I absolutely hated the writing style of this book. His therapist, Terence, suggested to Patrick that he write down everything on his mind in order to help others understand. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. It's not your typical, linear style of writing: "This happened, then this happened, and finally this happened. View All Titles. It is the 1970s, and fear haunts the streets of London and Belfast as the critical mass of history builds up, and Pussy is inevitably drawn into a maelstrom of violence and tragedy destined to blow his fragile soul asunder. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2015. The background of the Irish troubles helps clarify lots of Irish history and makes us want to get the foe out of Ireland as soon as possible. Among them some of the best: Joyce in novels, Yeats in poetry, and Shaw in plays. Patrick McCabe was born in Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland, in 1955. There, in blousey tops and satin miniskirts, she plies her trade, often risking life and limb among the flotsam and jetsam who fill the bars of Piccadilly Circus ("You want love? If we were ... Hello, Pluto!What’s cold, dark, far away, and has a “heart” one thousand miles wide? This Study Guide consists of approximately 30 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - help you understand the book. Brilliant, startling, profound and soaring, Breakfast on Pluto combines light and dark, laughter and pain, with such sensitivity, directness and restraint that the dramatic impact reverberates in our minds and hearts long after the initial impression. I just want her to be happy! Set in the politically tumultuous London of the 1970s, Breakfast on Pluto follows the misadventures of Patrick "Pussy" Braden, a transvestite prostitute on a quest to find love and a place to call home. Plot Summaries. full of human comedy and cruelty." Patrick was fathered by an Irish Catholic priest and dumped in an abusive foster family - and he dreams of his beautiful birth mother. Sometimes we were in the perspective of a character we had no previous introduction to in the main narrative, which was a bit jarring. This read like nothing I've ever read before. Switching between fantasy and personal account, it is a swirling sassy narrative, often ambiguou. As he ages, his lust for feminine things increases. And a great read, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2013. Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe (novelist). Should have read the intro better. Sometimes it's the Old Woman and sometimes it's the Aisling or the Dark Rosaleen or Cathleen Ni Houlihan. This is a person who has lived through the heart of The Troubles (which were very interesting to learn about) as well as personal issues like having a rapist priest for a father, growing up under an uncaring foster mother, and being trans/gender fluid and bi/pansexual in the 70's and 80's (forgive me if I used the wrong identifiers, no harm intended if I did). Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Twenty years ago, her ladyship escaped her hometown of Tyreelin, Ireland, fleeing her foster mother Whiskers (prodigious Guinness-guzzler, human chimney) and her mad household, to begin a new life in London. 1/7/20. This book is definitely not for everyone. The at times unreliable narrator avoids subjects that are painful, glossing over the especially traumatic moments. Not gonna lie, there’s a point more than halfway through where i trul. This is a time of prejudice by the British against the Irish and intolerance to any deflections, let alone transvestites. Available on Compatible NOOK Devices and the free NOOK Apps. I actually watched the movie before I read the book. What's next for McCabe? The protagonist is unreliable at times; she blurs the lines between reality and her own internal fantasies. Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2012. There, in blousy tops and satin miniskirts, she plies her trade, often risking life and limb amongst the flotsam and jetsam that fill the bars of Piccadilly Circus. ), to begin a new life in London. Is there any sense of hopefulness by the novel's end? Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe (novelist). Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Proceed to checkout ({qq} items) {$$$.$$}. Ethereal. A mixture of Northern Ireland War tragedy & over-the-top expression of inner sexuality/ transvestism makes this a wholly original production. It's not your typical, linear style of writing: "This happened, then this happened, and finally this happened. It's. It's also immeasurably sad, and there were times when I just wanted to give Pussy a big hug. Topicsfor Discussion 1. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, The Woman Who Walked into Doors: A Novel (A Paula Spencer Novel), © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. A fairly accurate portrayal of Irish life and morality in the 60s/70s. Bought the DVD in a charity shop for £2, what a good film had that feeling one gets from the "Crying Game" e.g. Why? Modern and Contemporary Irish Drama (Second Edition) (Norton Critical Editions). Mr. Patrick "Pussy" Braden is Patrick McCabe's fascinating misfit hero(ine) in Breakfast on Pluto, a novel that was a finalist for the Booker Prize in 1998. McCabe utilizes numerous motifs (space, perfume/scent) and themes (paternity, violence, music) to create a world that is similar to ours, yet is somehow a bit off-balance. Irwin, one of Patrick's childhood friends, is killed while participating with the Irish republican Army. Popular music has a strong presence in "Breakfast on Pluto, and the title is derived from a 1969 pop hit. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. (A modern Irish classic.) Though reading it wasn't a bad experience , it's just a bit dark for my personal tastes, though it is done very...tastefully? But Pussy has bad luck when her married politician sugar daddy is killed by Irish terrorists, and then in London where she becomes a prostitute and gets mixed up in terrorist plots. Is there any sense of hopefulness by the novel's end? The main character is Patrick "Pussy" Braden, a transvestite prostitute. Imagine being told a horrific tale by a silly and charming storyteller, yet this silly and charming storyteller isn't making light of a horrible situation, but rather telling it the only way they know how without being lost to the madness. Braden, who lives with a foster family, enjoys wearing women's clothing and singing in front of the mirror. Harper Perennial; First HarperPerennial edition. (October 6, 1999), Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2008. I had this set as four stars but after thinking it over for a day bumped it down to three. I really appreciated some of the themes explored in this book and absolutely LOVED the voice McCabe took on - it was so distinctive, practically unlike anything else I’ve read. I had this set as four stars but after thinking it over for a day bumped it down to three. Reaching towards the edge of the solar system, Giant Declan, and his friends, embark on Pussy Braden is my equivalent of that sort of thing." Is there a sense of musicality in this novel? This book is definitely not for everyone. It breaks the taboos of sexual identity, showing a transvestite living in the late 60's and 70's in Ireland. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Patrick McCabe has said that " Ireland is always referred to as a woman. Unfortunately, not everyone was lucky to be born men and feel manly. There, in blousy tops and satin miniskirts, he plies his trade, often risking life and limb among the flotsam and jetsam that fill the bars of Piccadilly Circus.