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22nd out of 34 books
—
22 voters
An Evening of Long Goodbyes
by
Paul Murray
Vastly entertaining and outright hilarious, Paul Murray’s debut heralds the arrival of a major new Irish talent. His protagonist is endearing and wildly witty–part P. G. Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster, with a cantankerous dash of A Confederacy of Dunces’ Ignatius J. Reilly thrown in. With its rollicking plot and colorful characters, An Evening of Long Goodbyes is a delightful...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
September 13th 2005
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2003)
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Part of my haul from Waterstone's in Dunfermline.
Slurp snort chortle pwaaaah! This is just so much fun! And sad! And zippy to read! But rich and complex at the same time! And I think I’ve used enough exclamation marks now!
Emphatically enjoyable. Admittedly, if I were to meet the hapless and hopeless narrator Charles Hythloday (how would you pronounce that?) then I would want to shake him. Hard. (The reaction of a mother.) He is outlandishly snobbish, self-centred, lazy, spends his time drinking...more
Slurp snort chortle pwaaaah! This is just so much fun! And sad! And zippy to read! But rich and complex at the same time! And I think I’ve used enough exclamation marks now!
Emphatically enjoyable. Admittedly, if I were to meet the hapless and hopeless narrator Charles Hythloday (how would you pronounce that?) then I would want to shake him. Hard. (The reaction of a mother.) He is outlandishly snobbish, self-centred, lazy, spends his time drinking...more
This book sucked me down into an abyss, and I’ve barely just now escaped. It’s certainly set my Goodreads challenge back weeks. I kept going and going; five pages before bed, sometimes three. A streak of 20 while dividing my attention between it and Grey's Anatomy. Talk about inertia in a plot!! Plot? Where?
After the brilliance of Skippy Dies, I was expecting so much more - or at least, given this was Murray's first novel, some parallels. Some of the complexity; the careful and clever layering o...more
After the brilliance of Skippy Dies, I was expecting so much more - or at least, given this was Murray's first novel, some parallels. Some of the complexity; the careful and clever layering o...more
10 likes
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The Shortest Ian Graye Review in the Cosmos
Bog Irish Lad Lit takes a turn for the better.
But Wait There’s More!
Yeats meets “Ulysses” meets “The Cherry Orchard”.
Yeats
Paul Murray quotes Yeats liberally throughout.
I don’t know Yeats well enough to comment on the significance of his poetry to the themes of this novel.
That would require research rather than "sprezzatura". (1)
"Ulysses"
There is a subtle affinity with James Joyce’s “Ulysses”.
Just watch me make my case.
There are 18 Episodes in “Ulysses”...more
Bog Irish Lad Lit takes a turn for the better.
But Wait There’s More!
Yeats meets “Ulysses” meets “The Cherry Orchard”.
Yeats
Paul Murray quotes Yeats liberally throughout.
I don’t know Yeats well enough to comment on the significance of his poetry to the themes of this novel.
That would require research rather than "sprezzatura". (1)
"Ulysses"
There is a subtle affinity with James Joyce’s “Ulysses”.
Just watch me make my case.
There are 18 Episodes in “Ulysses”...more
17 likes
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This book is hilarious. Its only problem is it took me twice as long to read as it might have...because I had to read each paragraph 2 times, once to myself, once to a friend.
What's fascinating is that about 1/2 way through it, the book starts to deconstruct itself. It starts out hilarious, fun, brilliant, with an incredible love of language. . . and then, what do you know? It becomes realistic.
Fabulous.
It was one of the three-four books that made me realize that if I read fiction, I prefer un...more
What's fascinating is that about 1/2 way through it, the book starts to deconstruct itself. It starts out hilarious, fun, brilliant, with an incredible love of language. . . and then, what do you know? It becomes realistic.
Fabulous.
It was one of the three-four books that made me realize that if I read fiction, I prefer un...more
Charles Hythloday is a pampered, sheltered, idle, heir to a fortune. He thinks he is incredibly insightful and capable, but lacks a complete understanding of almost anything. As you start the book, you think Charles has a keen wit, and deep insight, about everything except himself. As the book progresses, you begin to like him more, but discover he is also completely clueless about everything and everyone around him. Throughout it, Charles maintains an impeccable sense of self-worth.
