Reading Atlantic Canada meets Reading Ireland Month.
Patrick Warner was born and raised in Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland. He moved to Newfoundland in 1980 in search of better weather and economic prosperity. Bitterly disappointed on both counts, he turned to writing, penning four critically acclaimed poetry collections and a novel, double talk. One hit Wonders is his second novel.
When I was done reading One Hit Wonders, I went straight to my library’s website to see if they had double talk, his first novel, and was disappointed that they didn’t. One Hit Wonders was such a unique reading experience that I wanted more.
I knew I was in for a whirlwind read when I read the first paragraph of the book. Then I read it again to make sure I got the whole thing. Then I read it a third time just for fun.
Were she to walk in the room even now and regard me with that quizzical tilt of her head, her grin unwavering as she unwinds her long wool scarf and unfastens the button at her throat, her amber eyes narrowing, my image warming in the dark mirrors of her pupils, in an expression that says I am happy to see you even when I am not happy to see you, because it is myself that I am unhappy with most of the time, but that unhappiness dims the second that I see you, because it is halved or shared, because I am understood, because we are together, because together we are a conspiracy, because what we are is a secret, because we are tethered in our togetherness and whatever fray or tension arises from our separation is instantly repaired when we see one another again, which is why, even now, were she to walk into the room, I would run to her, ignore the belligerent chorus of voices in my head, the opinions of all those who told me and would tell me still that she was and is unworthy, unworthy in death as she was in life.
Warner’s writing is sharp, witty, challenging, and poetic. When I requested this book, I was expecting a fun mystery-type Newfoundland romp. What I got was even better; a genre-bending literary mystery novel that challenged me and made me think. I couldn’t let my mind wander while reading this book, I had to pay attention to every word. I never knew where it was going to go next. And the themes of love and empathy that run through the story are thought-provoking without being overbearing.
The plot? Lila is dead and Freddy, Lila’s “flash-in-the-pan literary husband”, is trying to figure out how it happened. Was it Lila’s newest ‘hobby’, Al, the creepy “washed-up golf pro with a cocaine habit”? Was it one of Al’s “small-time thugs”, Gosse or Snuffy? Was it Freddy, himself, in a rage over Lila’s secrets? Or did Lila do herself in when she realized what a mess she’d gotten herself into?
The way in which Freddy tries to figure this all out is unique, and at times can be a little confusing (but totally worth it). Kerry at Pickle Me This explains it well, so I will just borrow her words:
What makes this book different from the others though is Freddy’s unabashed complicity in its construction; it’s his second novel all along. But not a memoir—this is fiction. He’s creating conversations he never heard, imagining places he never went, and interactions he was never a part of in order to have the whole story make sense. Which makes us wonder if he’s complicit in other ways. Is there a truth to be uncovered at the bottom of all of this? And isn’t that we ask such a thing of fiction kind of an amazing thing?
There is never a dull moment in this book. There may be moments of confusion, and moments of discomfort, but never a moment of boredom. Like Kerry, though, I’m not too sure about the ending. I would love to have someone give me their take on it.
Passages too good not to share:
Lila
Lila was beautiful, ugly, raw, armoured, selfish, kind, spineless, brave, a liar, and ultimately truthful. Like anyone else, she was a complex of contradictory impulses. If she had one great weakness, it was self-loathing. Time and again, I watched her plunder the riches that were hers in abundance, choose the bad news about herself over the good. She could have been the poster child for post-confederation Newfoundland.
Empathy
The trouble is I have trouble with empathy. It seems to sit on the delusional end of the sympathy spectrum, perhaps at the point where sympathy runs out and something darker begins. Empathy is only a confidence trick, a species of legalese, a way of making the afflicted believe you are walking in their shoes. Empathy is the tool that gets you through the door. But who is to say what you will do once inside?
Truth
We have a complex and utterly flawed relationship with the truth, and we are all implicated in the great mess of it. We survive by seeing only those things we want to see and hearing only those things we want to hear.
Intoxicants
Intoxicants lubricate loopholes in morality, keep them from closing over. They fortify the will, fashion it into a battering ram so it can crash through taboos. Afterwards, they act as a salve, inducing sleep, soothing troubled consciences, allowing humiliations to be refashioned as heroics.
Reading (Snuffy, jailed)
It occurs to him that reading a good book is like getting high. The only difference is that the feeling doesn’t wear off. And more than that, books don’t take anything away from you; in fact, the opposite is true, they give you stuff you can use.
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Be sure to check out Chad Pelley’s review of One Hit Wonders at The Overcast.
Cast everything you think you know about a murder-mystery from your head; Warner has rewired the genre adding a vibrant new jolt of electricity and eccentricity to it.
