''Divorcing Jack'' is the

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

and first of the '' Dan Starkey'' series by Northern Irish author,

Colin Bateman Colin Bateman (known mononymously as Bateman) is a novelist, screenwriter and former journalist from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Biography Born on 13 June 1962, Bateman attended Bangor Grammar School leaving at 16 when he was hir ...

, released on 28 January 1995 through

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

. The novel was recognised as one of the ''

San Francisco Review of Books ''San Francisco Review of Books'' (''SFRB'') was a book review periodical published from the mid-1970s to 1997 in the Bay Area, California, United States. Founding editor-publisher Ronald Nowicki launched his publication April 1975, a time when ...

'' favourite "First books" of 1995–1996.

Plot

Set in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

, the novel's events follow a turbulent period in the life of married, cynical and usually drunk journalist Dan Starkey. Dan's wife Patricia leaves him after a drunken party in which he kisses a student called Margaret. What follows is a darkly comical tale of murder and mystery.

Film adaptation

The novel was adapted by Bateman himself. Directed by

David Caffrey David Caffrey is an Irish film director. Caffrey won the Fantasporto Critics' Award in 1998 for '' Divorcing Jack'' and the Newport Beach Film Festival Audience Award for Best Feature in 2001 for ''On The Nose''. Filmography Short film Featur ...

the 1998 film stars

David Thewlis David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis (), is an English actor and filmmaker. He has appeared in a variety of genres in both film and television. He has received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and nomin ...

Reception

The novel was generally well received by critics, with praise going to Bateman's humour and wit and his creation of a likeable "

anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...

" and most criticism concerning the novel's plot. ''Kirkus Reviews'' stated that while "there's nothing special about the story", "Bateman ... has struck gold the first time out with his

mordant A mordant or dye fixative is a substance used to set (i.e., bind) dyes on fabrics. It does this by forming a coordination complex with the dye, which then attaches to the fabric (or tissue). It may be used for dyeing fabrics or for intensifying ...

, loquacious hero and his ruined landscape", stating in conclusion that "the promised sequel can't arrive too soon". ''Publishers Weekly'' took a similar stance, stating "the plot machinations are formulaic", yet tempering this by stating that "what makes this tale stand out, however, is the wit and charm of its protagonist", and that "the intricate Irish politics are gracefully rendered, and Bateman's wry take on the gritty Belfast landscape adds an appealingly light touch", concluding again that "the author apparently has another Dan Starkey novel in the works; that's very good news indeed". The novel was well received by Christina Hardyment of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', who stated that "

James Nesbitt William James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is an actor from Northern Ireland. From 1987, Nesbitt spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical '' Up on the Roof'' (1987, 1989) to the political drama ''Paddywack'' (1994). ...

's almost edible Irish voice enhances the wit and wizardry of a story that is as much a mystery novel as a romance, and which deservedly won the Betty Trask Award in 1994". In a review for

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

, reviewer Tom Grealis was a little more critical of the novel, stating "plot-wise, ''Divorcing Jack'' is far from impressive. Over-stretched and under-thought, the improbable story-line limps from chapter to chapter looking for a thread which will haul it to safety". Grealis does state, however, that "in Dan Starkey, Bateman has created a gloriously irreverent and amusing (anti) hero" and concludes "if you can forgive the hopelessly improbable plot, 'Divorcing Jack' remains a solid and humorous debut".

Awards and nominations

The novel was awarded the 1994

Betty Trask Prize The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35 who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. Each year the awards total at least , with normally one author receiving a larger prize amount ( ...

by the

Society of Authors The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. Membership of the society is open to "anyon ...

, for the best debut by a writer under the age of 35.

References

{{Colin Bateman Novels from Northern Ireland Novels set in Belfast Novels by Colin Bateman 1995 British novels British crime novels HarperCollins books British novels adapted into films 1995 debut novels