“What was the start of it? The whole wrecking match, that sent so many strong souls roaring down to hell, dogs chewing up the guts ground into the road, birds pecking at the splattered bits of their brains. The way London wanted it to go. The way it always is.”

“Someday, they knew, the string would be pulled to stop at all. Not yet. When all the pieces were in place. The higher-ups would settle it, find the middle course. Until then, we live and die here below. One nod of the head, one tip of the scales. The way it always was. The way it has to be.”

This book is based on Homer’s Iliad, but I read that book so long ago that I don’t remember the details. I made no attempt to “compare and contrast” the two books. This book is completely enjoyable even if you have never read the Iliad, based on a combination of the vivid (and profane) language and the compelling characters. Set in the 1990s, this book presents the conflict between the IRA and the British as a war, a gang fight and a Gunfight at the O. K. Coral. War is just a pointless mess, no matter the century. The motivations of the characters included pride, vengeance, patriotism and a desire to protect the defenseless, among other things. Women don’t play much of a role here. There is an informer, a whiny wife and a few who are passed around as war prizes.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author. That is usually a bad idea, but this author did an excellent job (although it took me a while to get used to the Irish accent). After I finished the book I discovered that the author is also an actor. That probably explains his skill as a narrator. I would be happy to read anything else he writes.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. ( )

Fury. Pure fury. The blood was up. Lost the head completely.~from Country by Michael Hughes

Hughes begins his story in the middle of a conflict between two members of an rogue IRA terrorist cell group.

Achill and Pig, the 'trigger man' who killed eight Brits and the Officer Commander of a terrorist cell, clash over a girl whose father wants her back home. She had willingly come to Achill and he won't give her up. Pig insists the teenager will return to her da.

Achill capitulates but throws in the towel. He knows it is his reputation that keep the Brits scared. Let them see what happens without him. He was done. He was going home.

And that was the start of it. A terrible business altogether...Wait now till you hear the rest.~from Country by Michael Hughes

A tenuous truce has brought temporary peace, but the cell group won't give up the fight. This time, they are sure they have the upper hand with inside information about British plans. Independence is theirs, if they have the heart for it.

The tale is violent, gritty, filled with passion and tears. It is an engrossing read, a timeless and compelling story.

I was attracted to the novel as a retelling of The Iliad, Homer's story of the falling out between Achilles and King Agamemnon during the Trojan War. It's been a very long time since I last read Homer. The plotline and themes are there to be found, but readers will enjoy this novel if you don't know Homer.

Hughes novel has the feel of the epic in the narrative voice, the high passions, the rhythm of the language.

I won an ARC from LibraryThing a year ago. After it didn't arrive, I contacted the publisher in the fall and they sent me the published edition.

It was worth waiting for. ( )

Bloody brilliant. A retelling of The Iliad set amid the conflict in Northern Ireland. Gritty, violent, and pure poetry. ( )

My only disappointment was that this book was over all too soon. Set in 1996, near the end of Ireland's Troubles, _Country_ follows a squad of men in the Provisional IRA, in the North of Ireland. Told from the perspectives of different people in and associated with the squad, the book provides a gripping window into the flavor of the time and place. ( )

Even though the story is supposed to be a retelling of the Illiad, I tried not to overthink the story and rate it on it's own merits. And the tale doesn't disappoint. The story is thrilling, and kept my interest, up till the very end. ( )