The story st...more
The story st...more
I got this book at a library sale, and have to admit, I'm glad I didn't have to spend much money on it. While in places it's quite hilarious, the writing is uneven and sometimes hard to follow. Charles Hythloday would like to live in a style that allows him plenty of artistic license and little responsibility (who wouldn't?) and he actually has an estate in Ireland that allows him to do so - or it did before cold reality set in. His half-hearted efforts to set things right are pretty funny, a bi...more
Astonishingly good - perhaps even better than its much-praised successor, Skippy Dies. Charles Hythloday is the cheerfully oblivious heir to a declining mansion outside Dublin; a modern Bertie Wooster, except not quite so oblivious as to be unaware of the barbarians at the gates. Except that Bertie and co. never had that distressing meeting with the bank. And so Charles, for all that he is perfectly aware "People don't get jobs to achieve things and learn values! They do it because they have to,...more
An absolute mess of a plot--especially near the end--and generous helpings of melodrama do not outweigh the fact that Murray's picaresque novel is wildly funny at the sentence level and in several whole sections as well. Some of the best parts are those in which the layabout wastrel Charles is ejected from his stately home and, in an exceedingly improbable move, takes refuge in a hovel with his sister's loutish ex-boyfriend. Naturally the lout turns out to have a heart of gold etc., but luckily...more
Irish writer Murray makes a brilliant debut with Long Goodbyes, which was a finalist for the prestigious Whitbread First Novel Award after its publication in the U.K. in 2003. Often compared to P.G. Wodehouse, Noel Coward, John Kennedy Toole, and Flann O'Brien (an Irish satirist), with a touch of Chekhov thrown in, Murray has penned a solipsistic soliloquy that deftly mixes farce and melodrama with social commentary. Most critics had few complaints, though a few noted some blips in the plotting.
...more
Murray is a fantastic writer, and this first novel of his is an incredible accomplishment--made me laugh, cry, all that.
The thing is...I read it after I read his second novel, "Skippy Dies," which is just about one of the best novels I've ever read (made me both laugh and cry harder). So I think reading "An Evening of Long Goodbyes" made me both more charitable toward Murray but also a little disappointed that his first novel isn't as good as his second. No real surprise there, though.
This nov...more
The thing is...I read it after I read his second novel, "Skippy Dies," which is just about one of the best novels I've ever read (made me both laugh and cry harder). So I think reading "An Evening of Long Goodbyes" made me both more charitable toward Murray but also a little disappointed that his first novel isn't as good as his second. No real surprise there, though.
This nov...more
I've finally learned to put a book down when I don't like it, but I have not yet learned to immediately cull it from my shelves. As a result, I'm hit with pangs of guilt whenever I walk by. Until this past weekend, this one was still politely clearing its throat at me any time I said, "Hmm, what should I read next?" It's finally out of my house and on its way to seduce and disappoint the next reader.
