Carry Me Down

Ireland, 1971, John Egan is a misfit, ‘a twelve year old in the body of a grown man with the voice of a giant who insists on the ridiculous truth’. With an obsession for the “Guinness Book of Records” and faith in his ability to detect when adults are lying, John remains hopeful despite the unfortunate cards life deals him. During one year in John’s life, from his voice breaking, through the breaking-up of his home life, to the near collapse of his sanity, we witness the gradual unsticking of John’s mind, and the trouble that creates for him and his family.

Reviews of Carry Me Down

"This is fiction writing of the highest order." J M Coetzee "Carry Me Down is uncompromising, unputdownable and done with expert lightness. It's a work of discreet brilliance. M.J. Hyland is a truly gifted writer." Ali Smith "In beautifully detailed and understated prose, Hyland's meditation on the nature of falsehood uncovers precious truths at every turn." The Times "The only thing certain is that the writing is wonderfully crafted, astringent, pure, almost eerily free of the tics of style…Its ripples feed the seismic flow of what is an unputdownable read." The Scotsman "Carry Me Down contains echoes of Angela Carter's The Magic Toyshop. Like Carter, MJ Hyland manages to convey a sense of horror even when she describes everyday life. She presents us with a family in which weakness and brutality coexist and portrays a troubled childhood with accuracy and style." New Statesman"