HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
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By: Rabab Ahmed
Author: Anne-Marie O?Connor
Anne-Marie O?Connor?s fictional novel ?Everyone?s Got A Bono Story? is a perfect treat for Bono-crazed dreamers who have never been fortunate enough to meet the great man. It allows one to indulge in the many delicious ways a meeting with Bono can be arranged, though the book definitely does not mislead its readers; a possible meeting with Bono is not just a walk in the park. For all the dreaming, it might just be pure luck that can bring about a chance meeting with the beloved Irish superstar. Luck, and a lot of help from the residents of Dublin, all of whom have apparently met the man some time or other, whether having stood next to him in the toilets, or ?kicked the living shite out of Bono for being a gobby little bollix when he was thirteen,? or by some other implausible manner.
The novel is written from a very colloquial standpoint, and though I could not see it as a strictly literary piece of work, it was a most amusing read. O?Connor utilizes a wonderfully refreshing sprinkling of humor, placing her characters in rather credible situations, and yet ending up with the most improbable solutions to their problems. She uses a plethora of Irish slang, most of which left me wondering at the origin of their meanings, while being captivated by the accents I could almost hear in my head. Although the consistent reference to erratic parents was a little disconcerting, the story is by far one of the most amusing ones I have come across. Out of the three prominent characters, it is difficult to say which of their parents is the worst; one being suffocatingly overprotective, another mindnumbingly domineering, and the third purely insane. Needless to say, throughout the book I was left in stitches for the most part, and for the rest felt my imagination was drifting away to Ireland, where I might walk through Temple Bar in the hopes of finding Bono reading a newspaper while sitting by himself.
?Everyone?s Got A Bono Story? is not precisely a great literary work; one cannot dissect it for specific theme, or find hidden, deep-rooted meanings behind statements and ideas. However, the straightforward manner in which it is written, coupled with the sincere and human traits that O?Connor endows upon her characters does much to make the book a wonderful read.
One aspect of the book that struck me as particularly interesting was that neither the protagonist 26 year-old Aoife Collins, nor the rest of the prominent characters have much of a fondness for Bono, or for U2 as a band. Coming from the perspective of one who is a self-proclaimed devoted Bono fan, it seemed quite absurd, yet amusing at the same time that Aoife would hunt down Bono not for the sake of fandom, but for a bet from her best friend, Rory. In this charming read, O'Connor offers us the opportunity to escape the mundane by a destined chance of a meeting with greatness, allowing her readers a glimpse into the probability of such a thing. It is an indulgence of the mind, showing us that no matter what stage of the social ladder one may be at, whether one is a designer, DJ, or just a dreamer, it is possible to have one?s day in the sun, facilitated by devising some interesting plans so we can all build our own Bono story. All in the hopes of a moment to be shared arm in arm, or hand in hand, with the pop sensation, human rights activist, TV-swearing Bono himself, with the generous help of the good Irish people, of course. We can?t be left out; everyone?s got a Bono story...what?s yours?
By: Rabab Ahmed
Author: Anne-Marie O?Connor
Anne-Marie O?Connor?s fictional novel ?Everyone?s Got A Bono Story? is a perfect treat for Bono-crazed dreamers who have never been fortunate enough to meet the great man. It allows one to indulge in the many delicious ways a meeting with Bono can be arranged, though the book definitely does not mislead its readers; a possible meeting with Bono is not just a walk in the park. For all the dreaming, it might just be pure luck that can bring about a chance meeting with the beloved Irish superstar. Luck, and a lot of help from the residents of Dublin, all of whom have apparently met the man some time or other, whether having stood next to him in the toilets, or ?kicked the living shite out of Bono for being a gobby little bollix when he was thirteen,? or by some other implausible manner.
The novel is written from a very colloquial standpoint, and though I could not see it as a strictly literary piece of work, it was a most amusing read. O?Connor utilizes a wonderfully refreshing sprinkling of humor, placing her characters in rather credible situations, and yet ending up with the most improbable solutions to their problems. She uses a plethora of Irish slang, most of which left me wondering at the origin of their meanings, while being captivated by the accents I could almost hear in my head. Although the consistent reference to erratic parents was a little disconcerting, the story is by far one of the most amusing ones I have come across. Out of the three prominent characters, it is difficult to say which of their parents is the worst; one being suffocatingly overprotective, another mindnumbingly domineering, and the third purely insane. Needless to say, throughout the book I was left in stitches for the most part, and for the rest felt my imagination was drifting away to Ireland, where I might walk through Temple Bar in the hopes of finding Bono reading a newspaper while sitting by himself.
?Everyone?s Got A Bono Story? is not precisely a great literary work; one cannot dissect it for specific theme, or find hidden, deep-rooted meanings behind statements and ideas. However, the straightforward manner in which it is written, coupled with the sincere and human traits that O?Connor endows upon her characters does much to make the book a wonderful read.
One aspect of the book that struck me as particularly interesting was that neither the protagonist 26 year-old Aoife Collins, nor the rest of the prominent characters have much of a fondness for Bono, or for U2 as a band. Coming from the perspective of one who is a self-proclaimed devoted Bono fan, it seemed quite absurd, yet amusing at the same time that Aoife would hunt down Bono not for the sake of fandom, but for a bet from her best friend, Rory. In this charming read, O'Connor offers us the opportunity to escape the mundane by a destined chance of a meeting with greatness, allowing her readers a glimpse into the probability of such a thing. It is an indulgence of the mind, showing us that no matter what stage of the social ladder one may be at, whether one is a designer, DJ, or just a dreamer, it is possible to have one?s day in the sun, facilitated by devising some interesting plans so we can all build our own Bono story. All in the hopes of a moment to be shared arm in arm, or hand in hand, with the pop sensation, human rights activist, TV-swearing Bono himself, with the generous help of the good Irish people, of course. We can?t be left out; everyone?s got a Bono story...what?s yours?
The first way she tries to meet him is by dressing up as a nun and knocking on his door in Killiney!
