Disturbance

by Jamie O'Neill

Book Overview

Nilus Moore, a young Irish boy, lives with his father in their decaying, shambolic house. Haunted by the death of his mother, he escapes the chaos outside in the refuge of his room where he plays... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0297794922
• ISBN13: 9780297794929
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Impressive

I decided to read "Disturbance" having very much enjoyed Jamie O'Neill's later more well-known novel, At Swim, Two Boys. Reading a good author's early works, I'm never certain whether to expect more gold or merely an interesting artifact of the author's personal growth. In "Disturbance" I think I found both. It is a much shorter novel, concentrating on smaller events and fewer characters, but the more limited scope of this story is executed hauntingly. The author has a talent for getting the reader to share the experience of his characters, and he uses that talent beautifully here. Nilus is lost and isolated after his mother's death, living in a crumbling house with his distant father. As he works to lose himself in petty distractions the reader shares his distraction, confusion and inability to interact naturally with others. I would say that "At Swim, Two Boys" is still the more polished masterwork, but "Disturbance" is still a deeply impressive novel - easily worth a five-star rating.

Nilus battles for his sanity as all crumbles around him

Nilus Moore, the narrator is in his mid teens and still at school as he starts his account. His mother has recently died, and he lives with his father, but it seems Nilus' world is falling down around him. Their large house is crumbling away while the other houses in the street are being demolished, and his father has taken to his bed, living on garlic cloves and brandy. Putting on the pressure is Nilus' uncle, his father's twin brother, who wants to demolish their house for redevelopment. As Nilus approaches the end of his school days he struggles both to keep his home together and maintain his sanity. His bedroom, at the very top of their house is his refuge and which he keeps immaculately clean, where he is constantly checking to ensure that the sheet folds on his bed are in order, and where he watches over his near impossible 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. He also has to contend with his aunt and uncle's interfering, his pregnant cousin and her estranged boyfriend, an aging priest and other odd characters. Nilus is an appealing character, especially as he efficiently tries to take on such heavy responsibilities for one so young. However not all is as it may appear, the subtle clues are there, but they might easily be overlooked. This is a captivating, witty and often very funny story that repays careful reading.