Master of Irish gothic: Patrick McCabe. Photograph: Eamonn McCabeHello and Goodbye contains two gothic novels in a single volume. They share a common trait: the narrators of both books are already dead.
Hello Mr Bones is narrated by Balthazar Bowen. In a former life this dashing aristocrat had befriended Valentine Shannon, a boy from a small village in the west of Ireland. Their relationship ended back in 1969 when Valentine accused his older friend of interfering with him. Faced with disgrace, Balthazar drove his car into a lake. His evil spirit presently lurks on the streets of London, seeking revenge from Valentine – now a 42-year-old virgin who is in love with a single mother called Christine Taylor.
McCabe's main protagonist, who takes on several personae – but usually goes by the name of Mr Bones – embodies a creepiness that will send shivers down your spine.
But depraved tales of child abuse, murder and gratuitous violence are subtly implied by the cunning narrator, rather than directly presented on the page. This is done through wacky, sinister phrases like "collywobbles jingle bobs" and "It's a bad day for us but a good day for doggies!"
In Goodbye Mr Rat we meet Gabriel King, a former IRA volunteer who became an informer and then fled to America, where he met Beni Banikin, a lesbian Amish writer from Indiana. Soon afterwards, Gabriel died from prostate cancer. In accordance with his final wishes, Beni brings Gabriel's ashes back to a small village in Ireland to be scattered.
It's at this stage of the story that McCabe descends into farce mode: Gabriel witnesses his own mock funeral, where former Republican comrades pay their respects by stamping his ashes on to the carpet of the local pub, and drunkenly bid farewell with abusive remarks like "Goodbye Mr Rat!" and "Goodbye fucker!"
Details of both novels are laid out in hoodwinks, sly remarks and warped sexual innuendoes, rather than a plot line of the conventional sort.
Over his distinguished career, McCabe has probably written too much fiction for his own good. Sometimes this has damaged his reputation. But this latest offering is a rewarding experience which sees the master of the Irish gothic genre return to his best form in years.
