Description

Trevor, a film-school dropout from Dublin, signs on as companion to Ed, a rich, wheelchair-bound New Yorker. A bizarre, mutual-dependency pact is ignited and an odyssey into the mind of an off-kilter, rambunctious Irishman begins.

The Companion tells a story of obsession and control in which the dynamics of love and patience are tested to breaking point and beyond. Upbeat, defiant, dark and morally ambiguous, it sifts through family secrets and lies, and discloses the survival codes of Manhattan.

This Irish take on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest develops into one of those rare, perversely elegiac novels that lodge in the mind.

Long after the last page has been turned.

‘Lorcan Roche is a fresh and vivid voice in new Irish fiction. I love the energy of his writing and its passionate engagement with the world. He is a gifted and clever storyteller.’ – Joseph O’Connor

‘…brilliantly achieved…Roche handles his materials well, never losing control over his narrative, keeping his reader’s attention throughout.’ – Derek Hand, The Irish Times

‘Essential reading for our times. Get a drink of something strong, grab a Velvet Underground album (preferably on vinyl), play it high, read aloud.’ – Tom Galvin, The Evening Herald

‘A terrifically accomplished first novel which never flags…manages to keep the reader continually off balance.’ – Hugh Bonar, The Irish Mail on Sunday

‘Masterfully written, and truly wickedly funny.’ – Joe Jackson, Sunday Independent

‘Psychologically complex, beautifully written, a splendid read. Buy it, read it and enjoy it.’ – Derek Davis, Today, RTE

‘A highly original debut novel.’ – Rowena Martin, The Irish Independent

‘There’s a wonderful cast of supporting characters—a Jamaican cook, an attractive physical therapist, the street-level rabble who occupy the bars and parks of New York City—but it’s Roche’s balancing of Trevor’s complexities with a quick wit, a sharp ear, and a deft understanding of how humans suffer that steals the show.’ – Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LORCAN ROCHE, born 1963, is an award-winning journalist and playwright, travel-writer and lecturer. He once lived in New York City, where he was companion to a young man with muscular dystrophy. He lives in Dublin.

Irish Literature
313 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007