Paul Murray Boeken

Skippy tussen de sterren beschrijft één enkele catastrofale herfst op het internaat Seabrooks, gezien vanuit zo’n twintig verschillende uitgeschreven perspectieven: studenten, docenten, administratieve krachten, priesters, vriendinnetjes, en de manager van een donutwinkel. In het centrum van alles staat Daniel Juster, bijnaam Skippy, wiens dood – in Ed’s Doughnut House, nadat hij nog net de naam van zijn vlam in frambozenvulling op de vloer heeft weten te schrijven – de opening vormt van de roman. Skippy tussen de sterren gaat vervolgens met flashbacks terug naar de maanden die eraan voorafgaan, maanden waarin de zwaarmoedige veertienjarige verliefd wordt, een gevecht wint, een geheim bewaart en de aandacht trekt van faculteitsleden die niet perse het beste met hem voor hebben. Onderweg leren we Skippy’s vrienden en kwelgeesten kennen: Ruprecht, Skippy’s bolle, geniale kamergenoot die experimenten uitvoert om de snaartheorie te bewijzen; Dennis, een aarts-cynicus wiens dromen zelfs sarcastisch zijn; Carl, Skippy’s rivaal in de liefde en psychopaat-in-de-dop; Lori, het object van Skippy’s dromen, die geobsedeerd wordt door een Britney Spears-achtig muziekdelletje en haar dieetpillen verbergt in de buik van haar teddybeer; en Mario, lieve, domme Mario, wiens obsessie met seks vermoeiend zou worden als het niet de bron was van vele hilarische slaapkamergesprekken tussen de vrienden.

The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie's once-lucrative car business is going under - but rather than face the music, he's spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife Imelda is selling off her jewellery on eBay while their teenage daughter Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge-drink her way to her final exams. And twelve-year-old PJ is putting the final touches to his grand plan to run away from home. Where did it all go wrong? A patch of ice on the tarmac, a casual favour to a charming stranger, a bee caught beneath a bridal veil? Can a single moment of bad luck change the direction of a life? And if the story has already been written - is there still time to find a happy ending? 'The finest novel that Murray has yet written . . . will surely be one of the books of 2023' Sunday Independent 'Murray is a natural storyteller . . . Ambitious, expansive, hugely entertaining tragicomic fiction' Irish Times 'It's a thing of beauty, a novel that will fill your heart' Observer 'Generous, immersive, sharp-witted and devastating . . . a triumph' Financial Times 'It's been compared to Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections; I'd argue it's better' Daily Mail

WINNER OF THE EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE 2016 A comic masterpiece about love, art, greed and the banking crisis, from the author of Skippy Dies What links the Investment Bank of Torabundo, www.myhotswaitress.com (yes, hots with an s, don't ask), an art heist, a novel called For the Love of a Clown, a four-year-old boy named after TV detective Remington Steele, a lonely French banker, a tiny Pacific island, and a pest control business run by an ex-KGB man? You guessed it . . . The Mark and the Void is Paul Murray's madcap new novel of institutional folly, following the success of his wildly original breakout hit, Skippy Dies. While marooned at his banking job in the bewilderingly damp and insular realm known as Ireland, Claude Martingale is approached by a down-on-his-luck author, Paul, looking for his next great subject. Claude finds that his life gets steadily more exciting under Paul's fictionalizing influence; he even falls in love with a beautiful waitress. But Paul's plan is not what it seems-and neither is Claude's employer, the Bank of Torabundo, which inflates through dodgy takeovers and derivatives-trading until-well, you can probably guess how that shakes out. The Mark and the Void is a stirring examination of the deceptions carried out in the names of art, love and commerce - and is also probably the funniest novel ever written about a financial crisis.

Acclaimed as one of the funniest and most assured Irish novels of recent years, "An Evening of Long Goodbyes" is the story of Dubliner Charles Hythloday and the heroic squandering of the family inheritance. Featuring drinking, greyhound racing, vanishing furniture, more drinking, old movies, assorted Dublin lowlife, eviction and the perils of community theatre, Paul Murray's debut novel is a tour de force of comedic writing wrapped in an honest-to-goodness tale of a man- and a family - living in denial.

This is the only up-to-date guide to Zimbabwe. Harare is once again a thriving metropolis with a profusion of new restaurants and accommodation and, with some of the finest national parks in Africa, the country is blessed with stunning landscapes and an abundance of wildlife. The Zambezi River offers adventure holidays and Victoria Falls leaves visitors breathless, while the range of birdlife draws enthusiasts year-round. This guide offers in-depth information on the facilities, advice on itinerary planning as well as how to select a safari. Accommodation is covered with up-to-date information on everything from luxury safari camps to budget stays for younger travelers who arrive overland, heading for the fast flowing waters of the Zambezi gorge.

The narrative follows the descendants of Abraham as they finally arrive in Canaan after enduring forty years of wandering in the wilderness. This new generation, steeped in the tales of their ancestors about a promised nation and land, stands on the brink of fulfilling Yahweh's long-awaited promise. The themes of hope, legacy, and divine blessing permeate their journey, highlighting the significance of faith and perseverance in the face of adversity.

The narrative chronicles the conquest of Canaan, highlighting its significance as the fulfillment of God's promise to Abram and his descendants. This biblical account emphasizes the importance of the Promised Land, described as a land of milk and honey, showcasing God's gift to His people and their journey to claim it.

The book explores the theme of patience in faith, contrasting society's demand for instant results with the often gradual process of spiritual growth. It reflects on biblical examples of immediate miracles while emphasizing that true maturity in faith and victory over sin usually requires a lifetime of effort. As Israel divides the promised land, each tribe faces the responsibility of fully driving out remaining enemies to secure their inheritance. The narrative encourages readers to understand the importance of perseverance in their spiritual journey.

The book explores the enduring mission of the Order of Preachers, established by St. Dominic in the thirteenth century to spread the Gospel. It addresses the contemporary challenge of bridging the divide between Christian tradition and secular culture, emphasizing the importance of witnessing God's love in today's world. The call to action is directed not just at Dominicans but at all baptized Christians, urging them to embrace their role in proclaiming faith amidst growing secularism.

WINNER OF IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARDS 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS' PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024ONE OF SARAH JESSICA PARKER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023Book of the Year 2023 according to New York Times, New Yorker, The Sunday Times, The Economist, Observer, Guardian, Washington Post, Lit Hub, TIME magazine, Irish Times, The Oldie, Daily Mail, i Paper, Independent, The Standard, The Times, Kirkus, Daily Express, City A.M. 'A tragicomic triumph. You won't read a sadder, truer, funnier novel this year' GuardianThe Barnes family are in trouble. Until recently they ran the biggest business in town, now they're teetering on the brink of bankruptcy - and that's just the start of their problems. Dickie and Imelda's marriage is hanging by a thread; straight-A student Cass is careening off the rails; PJ is hopelessly in debt to the school bully. Meanwhile the ghosts of old mistakes are rising out of the past to meet them, but everyone's too wrapped up in the present to see the danger looming . . .'Generous, immersive, sharp-witted and devastating; the sort of novel that becomes a friend for life' Financial Times'Paul Murray [is] the undisputed reigning champion of epic Irish tragicomedy' Spectator'An instant classic' Washington Post'[An] astute, remorselessly funny novel' Daily Mirror 'A wagyu steak of a novel . . . A classic in the mode of The Corrections' The Times