After suffering a catastrophic breakdown, J.J. O'Malley volunteers for a government project exploring the possibility of using coma as a means to keep prisoners under control. Floating in a maintained coma on a prison ship off the west coast of Ireland, his coma goes viral and the nation turns to watch. Brilliantly imagined and artfully constructed - merging science fiction with an affectionate portrait of small town Ireland - Notes from a Coma is a compassionate examination of a man cursed with guilt and genius.
Praise for "Notes from a Coma""A cross between "1984 "and "The X-Files."... "Notes From a Coma "establishes McCormack as one of the most original and important voices in contemporary Irish fiction. "Irish Times "(original review) "The greatest Irish novel of the decade just ended." "Irish Times" "" "McCormack's language is lovely, lyrical...his humor is dark, macabre; the words glimmer like a spell." "Time Out" The testimony about JJ's life is written with a sad and touching simplicity.... Intriguing. "Wall Street Journal" Subtle but haunting storytelling mixes with an insightful examination into the ethics of the penal system to produce an unusual and unforgettable read. "Publishers Weekly," STARRED Review A major talent in Irish fiction.....McCormack slyly and brilliantly satirizes, among many other things, our fixations with celebrity and high-priced medical technology. "Booklist""" Additional events and commentary take place literarily underneath these chapters in long footnotes.... [They underscore] how unique and noteworthy this unusual novel truly is and why McCormack undeniably deserves a wider audience on this side of the globe. Bookgasm An intriguing novel that touches on many of the moral and ethical questions of the day. Mike McCormack is one to watch. Book Chase A great work of literary/psychological fiction...well worth the read. A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall Are you ready for something mind-bending, something intelligent, introspective, and quintessentially Irish? Five men volunteer to enter a comatose state to test a new idea for incarceration of criminals. The novel makes a subtle statement on today s politics, spirituality, and even celebrity worship. Mary T. of R.J. Julia Booksellers "Compelling....A story of politics, psychology, metaphysics, and family that defies easy classification." Required Reading Praise for Mike McCormack"McCormack's obsessions at times converge with those explored by Ian McEwan, Will Self and J. G. Ballard, but his clever ideas and fluid, gracefully morbid style are all his own." "GQ" "When venturing into the realm of the macabre, a writer gains a distinct advantage if he has a sense of discipline and a sense of humor ... Mike McCormack has both to spare.... Like parables in their easy transcendence of setting and time, the most audacious stories are classics." "The New York Times Book Review""
Mike McCormack is an award-winning novelist and short story writer from Mayo. His previous work includes Getting it in the Head (1996) and Forensic Songs (2012). In 1996 he was awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature for Getting it in the Head and in 2007 he was awarded a Civitella Ranieri Fellowship. In 2016, Solar Bones won the Goldsmiths Prize and the BGE Irish Book of the Year award.
