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Where Are We Now?
When he unexpectly loses his job, Herbie struggles to find a purpose. His wife, the great love of his life, has long left him for a Southerner, and his daughter has fled Belfast for London in search of work and an easier life.
But a local cafe under new ownership, a friend in need and an unexpected spark of romance give Herbie something to wake up for.
From the author of Gull and Backstop Land, Where Are We Now? is a novel about lost love, growing older and the realities of life in a society still haunted by decades of violence. By turns moving and funny, topical and sharp, it is a life-affirming story of a life not yet over.
But a local cafe under new ownership, a friend in need and an unexpected spark of romance give Herbie something to wake up for.
From the author of Gull and Backstop Land, Where Are We Now? is a novel about lost love, growing older and the realities of life in a society still haunted by decades of violence. By turns moving and funny, topical and sharp, it is a life-affirming story of a life not yet over.
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Published March 5, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 9, 2020
Glenn Patterson is one of Northern Ireland's national treasures. His novels over the past thirty years have documented the social history of Belfast, both contemporary and historic, with a great deal of love. Where other writers have focused mainly on the Troubles and the Catholic part of the community, Patterson writes from a Protestant perspective and his novels have kept the Troubles firmly in the background. Serendipitously, his writing has coincided with the Peace Process, allowing him to reflect great social change across his works.
Where We Are Now is about middle age. Herbie is somewhere in mid-life - perhaps in his 50s - living somewhere in East Belfast. He has been laid off from his work as a payroll manager; as his company downsized, so too did the payroll Department. His ex-wife Tanya lives down south with her new partner Martin. He fills his time walking to the Public Records Office in the Titanic Quarter and offering research services to the visitors looking to recreate their family histories. His speciality is the records of public applotments. In between researches he drinks coffee in Sam's cafe and shops in Lidl.
Herbie is lonely. He drifts into other people's conversations, lives on the edge of other people's lives. He used to ave more going on in his life; he remembers former times living in Mount Oriel when he and Tanya socialised a bit, did things. They had an identity. But now, in reduced circumstances, a visit from his daughter Beth forces Herbie to see his life now for what it is.
This is, of course, a metaphor for where Belfast sits now. Trading on a recent history of being edgy, dangerous, Belfast now welcomes cruise ships, ferries its visitors around in tour buses to take selfies in front of murals. The paramilitaries no longer go on military manoeuvres but still stand over local businesses demanding protection money and free pizzas. They are hard men turning to flab. They still blight the lives of the communities they bleed, but they no longer impress anyone.
And as the Troubles fade, Northern Ireland tries to hark back to an even earlier history - the artificial creation that is the Titanic Quarter. Modern buildings set on the derelict land left when the Harland and Wolff shipyard closed, named for its most famous ship. A ship which, of course, sank on its maiden voyage. Meanwhile, in the city centre there is real history that is being renovated to the point of extinction.
Where We Are Now does have the signs of new beginnings. Sam and Derek - a same sex couple - seem to be accepted into the community. There are migrants coming to Belfast - although whether Brexit will let them stay remains to be seen. As the sub-post offices close they make way for new enterprises. The black taxis are making way for Uber. Even Herbie might find a way to reinvent himself.
There is plenty of observational stuff - the small talk of the middle classes; the sparsely attended local football game (I presume Glentoran); the airport and its connections to the disappointing public transport network; the topography of East Belfast (although I could never quite work out where Herbie lived - perhaps Ballyhackamore); the migration of businesses to the petrol station. The characters also feel real, even though most of them wander in and out of the pages without ever setting the story alight. They are bit part players in the bigger story of a city that is having a mid-life crisis.
So this isn't particularly a plot led story; it isn't exciting or shocking. It is more a chapter in Glenn Patterson's life work that suggests a turning point. Let's see where it goes next.
Where We Are Now is about middle age. Herbie is somewhere in mid-life - perhaps in his 50s - living somewhere in East Belfast. He has been laid off from his work as a payroll manager; as his company downsized, so too did the payroll Department. His ex-wife Tanya lives down south with her new partner Martin. He fills his time walking to the Public Records Office in the Titanic Quarter and offering research services to the visitors looking to recreate their family histories. His speciality is the records of public applotments. In between researches he drinks coffee in Sam's cafe and shops in Lidl.
