The Paper Man
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The Paper Man
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Narrated by:
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Gerard Doyle
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Helen Lloyd
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
**A BOOK OF 2023 IN IRISH TIMES, RTÉ GUIDE AND SUNDAY INDEPENDENT**
An unforgettable and sweeping interwar love story, from the Costa-shortlisted and bestselling Irish author of Life Sentences
1980s Cork. Jack Shine discovers a shoe box full of love letters in his mother's belongings. Rebekah came to Cork alone as a young Jewish refugee from Vienna when the Second World War broke out. She died soon after, and Jack never learned of his father's identity. Why did she keep newspaper clippings about a famous footballer player? Who was 'The Paper Man'?
As Jack uncovers his mother's life, he is transported to 1930s Vienna, a bustling city on the brink of war. At the heart of the action is Matthias Sindelar, one of the most famous footballers in the world, known as 'The Paper Man' because of his effortless weave across the pitch. When Sindelar unexpectedly meets Rebekah, both of their lives are changed forever. As war looms, they must accept that their survival will tear them apart.
Based on true events, The Paper Man is the story of twentieth-century Europe and love against the odds. It is a story that will take Jack far from Cork and all the way back to Vienna, and towards The Paper Man.
'Gorgeous' SARA BAUME
'His most ambitious work to date' JOHN BANVILLE
'A beautiful, layered novel' ELAINE FEENEY
©2023 Billy O'Callaghan (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about The Paper Man
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Kate Rowan
- 15-07-23
Disappointing despite its poignancy
This book has gotten some rave reviews in the author Billy O’Callaghan’s (and my) native Ireland but I was left cold and slightly torn. It is a very poignant story with a good premise but for all the descriptions- the main characters are not well drawn enough and are too shallow to invest in completely until the final quarter. I understand that the author needed to create mystery but both Rebecca and Jack were far too bland and there should have been more to make them interesting as people rather than the rambling descriptions of their surroundings.
The female narrator wasn’t bad except for her “Oirish” accents in the later stages of the book. The male narrator didn’t do it for me at all - I am Irish and found it far too “stage Irish” and it took time to adjust. I was really looking forward to this and the sadness, tragedy and loss was very well written but there are so many much better books addressing these themes set in the same time period - this wouldn’t hold a candle to the likes of the English Patient. Also although the book evoked a sense of place in Cork very well, it fell flat with Vienna showing where O’Callaghan is obviously from.
One good point though was how the grief was understated and a lot unsaid - that made it different but Jack as a protagonist needed a more vivid inner life. As an Irish person living abroad not sure if this will have universal appeal given the quality of so many books set at this time. What leaves me torn is the undoubtably well put together premise and I could see this disappointing book being adapted into something much better for the screen.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr. R. Adams
- 20-07-23
Potentially great in reality average
This could have been so much more. The story could have been developed more with less concentration on flowery description, which was fine but slowed the story down. Looked forward to listening but ended up being slightly disappointed
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