No News at Throat Lake: In Search of Ireland

by Lawrence Donegan

Book Overview

Sublimely funny, widely celebrated, and now available in paperback, No News at Throat Lake chronicles the adventures of Donegan--an award-winning author, journalist, and former pop star--as he escapes the madness of London life and heads out to the rural and peerlessly idiosyncratic village of Creeslough, Ireland.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671785443
• ISBN13: 9780671785444
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Washington Square Press
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Had me laughing out loud

Not since "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Post Office" have I read a book that's made me laugh like this one. Donegan's witty observations are funny and incisive without being overly smug or condescending. He has a way of couching his opinions in a way that I could relate to(referring to his grandmother's musical taste as "aural carnage" was especially sharp). Bukowski has nothing on Donegan in the dry, witty social observations department. I look forward to future works from this talented writer.

Everyday life in Ireland

Written in a spare, journalistic style, "No News" is easy to read and fun. What do Newt Gingrich, Meryl Streep and gypsies have in common? and what are they doing in a tiny Irish town? A refreshing change from the current "I bought a really great house in another country" genre, its more real-"I rented a dump because it seemed like a good idea". The ending will surprise you.A great companion to: "Round Ireland with a Fridge" and "Oh Come Ye Back to Ireland-Our First Year in County Clare".

a man who can laugh at himself

This is a fun, enjoyable book. Donegan is a self effacing man, but one who has an an ecclectic, and noteworthy series of achievements for a young man -- rock musician, golf writer, and journalist for a internationally known newspaper. Having visited Donegal and been charmed, he decides to abandon his mainstream life in Britain and embrace bucolic rural Ireland.Of Irish extraction, in typical Irish fashion, he mocks his own inadequacies and pitfalls. As his Irish period proceeds, he recognizes his naiviete in assuming that he would be embraced by and acclimate to Donegal society. He is such a likeable guy that you can't help smiling while reading of his daily struggle to make friends and to be seen as professionally credible. His descriptions of striving to make the team in Irish football are hysterical and endearing -- you both admire his persistence and his brutal honesty in sharing his mediocre performance. After a long period during which he is beginning to break into the local culture he recognizes that he is lonely -- not only for a companion, but also for the life he sought to escape. Great descriptions of the laconic, iconoclastic locals. Having myself lived in a rural area where we only began to be accepted by the locals after seven years, I could identify with Donegan. However, he is kind spirited and not resentful -- he recognizes and appreciates the cohesiveness of Donegal society. Good stuff, with a solid underlying message.

An adventure for the non-adventurous sort

Donegan's "No News At Throat Lake" has all the charm of a Bill Forsythe movie ("Local Hero") and all the adventure of the Travel Channel. In recounting his move from cosmopolitan London to rural Ireland, he embarks on the sort of journey we would like to take if we ever decided to just "do it." He negotiates the locals and even has some degree of success (though dating is just too elusive for him in Ireland). He gets a job with the local paper that is part Petticoat Junction and "All the President's Men." In short, he has one terrific adventure, and I, for one, am glad he put it all in this little book and shared with the rest of the class. It did wonders for my spirit.

Extremely entertaining

Donegan does a superb job of capturing the spirit of life in a rural Donegal town. His descriptions of the behaviors of the local residents provides the reader with a superb understanding of the pace of life in Donegal. The culture as well as the cynical wit of the Irish come across beautifully. I laughed out loud at Donegan's narrative around the Mary of Dungloe festival and his encounter with Newt Gingrich. It was a very easy read and I was disappointed to reach the conclusion. Donegan beautifully captures the Irish art of total disregard for political correctness and expressing things exactly as they are perceived. A highly recommended read for those who don't take life too seriously. Don't let the title put you off...