Herbie is lonely. He drifts into other people's conversations, lives on the edge of other people's lives. He used to ave more going on in his life; he remembers former times living in Mount Oriel when he and Tanya socialised a bit, did things. They had an identity. But now, in reduced circumstances, a visit from his daughter Beth forces Herbie to see his life now for what it is.
This is, of course, a metaphor for where Belfast sits now. Trading on a recent history of being edgy, dangerous, Belfast now welcomes cruise ships, ferries its visitors around in tour buses to take selfies in front of murals. The paramilitaries no longer go on military manoeuvres but still stand over local businesses demanding protection money and free pizzas. They are hard men turning to flab. They still blight the lives of the communities they bleed, but they no longer impress anyone.
And as the Troubles fade, Northern Ireland tries to hark back to an even earlier history - the artificial creation that is the Titanic Quarter. Modern buildings set on the derelict land left when the Harland and Wolff shipyard closed, named for its most famous ship. A ship which, of course, sank on its maiden voyage. Meanwhile, in the city centre there is real history that is being renovated to the point of extinction.
Where We Are Now does have the signs of new beginnings. Sam and Derek - a same sex couple - seem to be accepted into the community. There are migrants coming to Belfast - although whether Brexit will let them stay remains to be seen. As the sub-post offices close they make way for new enterprises. The black taxis are making way for Uber. Even Herbie might find a way to reinvent himself.
There is plenty of observational stuff - the small talk of the middle classes; the sparsely attended local football game (I presume Glentoran); the airport and its connections to the disappointing public transport network; the topography of East Belfast (although I could never quite work out where Herbie lived - perhaps Ballyhackamore); the migration of businesses to the petrol station. The characters also feel real, even though most of them wander in and out of the pages without ever setting the story alight. They are bit part players in the bigger story of a city that is having a mid-life crisis.
So this isn't particularly a plot led story; it isn't exciting or shocking. It is more a chapter in Glenn Patterson's life work that suggests a turning point. Let's see where it goes next.
March 22, 2023
A very different book, didn’t love it, didn’t hate it
August 25, 2023
i don’t get it
June 28, 2020
A lovely moment spent in Belfast with Glenn Patterson.
November 11, 2020
Glenn Patterson is an inveterate chronicler of Belfast, past and present. There are many hilarious moments in this novel, and many "inside" jokes that will engage those who know this city well.
Herbie has lost his wife to another man and divorce. Then he loses his job to persistent downsizing that reduces an office of dozens to two and then none. He has few friends, but those who've known him for most of his life stick by him.
My favorite parts of the novel were those that ridiculed and sometimes became furious at the new waves of tourism. Many of the "offenders" were American, and those episodes are the funniest. Since 2016, the last time I spent time in Belfast in the summer. If there were cruise ships off loading hundreds (maybe thousands) of foreign tourists at a time, I was lucky to miss them. I am not a fan of this form of travel. Not because of the latest fiascos with COVID-19, but because I have learned both first hand, and from reports, that they bring little income to the places they descend on, and create problems for the locals. I could go on, but I won't. There are three big attractions for tourists in Northern Ireland and Belfast : 1) the Titantic Museum, 2) Game of Thrones, and 3) Troubles Tourism. As a person who spent time in Northern Ireland, specifically Belfast, over five visits, I am very uncomfortable with this last diversion. There is one rant in the novel about Americans who pose in front of murals commemorating those years as if they were at Disney World.
A book not to be missed by fans of Patterson, and readers who love Belfast.
Herbie has lost his wife to another man and divorce. Then he loses his job to persistent downsizing that reduces an office of dozens to two and then none. He has few friends, but those who've known him for most of his life stick by him.
