Power & Perdition

The meek shall inherit the earth. But when, exactly? Certainly not in this novel set in an Ireland of the near future. John Power is an amiable, intelligent young man; but one grievously lacking in direction. Evidently well-read, he knows little about life. Power has, however, already grasped that commuting to work to make money to pay for things he doesn't want or need is no way to live his life. Though he strongly believes in the right of the individual to be an individual, the burden of choice weighs heavily upon him. Power doesn't simply agonise over career options, interpersonal relationships or a place to hang his head. The smallest things can cause him undue concern: is, for example, his customer care query a button #4 or button #5 category? Peppered with situational and verbal humour, the tone of Power & Perdition is one of insecure bluster. Imagine, if you will, Beckettian characters at the start - rather than the end - of their lives; with the prospect of years of disappointment ahead of them. Does John Power's feckless drifting mirror the irrelevant meanderings of a small country that's stranded on the westernmost tip of Europe? Could his ambivalent loyalty be compared to those types who can't wait to leave Ireland but - as soon as they do - long to return? That, dear reader, is for you to decide...