Himself: A Novel

”Mulderrig is a place like no other. Here the colors are a little bit brighter and the sky is a little bit wider. Here the trees are as old as the mountains and a clear river runs into the sea. People are born to live and stay and die here. They don’t want to go. Why would they when all the roads that lead to Mulderrig are downhill so that leaving is uphill all the way?” Mahoney returns to Mulderrig, although he has no memory of being there, it was in Mulderrig he was born. Raised in a Dublin orphanage, he never knew his mother, has no memory of her or of family, or even of this place. ”She couldn’t have known it but it was then that her baby stopped crying. The void her son had fallen into without the cradle of her gaze was immeasurable. He lay as mute as a little mushroom.” He’s an adult now, old enough to search for her, for the reasons why she abandoned him. Who, and where he comes from. At first Mahoney’s presence goes mostly unnoticed by the mortal members of town, but Mahoney is aware of those beyond the realm who hover around him, teasing him with their presence. Their eyes tell so much, and nothing at all at the same time. ”For the dead are drawn to those with shattered souls”. He is aware of the others, can see them, but he can’t see her. His mother. Orla Sweeney. He has a photograph of her, where she’s holding him as an infant, given to him as he was leaving the Orphanage. Sister Veronica had left him an envelope, his real name, and the town of his birth: Mulderrig. He knows from the note that he was taken from his mother, by unknown townspeople, because his mother was “the curse of the town.” ”His dark eyes are her eyes, the shape of his face, hers. The way he stands with his weight shifted back on his heels and his nose in the air, hers.” And so, Mahoney arrives in Mulderrig in search of himself. Jess Kidd shares her story in writing that is lovely, inspired, ingenious, and quintessentially Irish in the colloquial expressions. The mysterious mystical setting revealed with enough cleverness and wit to keep the heebie-jeebies at bay. Her characters are complex, including the intimidating local priest to Mrs. Cauley, a rather unconventional, wealthy, former theatre actress who is not afraid of much, and who takes Mahoney a bit under her wing. The hairs at the back of my neck stood up often, but perhaps most often at the splendor of her prose. Still there is an element that many would consider supernatural. Creepy, even. ”It is a truth universally acknowledged that when the dead are trying to remember something, the living are trying harder to forget it. Magical, moving, magnificent debut novel from Jess Kidd. I loved ”Himself”, a uniquely beautiful blend of genres, a tale of love and loss, grief, and of secrets kept too long. Secrets that might rise from the grave under the right conditions and circumstances. With a little help.

The literary style and tone of Jesse Kidd is beautiful. I was immediately in awe of the awe inspiring writing style of this novel. The plot is intelligent and intriguing as well. I loved the supernatural elements, though I was completely unprepared for them. Mahony is a bright character who I enjoyed following throughout this tale. It beautifully dove back and forth between past and present to increase the mystery and further the reader’s ability to solve the mystery. Mahony’s romantic entanglements fell short for me and were ultimately a disappointment. They weren’t at the forefront of the plot, but they were underdeveloped and disappointing. Mrs. Cauley was beautifully crazy and I fell in love with her eccentric personality immediately. All of the characters were wonderfully written and brought the story to higher levels of realism and entertainment. This is a great mystery and it’s a wonderful read.

