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The Colonel Who Couldn't Remember

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About this listen

Perfect for fans of A Man called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Funny, moving, clever, mysterious and challenging, with a fabulous central character who always remains one strong-willed and whimsical man standing against the world.

Dominic likes anonymity, his local Drumcondra park, his neighbour’s cat, Boris, and Mrs Hand who passes his front door always carrying two bags of groceries. But all is not as it seems. The Politician next door claims to be his wife, the Auld One his mother, the Young Woman his daughter and the Brat his grandson - the "Onslaught". Just as preposterous, they all say he’s actually a Colonel on extended leave after being kidnapped and tortured. What especially irks Dominic is the "Shrinkage" claiming he suffers from a rare form of memory loss. With unwavering conviction, he rejects all this while grumpily tolerating daily visits and interferences.

In surreal circumstances he discovers a large sum of money hidden in the Politician’s garden toilet and during the Politician’s election dinner has a strange staring match with a small girl which afterwards convinces him he needs a new identity. These events help drive the narrative on until a fateful decision must be made.

©2020 Marc McDonald (P)2020 Marc McDonald Dark Humour Literature & Fiction
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Marc McDonald has a polished writing style and the skill to keep us engaged to the end of a quirky and humorous tale of one man’s struggle with the world and how he perseveres through adversity to take charge of his own fate.
In less skilled hands, the complexity of the story could overwhelm the narrative but the writer’s ability to shape a good story avoids this. Here, even the minor figures are credible and well-drawn.
Philip O’Sullivan’s professional and sympathetic narration catches perfectly the spirit of the book and its many characters. The north Dublin setting is authentic and accurate – it’s an added pleasure to anybody who knows the city.
Let’s hope McDonald can deliver more like this in the future.

Quirky tale of a sympathetic protagonist

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