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Headbanger A bit of fun! .mp3 (4.74 MB)

Hugo Hamilton
Vintage, 1998

Bang On!

Hugo Hamilton has been praised and anthologized so I figured he was one of those pretentious literary shits. Suddenly I came face to balaclava'ed, kebab-smeared face with one of his novels. Hey! Hugo Hamilton is a Headbanger!

Meet Dublin's Dirty Harry, as the paperback's cover promises. Central character Pat Coyne has gone above and beyond dedication. He's past the edge of that. When not being stressed by his wife, mother in law, lazy ass partner, moleshaver of a boss, Coyne drives around the city thinking strange, funny thoughts. A bit like Taxi Driver, except he's driving a Garda patrol car.

There's such truth to that. Forget serial killers and shady, deadly conspiracies by giant evil corporations. Hamilton relates everyday Irish crime and cops like they actually are.

While battling a stream of running petty crimes, Coyne drives the plot of Headbanger with a vendetta against wealthy local gangster Berti Cunningham and his team of nightclub-running, beautiful topless young woman-abusing, witness-murdering, litterbug thugs. Colorful, flashy villains make a good novel, and Headbanger has a few right tropical crackers.

Just as funny, just as true, reaching the same critical stage, is Coyne's relationship with his wife Carmel. This is where the real banging is done. There's no whodunit, no investigation or trial, ala most crime fiction, but the suspense and danger exceed. What's going to happen with his family, when Coyne floors it over the deep end?

Bashing style into the crime thriller genre, Headbanger packs goofball rage, bizarre insight, attitude and kebab flavour into one fast, funny smack of a 230 page read. No superior literary airs, just damn fine writing.

Headbanger's Pat Coyne character is also featured in 1998's Sad Bastard. Hamilton has another novel expected late in 2006. I heard it's to be called Sucking Diesel, but haven't a notion if it's a Coyne novel or even crime. Fuck it. I hope to pick up a copy regardless. The language and true lunacy of Headbanger knocked me flat like a Glasgow kiss straight to the nosebone. Hugo Hamilton's novel has earned its place among Critical Mick's Best Books Read in 2006.

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This Page Was Last Updated On 29 December, 2006.