*Thank you to Breakwater Books for providing me with a copy of the book for review!
Consumed by Ink 
I found myself laughing. I read “Passages too good not to share” as “Passages too good to share”. Then I was curious why you were sharing them. So that’s what happens when you live south of the border and you can’t distinguish a trump from joker. I may have to move to Canada. Do you welcome illegal aliens from south of the border up there?
Yes, all are welcome! 🙂
I’ve not heard of this author but the passages you pulled out are just incredible. It sounds like a truly unique novel – I will add it to my TBR mountain!
It really was a unique reading experience. I’m looking forward to reading his first book… when I manage to get my hands on it!
This sounds rather fab. The quotes you’ve chosen are brilliant. On to my wish list it goes!
So many more good quotes where those came from!
Wonderful quotes! I’m just scuttling off to see if I can get it in the UK.
The guy can write!
Let me know if you have any luck!
Thanks for taking part Naomi! This sounds so good and I’ve never heard of this author! The quote about Empathy is fantastic.
It’s a bit of a cheat, because he’s been in Canada since 1980, but I prefer to think of it as a twist! 🙂
No, it’s perfectly valid! You know me and rules… 🙂
🙂
I’ll be ordering this one for sure.
Good! It really is an enjoyable read! And, let me know what you think about that ending… it’s kind of bizarre.
Those Irish authors and their stream of consciousness! It’s a bit crazy how well it works sometimes.
I had so much fun reading and re-reading some of those passages…
Wow…this really IS obscure. Not available in any library to which I have access. Looks as if I’ll have my local bookstore order it for me. As usual, you have added yet again (*sigh*) to that interminably long never-gonna-get-read-in-this-lifetime TBR list! Should unsubscribe to your blog, woman! Nah…I won’t…’cause it’s too darned interesting, all these books you introduce to me which sound amazing!! 🙂 Nice review, as usual!
Yeah, not a lot of people have even heard of it around here, I don’t think. Sometimes, those are the books I love best; they feel like a discovery. I’m doing my bit to get the word out!
So, I would have to order it from the publisher in Newfoundland (http://www.breakwaterbooks.com/books/one-hit-wonders/) and when I read the publisher’s blurb on their website I was shocked! The way they describe this book I would probably never consider reading it! Though the descriptions of his writing at the end may have saved it for me! 🙂 I may see if the library is interested in ordering it. I have learned that publisher blurbs can sometimes be very misleading.
When I read the publisher’s blurb, I still wasn’t sure about it, but I went for it anyway, because of a couple of reviews I read. I was surprised by how literary it was – like the author was having a lot of fun with the language. There are some things in the novel, though, that might make the reader uncomfortable; cheating, sex, drugs, harsh language. But, in the end, it made me want to read more by him.
Wow, the first paragraph is made up of one single sentence? I might have forgotten to breathe while reading it. I can see what you mean when you say that you couldn’t let your mind wander. It does sound like a very unique novel. I’ll have to check whether it is available around here.
Yes, one sentence! But it didn’t even feel like it shouldn’t have been. I’ve read the passage a few times more since, and I still love it. 🙂
These quotes are fantastic! I’m not sure the plot appeals but I feel I have to read this just for the writing. That first sentence is…well…amazing!
This book can definitely be read just for the writing. I wasn’t sold on the plot, either, but decided to give the book a try anyway (especially with the encouragement from Chad Pelley – he hasn’t steered me wrong yet), and I had so much fun reading it. Yes, there were parts I didn’t like (just a taste thing), and the ending is kind of bizarre, but all that was worth it. And, if I can get more people to read it, we can talk about the ending!
This one sounds like fun.
It is!
This sounds super compelling, Naomi. I am surely going for this. 🙂
I hope you don’t have trouble finding it!
Usually when you share quotes from books, I feel as though I can gauge pretty well whether I’d like a book or not based on the writing style. In this case, I’m really not sure! The author seems to have a bit of a comma addiction and the initial run-on sentence overwhelmed me, but the writing seems really beautiful too.
I know exactly what you mean. But that’s partly what I liked about it – the challenge and the deciphering. He really gave the impression that writing the book was a lot of fun for him (even though a lot of the stuff that happens isn’t a lot of fun for the characters).
So much fun to read about this book! Thanks Naomi 🙂
It was a unique read, that’s for sure!
This sounds really different. That first passage confused me, but in the end hooked me. That rhythm of the phrasing was kind of addicting.
Really a very perculiar book.
That’s exactly how I felt the whole way through – addicted to the writing. I’m glad you were able to feel the same way just from my review. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!