Is Stuart Neville the fifth Beatle?
An edgy exchange in Stuart Neville 's The Ghosts of Belfast (The Twelve in the UK) runs thus:Anderson shook his head. "You're insane.""Getting better all the time" is the refrain of the Beatles' song "Getting Better," from their seminal (or epoch-making) album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
"I know. But I'm getting better all the time."
Fegan pulled the trigger.
Coincidence? Maybe. But what do you make of the fact that the protagonist of Neville's second novel, Collusion, is named Jack Lennon — and that he angrily insists that other characters not call him John?
Did I mention that Neville is also a musician?
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(Stuart Neville will be a member of my "Flags of Terror" panel at Bouchercon 2010 in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m.)© Peter Rozovsky 2010
Labels: Bouchercon 2010, conventions, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Stuart Neville
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 12:07 AM
6 Comments:
Peter - As I understand it, the 'fifth Beatle' was Stu (Stuart) Sutcliffe.
And they do say that the Neville has all the best tunes.
Coincidence?
Cheers, Dec
Oh, I knew the fifth Beatle was Stu Sutcliffe. Some folks would have us believe that that's a coincidence, but we know better.
I love sly little allusions like that. Its such a treat when you suss one out.
Don't forget Pete Best. Connection? Ghosts of Belfast nominated as Best Novel in several categories...
Loren, the allusions have especially great effect in these novels because their general tone is so grim. No chance of their getting lost in a sea of quips.
You ought to read the books, and not just for musical allusions.
What ever happened to Pete Shotton, Colin Hanton, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths, Enis Crabtree, Rod Davis, Jimmie Nicol, Andy White, Norman Chapman, Tommy Moore, and Chas Newby -- not to mention Murray the K?
I don't think I could connect Murray the K to either of Stuart Neville's novels.
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