Patrick Doherty (Blog Host)
Who’s the first writer you ever obsessed over?
It was probably Franklyn W. Dixon. I used to borrow Hardy Boys books from the Longford Library on a weekly basis. I was devastated when I discovered that the books were ghostwritten by a team of authors. I don’t know how I found out, but I remember vowing never to read another book in the series.
What book have you reread the most?
Probably The Christmas Tree by Jennifer Johnston. The writing is pristine and the story is powerful. I dip in and out of it a lot to remind myself what writing is.
What’s the strangest book you’ve ever loved?
If On a Winter’s Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino. I had heard of him and knew he was a major figure in Italian literature, but the sheer originality of this blew me away. The less you know going in, the better. Just go and read it.
Who is your favourite contemporary writer?
Joan Didion only died in 2021 and produced her best work in her 80s. She is the stand-out choice for me.
What’s your favourite film adaptation of a book?
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, without a shadow of a doubt. A loyal adaptation wouldn’t have worked, or at least wouldn’t have landed in the way this film did. I love that the book and the film feel like entirely different entities, both with their own merits.
What’s the most disappointing book you’ve ever read?
On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I think Hodlen Caulfield would have hated it. Phony, tedious, Stradlater-bait.
What is the poem you hold closest to your heart?
The Hanging Man by Sylvia Plath. The sheer jolt of the first couplet sends shivers down my spine.
What are you reading right now, and what will you read next?
I’m deeply engrossed in Dara Kavanagh’s new book, Scorched Earth. It’s a historical novel that is of particular relevance to the present. Superbly written and deeply affecting. After this, I’ll probably read Parade by Rachel Cusk. She’s been on my radar for a while and I finally came across her writing in the wonderful Lead & Bower Bookshop in Ballincollig, County Cork.
