmer via mail and he sent me a paper letter, explaining me how much he would have paid me, for how long I would have to work each day and so on. He didn't tell me anything about his religion, but I was sure that, deciding to hire a worker from Italy, he was Catholic. Being a rare example of non-baptized secularist Italian (before knowing the way to say it in English) I think I would have been a delusion for my jobsgiver.

Eventually I decided to don't go to Londonderry. But before of that decision I read all the informations I was able to find about the Sinn Féin party, Ira, The Troubles in Belfast ant the contrasts in Derry. Maybe part of my decision to don't work in Northern Ireland was influenced by what I read and watched on tv. I was a fearful boy.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, after those few weeks in 2000 I totally lost my interest for Northern Ireland. Belfast never attracted me that much and I never considered the city as a realistic option for a vacation.

Thanks to Robert McLiam Wilson (and to Jenny for suggesting his works to me) I'm considering the opportunity of giving Belfast a first chance.

This book is a blinding gem. I can't wonder why Roddy Doyle managed to put so much attention on Dublin with "The Commitments", "The Van" and "The Snapper" while "Eureka Street" didn't do the same for Belfast. In fact I found McLiam Wilson's way of writing so far better than Doyle's one. There are countless hilarious moments of humour in this book and a halo of disillusion and romanticism that makes it irresistible.

Plus, there is an unforgettable, deeply touching and yet extremely raw chapter that is very hard to forget. You will understand what I am writing about. I can confess how my cheeks got wet while reading those pages. And I understood how much McLiam Wilson loves his hometown.

Anyways.
The second part of "Eureka Street" title tells the truth.
This is really "A Novel of Ireland Like No Other".
I wished it was neverending. (less)

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Oct 06, 2007 Caroline Mosley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is set in Ireland, more specifically in Belfast. This book is very unique because it is written in many different perspectives. It is written in 1st person when Jake is talking - a Catholic man with a very pathetic and quite monotone life. It is also written in 3rd person limited because for a lot of the book the author is refering to everyone in the 3rd person however focusing more on Chuckie Lurgan. Chuckie Lurgan is a protestant who is good friends with Jake. Chuckie finds odd ways...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. The characters go about life against the backdrop of embattled Belfast, because that's what happens, life goes on, even though the terrorists are planting bombs and trying to disrupt life. I loved how characters agonize over looking too Catholic or Protestant, depending on who's looking at them. I think many people can substitute the city and Catholic or Protestant with an identifier of their choice and identify with the characters in the book.

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Oct 21, 2011 Roberta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

Struggente
Ambientato in una Belfast dilaniata dalle bombe, Eureka Street ci parla dell'amore, di quell'amore che è il fine ultimo e la sola ragione delle nostre vite. Ce ne parla attraverso Jake, cattolico sfortunato abbandonato dalla propria ragazza e incapace di dare una regolata alla propria vita, e Chuckie, grassoccio e "filosofico" protestante che si innamora di un'americana e grazie a questo riesce a dare una svolta alla propria esistenza. Un romanzo romantico, triste, crudo, a tratti spen...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Matti Karjalainen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aikuiset, gbr-kans, pohjois-irlanti, 1970-1999, troubles, ihmissuhteet

Robert McLiam Wilsonin romaanissa "Eureka Street, Belfast" (Otava, 1998) seurataan Chuckien, Jaken ja muiden kolmekymppisten aikuisten elämää 1990-luvun Belfastissa. Tapahtumat sijoittuvat Pohjois-Irlannin aselepoa edeltäville ja sitä seuranneille kuukausille.

Wilson kirjoittaa kauniisti ihmisistä ja pommien sekä keskinäisen vihanpidon repimästä kaupungista. Erityismaininnan ansaitsee kirjan hieno avauslause "Kaikki tarinat ovat rakkaustarinoita".

Voisin suositella Jonathan Coen "Konnien klubin"...more

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Nov 02, 2008 Judith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a book which narrates a brief period in the lives of 2 Irishmen living in Belfast during the height of "the troubles". I like the writing voice better than the actual construction of the plot which is thin at best. The actual dialogue is truly Irish, not a caricature of Irish, as most books of this type are. Not only that, it is distinctly Northern-Irish humor and dialogue. There are so many conversations and bits that are so funny and really sharply witty. The characters are completely...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Robbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book started out a bit slow for me, but really picked up steam mid-way through. I loved when the story shifted away from the daily existence of the characters to a greater description of the events and how they shaped the daily existence.

Roche was probably my favorite character, well, not just Roche, but Jake's response to Roche.

All in all, it was a very good book.

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Apr 17, 2009 Walter rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has my favorite opening line ever:

"All stories are love stories."

Romantic, and wise, and true; as you can apply it to life and the stories people tell. And you learn what they love, it's in those lines. Sometimes this is rewarding. Sometimes boring. Sometimes you should run. Sometimes it's love. Sometimes. But rare. Sometimes they can't.

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Feb 07, 2009 Dominique rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a pity. The writing in this book is amazing... So many wonderful sentences. So many fun words. The premise is good. The characters mostly well-developed. It has a masculine voice that distances while it attracts... so nice. But it needed an editor and it needed tightening. Otherwise, I bet this book would have gone much, much farther. Regardless, it was a pleasure to read... just frustrating because it could have been even more pleasurable.

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Aug 07, 2011 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars

While it falls just short of the brilliance achieved by Ripley Bogle, his first novel, Eureka Street may well be the best novel every written about 'the troubles' in Ireland. A big, warm-hearted book with characters on both side of the struggle that we come to love, even as we come to grips with their contradictions and the conflict in their souls.

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About Robert McLiam Wilson

Robert McLiam Wilson was born in Belfast on 24 February 1966 and studied English at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He is the author of the novels Ripley Bogle (1989), winner of the Hughes Prize,a Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Irish Book Award and the Betty Trask Prize; Manfred's Pain (1992); and Eureka Street (1996), winner of the Belfast Arts Award for Literature. He is also the auth...more

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“All stories are love stories.” — 5 people liked it

“The human route to sympathy or empathy is a clumsy one but it's all we've got. To understand the consequences of our actions we must exercise our imaginations.” — 1 person liked it

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