There's promise here, there really is, but the rest of it was so hard to enjoy that had to give...more
There's promise here, there really is, but the rest of it was so hard to enjoy that had to give...more
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What a great book. The endpaper likened it to A Confederacy of Dunces, but this is the FAR BETTER book. The style and construction are similar, as is the main character's rather loose connection to what the world at large calls "reality". Though far from being actually idiotic, Charles is much more of Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster. There is no Jeeves to constantly put Charles right, so he makes his own mistakes and learns important lessons in life. At times you can get lost in the nonsense, but tha...more
This book was very funny and poignant at the same time. I found the beginning in particular very amusing, although toward the end the book took a more serious turn. After the first sequence of events concluded, I wondered where the book could go from there, and was pleasantly surprised that it kept me engaged. I thought the descriptive writing was excellent -- very good at evoking particular images without becoming boring or overinflated. Also, I liked the way the ending tied together and summar...more
Short listed for the Whitbread prize for 1st novel and Mann booker. What was the point? To me it was a meaningless tale of a social inept young man who could have easily been the model for Tim nice but dim character. I did not get anything from this book it could have been a more interesting exploration of the failure of relationship within a onetime rice but always slightly dodgy family, with perhaps a dead father who was exploiting young girls and who provide a disaster role model for his dim...more
If you cannot bring yourself to let loose on Pual Murray's Skippy Dies and despite my adoring the novel I can understand why a book about adolescent boys might not being alluring, then read Murray's matchless novel An Evening of Long Good-byes instead. It is wonderful. You'll laugh, you'll cry--- from laughing more--- and you'll wish it doesn't end. Charles Hythloday's sad realization that he must work when all he wants is to be a retired country gentlemen is a comic joy. Really. This is being t...more
Dec 05, 2012
Stephanie
added it
An eccentric book which mixes genres in an amusing, if sometimes awkward way. The silly main character, reminiscent of Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster, spends most of his time drinking gimlets and watching old movies, until the family fortune turns out to be illusory and he has to get a job. Lots of farce and broad humor resulting from his bumbling attempts to navigate the "real" world. But there are serious moments as well, often concerning his sister. "An Evening of Long Goodbyes" is the name of a...more
Charles Hythloday, twenty-ish boy (no, not yet a man) resides at Amaurot, his family's estate, with his sister Bel, an aspiring actress, and their Bosnian housekeeper. Charles brings new meaning to indolence, wiling away his days in a drunken fog, and watching Gene Tierney movies into the night. Charles feels his mission, to revive the contemplative life of the country gentleman, is a serious one. The first quarter of the book is quite fun with Charles at his best. Though he is dyssynchronous wi...more
An Evening of Long Goodbyes is Paul Murray's debut novel, preceding the funny and dark Skippy Dies. I first read Skippy Dies earlier this year and liked it very much. Murray has the talent to combine the silly with the dark in ways I've not read before.
An Evening of Long Goodbyes is the story of Charles Hythloday who wants to perfect the art is sperzatura, the old art of doing nothing in style. The family home, a crumbling house set on a cliff outside of Dublin seems to be the perfect background...more
An Evening of Long Goodbyes is the story of Charles Hythloday who wants to perfect the art is sperzatura, the old art of doing nothing in style. The family home, a crumbling house set on a cliff outside of Dublin seems to be the perfect background...more
Murray's sophomore novel, Skippy Dies was on my top ten list for 2011. I was delighted to discover his first novel, An Evening of Long Goodbyes, after finishing Skippy Dies . Reaction to the first one is mixed here on GoodReads and I do agree that it's picaresque structure often meandered a wee bit too much to sustain deep interest. Nevertheless, I think this was brilliantly done and is a perfect indicator of the talent that Murray displayed with his second effort. I suspect that the mixed react...more
It's springtime and I over-optimistically fell for the first gushy low-cut blurbs that came my way. How my head spun while admiring the abundant heaving decollette which guaranteed an "original, rich, satisfying... and supremely well-written..." ahhh, you don't want to know the rest.