My favorite parts of the novel were those that ridiculed and sometimes became furious at the new waves of tourism. Many of the "offenders" were American, and those episodes are the funniest. Since 2016, the last time I spent time in Belfast in the summer. If there were cruise ships off loading hundreds (maybe thousands) of foreign tourists at a time, I was lucky to miss them. I am not a fan of this form of travel. Not because of the latest fiascos with COVID-19, but because I have learned both first hand, and from reports, that they bring little income to the places they descend on, and create problems for the locals. I could go on, but I won't. There are three big attractions for tourists in Northern Ireland and Belfast : 1) the Titantic Museum, 2) Game of Thrones, and 3) Troubles Tourism. As a person who spent time in Northern Ireland, specifically Belfast, over five visits, I am very uncomfortable with this last diversion. There is one rant in the novel about Americans who pose in front of murals commemorating those years as if they were at Disney World.
A book not to be missed by fans of Patterson, and readers who love Belfast.
December 30, 2023
This is a delightful and pleasing read about how life changes, and how it doesn't, told through the daily goings on of Herbie a 50 something divorcee who has lost his job and is finding a new quieter way in life and is learning to accept how much those little things matter. This is all set against the backdrop of a Belfast that is also trying to reinvent itself and heal from its own pain and its own past, while some would rather those wounds stayed open so they can continue to lord over their communities and get free pizza. But times do change and the acceptance of Sam and Derek into the community shows this in spades and, as Herbie discovers, those little things can make big changes, if you just let them.
July 16, 2021
Simply awful, with no discernible plot and clichéd, over-the-top "characters." Self-satisfied ramblings with no direction, I am stunned that this managed to get published. I've read more plot driven and character filled shopping lists than this shambles. Only one person in my book club managed to wade through the detritus to the end, and she didn't like it any better for that. Just awful, -3 stars.
August 14, 2022
Interesting slice of Northern Irish life and how Belfast has changed through the years, told from the perspective of Herbie, an unremarkable man living a quiet life in East Belfast. I enjoyed the witty explorations of life in that part of Belfast and the resilience of the people. Herbie as the main character just about carries the book, especially as he delicately takes care of his daughter, however, my hope for a point or some movement in the end was sadly thwarted.
December 8, 2023
I felt a little disappointed in this book, from reading he back of it to reading the story itself, I felt like it was two different books while at the same time, I found the story a bit of a mixture around, the text jumping around from one moment to the next without it being all that clear. The plot wasn't really the clearest to me either, so sadly, I won't be keeping this one on my shelves.
March 5, 2023
What a brilliant book! Everyday life of a not-so-old man in Belfast written with humor and kindness, so that you feel you live on a street next to him. Yet it's not all sugar, it's Northern Ireland after all.
January 23, 2024
DNF, what a mess
I usually don't give one star reviews unless there's something extremely problematic about the content, but this was just self-serving , smugly written tat and I couldn't bear it any longer
I usually don't give one star reviews unless there's something extremely problematic about the content, but this was just self-serving , smugly written tat and I couldn't bear it any longer
Read
March 27, 2020I don't do reviews
April 6, 2021
Amusing in places. Sometimes difficult to remember where and when the narrative is taking place
December 10, 2021
This would make a good "slice of life" indie film.
February 28, 2022
I found it difficult to follow but that's just me its still a lovely book
Read
August 20, 2022did not finish. got exceedingly bored. Hoping to pick it up again when I’m in the mood for a more contemplative read
February 24, 2024
Did not finish. Could not make heads or tails of the story. A little book that led to nowhere
August 6, 2022
I'm a "blow in," living in Northern Ireland, although not Belfast, for 6 years now. Yet I could barely make sense of the extremely local references -- geographical, historical, and linguistical -- that permeate the book. To be honest, my Northern Irish spouse (again, not from Belfast) found it hard going too. The story was imaginative and I felt empathy for the main character, Herbie, as he tries to pull his life together. Other writers have managed to evoke a city without the need for intimate knowledge of it, which left me wondering whether Patterson wrote this book solely for Belfast natives.
August 1, 2025
Clever, kind, wise, thoughtful, funny, beautifully styled story of a contemporary man with a fractured life in a contemporary, fractured city. There is a scene in a BYOB night at a local café which stopped the planet for a couple of minutes as I read and reread it. Marvellous book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews