John the Revelator: Summary and book reviews of John the Revelator by Peter Murphy, plus links to an excerpt from John the Revelator and a biography of Peter Murphy.
John the Revelator A Novel
by Peter Murphy
Hardcover: Aug 2009,
272 pages.
Paperback: Apr 2010,
272 pages.
This is the story of John Devine — stuck in a small town in the eerie landscape of Southeast Ireland, worried over by his single, chain-smoking, bible-quoting mother, Lily, and spied on by the "neighborly" Mrs. Nagle. When Jamey Corboy, a self-styled Rimbaudian boy wonder, arrives in town, John’s life suddenly seems full of possibility. His loneliness dissipates. He is taken up by mischief and discovery, hiding in the world beyond as Lily’s mysterious illness worsens. But Jamey and John’s nose for trouble may be their undoing and soon John will be faced with a terrible moral dilemma. Joining the ranks of the great novels of friendship and betrayal — A Separate Peace, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha — John the Revelator grapples with the pull of the world and the hold of those we love. Suffused with family secrets, eerie imagery, black humor, and hypnotic prose, John the Revelator is a novel to fall in love with and an astounding debut.
John the Revelator will undoubtedly garner rave critical reviews, but the reading public will likely have a wide range of opinions on whether or not it's worth perusing. I can't even categorically state that this is one of those books readers will either love or hate; Murphy's writing is so distinctive that reader ratings will almost certainly run the full spectrum. The novel should appeal most to those who revel in quality writing and enjoy books that break the mold. (Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Sunday Tribune
Murphy has a very obvious affection for language, and for the crackle, spark and music of words....in John Devine he avoids the obvious and trite and creates an obliquely fascinating character.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Murphy understands the gracelessness of teenage boys and that peculiar delinquent wisdom shared by all the great coming-of-age novelists. With this novel, he doesn't have to bow to any of them.
Library Journal
Starred Review. Beautifully humane and sometimes nightmarish, this incredible debut novel by a noted music and culture editor, journalist, and critic recounts the life and times of John Devine
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. [A] jaw-dropping debut...A terrific, disquieting addition to the long tradition of Irish storytelling.
The Guardian (UK)
An Irish music writer, Peter Murphy casts his debut novel like a blues noir, steeped in the music that has clearly inspired him....this spook-filled Irish landscape, rendered with gouts of blood-red humour, is entirely his own.
Daily Express (UK)
Murphy writes spare arresting prose with the brio of Ireland's current literary star Anne Enright and he has the ear for dialogue of Roddy Doyle.
The Times (UK)
Murphy's writing is resolutely unsentimental, but so moving and powerful that the end had me weeping buckets.
The Daily Mail (UK)
Murphy's eerily atmospheric debut .... with its dark humour and hypnotic prose, brilliantly captures the uncertainties of growing up."
John The Revelator, The Person The title of Peter Murphy's book is taken from a traditional song about John of Patmos,
the name given to the author of the biblical Book of
Revelation, who identifies himself as living on the Greek island of Patmos.
Scholars date Revelation to between AD 54 and 96 with most believing it
to have been written around AD 95.
In the 2nd century AD, the early Christian apologist Justin of Caesarea
(later Saint Justin Martyr) suggested that the author of Revelation was the same
person as both Jesus' apostle, "John the Beloved", and "John the Evangelist", author
of The Gospel of John. But, around the 3rd century this was called
into question by church historians who identified the author of Revelation as
"John the Presbyter", whose name appears elsewhere in ancient writings.
Today, opinion varies with some believing Revelation, The Gospel of
John and the epistles of John are all written by Jesus' apostle, while
others believe they are authored by three or more distinct...
A novel about a 13-year-old boy's perilous trek through schoolyard trials, his budding interest in girls and the simmering tension between his parents.
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