Thrills, spills and pills

The Thrill of it All by Joseph O’Connor

At college in 1980s Luton, Robbie Goulding, an Irish-born teenager, meets the elusive Fran Mulvey, an orphaned Vietnamese refugee. Together they form a band. Joined by cellist Sarah-Thérèse Sherlock and her twin brother Seán on drums, The Ships in the Night set out to chase fame. But the story of this makeshift family is haunted by ghosts from the past.

Spanning 25 years, The Thrill of it All rewinds and fast-forwards through an evocative soundtrack of struggle and laughter. Infused with blues, ska, classic showtunes, New Wave and punk, using interviews, lyrics, memoirs and diaries, the tale stretches from suburban England to Manhattan’s East Village, from Thatcher-era London to the Hollywood Bowl, from the meadows of the Glastonbury Festival to a wintry Long Island, culminating in a Dublin evening in July 2012, a night that changes everything.

A story of loyalties, friendship, the call of the muse, and the beguiling shimmer of teenage dreams, this is a warm-hearted, funny and deeply moving novel for anyone that’s ever loved a song.

Very good novel indeed from an outstanding writer. Following very much in the footsteps of Espedair Street and, more recently, Daisy Jones and the Six this really is a highly entertaining, very credible and immensely readable fictional rock biography. As with other similar offerings there is something about fictionalised music and lyrics which remains (to me, at least) largely unconvincing but this doesn’t detract from what is a highly recommended read. And the author only name checks his (very real) sister Sinead two or three times…