"An Evening of Long Goodbyes: A Novel" is supremely well-written, I'll give it that much. Paul Murray has crafted a supremely well-written but mammothly over-long script for a sit-com pilot starring that snobby guy...more
"An Evening of Long Goodbyes: A Novel" is supremely well-written, I'll give it that much. Paul Murray has crafted a supremely well-written but mammothly over-long script for a sit-com pilot starring that snobby guy...more
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Paul Murray's Skippy Dies was my arbitrarily chosen favorite novel of '10 (GAH do not make me make this decision!), and I am so very, very pleased to report that his first novel is every bit as good. Reviewers (including me) have thrown around comparisons to Wodehouse, but--and I say this while shamefacedly hanging my head for never having read Wodehouse, just totally watched all the Fry and Laurie Jeeves and Woosters--I think Evening also partakes greedily of the spirit of Evelyn Waugh, at his...more
Jan 31, 2011
Charlotte (Buried in Books)
rated it
2 of 5 stars
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review of another edition
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Tee-hee. As funny as they claim. Charles Hythlodale, a useless Bertie Wooster-ish Irish wastrel, lounges around the house drinking, sneering at the outside world, extolling elegance, and watching Gene Tierney movies. There are Bosnians in his house (he thinks; they're from somewhere over there, anyway), and he has never held a job; indeed, he drops out of Trinity and later meets a friend who complains that "rudimentary knowledge of theology" is no longer grounds for an entirely undeserved living...more
An Evening of Long Goodbyes, Paul Murray's first novel (before the Booker-prize nominated Skippy Dies) is an odd sort of hybrid - it starts off as a modern-day Irish version of a P.G. Wodehouse farce (the narrator, Charles Hythloday, is trying to live a life of stylish leisure, though economic circumstances constrain him to go out and actually find a job) and it ends on a tragic note, with interim detours into melodrama, social realism and allegory (I'm thinking of a scene of mayhem on the dogtr...more
An overlong, rambling but sometimes quite funny novel. The novel's protagonist, Charles Hythloday, is an alien in the modern world, holed up in his childhood home, viewing the world askance. There's great comic writing in capturing his views and tone. But the plot is a mess, especially when he leaves that home: it all becomes a bit wearisome. Allegorical allusions abound - and they're too much! Cut 200 pages and it would be great.
Didn't know how to rate this - loved the writing, found bits absolutely hilarious, but got irritated finally by the clueless hero and gave up halfway. I have personal issues with heroes who are that out of it - the reason why I was irritated with A Confederacy of Dunces as well.
But I would still look at anything Paul Murray offers us. Loved Skippy Dies.
Another short broken arm review.
There is no doubt that this suffers in comparison to Skippy Dies, a book that is on my list of all-time favorites. The only things the two books have in common is that they are overlong and a little repetitive. But with Skippy, there is maybe too much of a good thing. Here, there's just too much.
I mostly enjoyed An Evening, though. It's cute and clever. My real criticism lies with the melancholy ending, which I don't think the novel earns.
I'm still a Paul Murray fan, though.
I mostly enjoyed An Evening, though. It's cute and clever. My real criticism lies with the melancholy ending, which I don't think the novel earns.
I'm still a Paul Murray fan, though.
I enjoyed this book, and Murray is certainly a good writer of humour. But it is not a patch on Skippy Dies, in my opinion. The story is no doubt original but I felt lacked in structure a little and I felt that the personality of the protagonist was not clearly expressed (maybe that is the point, but it left me slightly frustrated). An enjoyable read though, with some genuine LOL moments.
This book starts off very subtly funny and sets itself up for a "fish out of water" type plot, but quickly veers off into the "reflective, or at least trying to be" category. Charles was an incredibly unreliable narrator, and not a very investigative one as well! Many storylines were opened up, but never seen again. There was still so much I wanted to learn about Bel, the family, etc. However, the book is still enjoyable and has many memorable characters.
I read his more recent novel, Skippy Dies, several months ago and loved it, so I sought out An Evening of Long Goodbyes, his first book. It was funny and quirky, but in a different vein than Skippy Dies and I had a little trouble getting into it. The main character is a throwback to another time and completely clueless, but that is his appeal.
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Paul Murray is an Irish novelist. He studied English literature at Trinity College, Dublin and has written two novels: An Evening of Long Goodbyes (shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize in 2003, and nominated for the Kerry Irish Fiction Award) and Skippy Dies (longlisted for the 2010 Booker Prize and the 2010 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Award for comic fiction).
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“You're talking like a Stalinist!' I cried. 'People don't get jobs to achieve things and learn values! They do it because they have to, and then they use whatever's left over to buy themselves things that make them feel less bad about having jobs! Can't you see, it's just a terrible vicious circle!”
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7 people liked it
“Liam was too Scottish-'
'Oh but so Scottish, Bel! Come on, the bagpipes? The interminable quotations from Braveheart? Anyone who's proud of coming from Scotland obviously has issues-”
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5 people liked it
More quotes…
'Oh but so Scottish, Bel! Come on, the bagpipes? The interminable quotations from Braveheart? Anyone who's proud of coming from Scotland obviously has issues-”
Sep 11, 2012 10:05am
Sep 11, 2012 10:35am