Rarely do I find a novel where almost all the characters, not just the main ones, deserve to star in their own stories. This is just such a book. It’s so entertaining; I didn’t want it to end. Mahoney, a young man who was left in an orphanage as a baby, is in search of his family. It is 1976, and he finds a link to his unknown mother and the town of Mulderrig, Ireland, where she lived. He goes to investigate. Mahoney has an unusual gift. He sees the spirits of people who have died. They talk to him, annoy him, plead with him, and distract him as he goes about his business. In Mulderrig, he meets the colorful inhabitants. There’s Father Quinn, whose visits to his congregants are almost always unwelcome. (He’s not the kindest of priests.) Mrs. Cauley, who is my favorite, is an elderly, bed-and-wheelchair-ridden force of nature. She adorns her balding head with outrageous wigs depending on her mood. Mrs. Cauley becomes Mahoney’s ally. Shauna is Mrs. Cauley’s landlord/caretaker, and she has eyes for Mahoney. Bridget is Father Quinn’s housekeeper, who wears a daily uniform of overalls and fedora. These are just a few of the living townspeople. Then there are the ghosts. Ida is the spirit of a little girl who follows Mahoney around when he is on his neighborhood strolls and gives him clues. Johnny is always found near Mrs. Cauley. He was a former beau and is jealous of any male giving Mrs. Cauley attention, even Father Quinn. There’s the poor collie that, even in death, refuses to leave his master’s side. (This brought me to tears.) All the townspeople seem to like Mahoney, at first. He is, after all, gifted with good looks and smooth charm. His presence, however, stirs up old secrets that some had thought long forgotten. For one thing, he is the spitting image of his mother, whom he learns was unwelcome in Mulderrig. She was considered wild and a troublemaker. Mahoney begins to suspect that there is more to his mother’s disappearance than he’s being told. And who exactly was his father? Combining mystery and whimsy, Jess Kidd has written a thoroughly engaging novel that will help you to put present troubles out of your mind for a little while. This is not a work with a serious message, but one well worth your time, especially if you like George Saunders’s and Hilary Mantel’s novels featuring sarcastic and quarrelsome ghosts.

This is hard to review. It’s a strange book/story. Fanciful, mysterious, a bit of a ghost story (which is not my usual cup of tea). But the characters were so interesting & the story line kept you reading until the end. I would rate this as 3.5 stars. One word of warning — there is a short scene of terrible animal cruelty. I skipped over it but wish I had started my ‘skip’ a page or two sooner!

This story was a compelling mystery for two reasons. First, I like how the author used the combination of intriguing village characters and deceased spirits to assist the main character in his journey. I don’t often read stories with a mystical component by J Kidd kept me engaged with this book. Secondly, I appreciate a character who wants to know where he or she came from and even though this character started his life in an orphanage, he was able to find meaningful relationships when connected with his past. I’ve only read one other book by J Kidd, (The Night Ship) but this was by far a favorite.

This book is what I might call realistic mystery fantasy. It is set in a small town in Ireland that is full of ghosts and secrets. All is relatively quiet until Mahoney comes to town. He reveals that he is an orphan from that town and has returned to find out what happened to his unwed mother. He rents a room from a local celebrity of sorts , Mrs. Causey. She is an older woman ready to stir things up as she decides to help Mahoney. She also recognizes Mahoney’s special gift- he can see and communicate with all the ghosts hanging around. His presence also awakens some earthly magic. This book is basically a “whodunit” with a dose of fantasy. There are murder attempts, murders, a corrupt priest, a hidden island, several ghosts, mysterious springs of water, protective books, and a love story. I found it a challenge to stay with the story until about halfway when the lot started moving along. Once it did, it grabbed me. I thought the ending was a little hard to follow, but it did wrap things up mostly well.

Mahoney arrives in a town that holds no welcome for him. He is looking for who he is and finds out quickly that it’s who his mother was that is behind his frosty reception. Soon aligned with the eccentric former actress and at odds with the local priest, Mahoney embarks on the search for what happened to his mother and who his father might be, a search the town does not endorse for fear that their part in the story will be brought to light. Oh, and did I mention that Mahoney sees the dead and has a plucky long dead little girl who taunts him at one turn and who is his guardian angel at the next. Well written and engaging, I will read this book again. That is the highest praise I can give in a world where we have endless access to good books.

'Himself' doesn't ease you into Mahony's story, his history or his cause. From the start you are suctioned into a whirling dervish of Irishness, mystery, murder, magic realism and fantasy. You know right away this is not going to be an easy ride. The writing flows with originality and spark. Every page sees something twisting and turning the story along Mahony's quest to find his mother, or at least what happened to her. Jess Kidd carves a clever, witty, dark tale with elements of foreboding and also reminders of sections of Irish history no-one could be proud of. What a journey! The village characters are impeccably drawn, complete with foibles, flaws and frailty. Actions of malice, vengeance, hatred and murderous intent live intertwined with innocence, love, desire, loyalty and sometimes sheer madness. 'Himself' is a spirited adventure to kidnap the mind. I won't forget this story in a hurry and I look forward to Jess's next novel. Oh, and I need to mention this is a debut novel - incredible!

It is is hard to believe that Himself if a debut, it is beautifully written and highly accomplished. Jess Kidd's talent is obvious from the very first page. The book flits between 1950 when a young girl is brutally murdered in the Irish village of Mulderrig leaving her baby behind and 1976 when that baby in the form of orphan Mahoney, returns to the village in search of the truth. It is not going to be easy though, superstition surrounds his mother's disappearance and the villagers do not want to talk, especially those who know too much. However, Mahoney is determined and with the help of a few inhabitants, dead and alive he slowly uncovers clues as to his mother's fate. Mahoney can see dead people and Mulderrig is full of them, ghosts if you like, although Mahoney sees them differently: That just like any other dead person, his mind, if you can call it a mind, has ceased to exist. For the dead don't change or grow. They're just echoes of the stories of their own lives sung back in the wrong order: arsewards. They're the pattern on closed eyelids after you turn away from a bright object. They're twice exposed film. They're not really here, so cause and effect means nothing to them. I loved the supernatural element of the book and the way in which Jess Kidd plays with it; sometimes it provides tragedy and other times much humour. Himself is beautifully written. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Jess Kidd uses language. She elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary and it is a joy to read: Words are capable of flying. They dart through the windows, over fences, between bar stools and across courtyards. They travel rapidly from mouth to ear, from ear to mouth. And as they go, they pick up speed and weight and substance and gravity. Until they land with a scud, take seed and grow as fast as the unruliest of beanstalks. I find her writing has a real rhythm that leaves me wanting more at the end of each chapter. There are so many fantastic characters within the book but the one that stood out for me was Mrs Cauley. She takes Mahoney under her wing and sets out to help him find the truth. Sitting in her bed, surrounded by piles of books and papers, she is a cross between Miss Havisham and an overly theatrical Miss Marple. She is kind, caring and clever with some excellent one-liners: As much as I revel in your visits lets make this snappy, I've a Dubonet and a bed bath on the agenda this afternoon. I cannot find fault in this hugely entertaining tale. Despite being set in the 70's, it has a distinctly gothic feel, full of mystery and the supernatural. I cannot wait to read another book by this author, I can highly recommend Jess Kidd's excellent work.

A fabulous read! Imaginative and sweet. And the book itself is beautiful.

An enthralling story that doesn't take itself too seriously, full of interesting characters . Kidd's command of language is brilliant.

Sehr gewöhnungsbedürftige Sprache. Nicht mein Stil, obwohl ich sonst literarische Romane mag.

Kann den Enthusiasmus der anderen Rezensenten nicht nachvollziehen. Flache Charaktere, deren Beweggründe kaum erläutert werden, machen das Lesen mühsam. Langatmige Beschreibungen von Vorzeichen, die wohl die Atmosphäre für die nächsten Bluttaten - es wird tatsächlich die Milch sauer- vorbereiten sollen, langweilen. Die Greueltaten sind abstoßend detailgenau beschrieben. Die Handlung kommt nur vorwärts durch den Einsatz von volatil handelnden Geistern - so spart man sich vielleicht einen schlüssigen Aufbau der Geschichte? Ein Abschluss ist aus meiner Sicht auch nicht gelungen, zwar hat eine Art Rache stattgefunden, aber zwei Personen orakeln in der letzten Szene, dass ja eines der Rätsel noch nicht gelöst sei, was klingt, als sei eine Fortsetzung möglich. Bloß nicht!!!!!