In Dublin, a newspaper editor called Cartwright is found dead. One of his colleagues, Owen Simmons, discovers a dossier on Cartwright’s desk containing a photograph that brings him back to a dusty road in Africa and to a woman he once loved.
Not Untrue & Not Unkind is Owen’s story—a gripping tale of friendship, rivalry, and betrayal among a group of journalists and photographers covering Africa’s wars. It is an astonishingly powerful and accomplished debut that immediately establishes Ed O’Loughlin as a mature master of the novel form.
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"I really enjoyed this book. It was gritty and exciting and I think it might be a L-B1 but I couldn't be sure so please don't take my word for it." — Anne-Marie (4 out of 5 stars)
"I really enjoyed this book. It was gritty and exciting and I think it might be a L-B1 but I couldn't be sure so please don't take my word for it."
“Fantastic writing, great subject…The most exciting first novel I have read in many years.”
“A fine, darkly authoritative novel.”
“With its intensely evocative language and atmosphere of looming tragedy, Not Untrue & Not Unkind is a book that far transcends the usual literary efforts of the former combat reporter. It stands as an elegy not only for Simmons’ band of colleagues but for a golden era of journalism.”
“A page-turning novel…O’Loughlin’s writing is vividly descriptive and evokes the sights and sounds of war-torn Africa…gripping.”
“The writing…combines both straight reportage and lyricism.”
“O’Loughlin is a graceful writer. He can evoke a scene or a character in a few short sentences.”
“Comes alive through vibrant but restrained prose. [O’Loughlin’s] words flow from the page, making it an easy, albeit sad, read…[A] great success.”
“Passionate, colorful…Love story and tragedy, mystery and professional satire (à la Evelyn Waugh’s Scoop) all rolled into one.”
“One of the most powerful debut Irish novels of the last decade.”
“[O’Loughlin] set himself a lofty goal, and he largely achieves it…[Not Untrue & Not Unkind] vividly re-creates the life of a foreign correspondent.”
“O’Loughlin’s spare style is reminiscent of Hemingway’s…Contains equal measures of beauty and brutality.”
" An interesting read, especially as it's told from a journalist's perspective of the African wars, but the narrative wanders and the framing device ends up being a crutch instead of an easel. "
" Longlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize, very strange story about journalists and photographers in Africa and India during coups and uprisings. Dark writing, very descriptive and felt pretty real. "
" Great story, and great insight into Africa and the world of war correspondents. "
" This was okay, but seemed to be missing something. More later. "
" Irish reporter in Africa, could have been written better, it read more like a tv show. "
" Made it half way. Too many characters, too confusing. Did not live up to its reviews. "
" Liked the descriptive words. Would have liked to have the story filled out with more detail of the people. The book seems more like an outlineof ideas than a complete story. "
" So far I am not enjoying this reporters-in-Africa tale. "
" Good read, brilliant plot twist. A great insight into '90s Africa violence and atrocities. "
" "Darkly authoritative" depiction of the world of journalism and correspondents. "
" So bad, that despite persevering to almost halfway through, I had to pack it in. I really tried. "
" A well written interesting tale about the almost bygone days of journalism and what it means to be a free lancer in Africa. "
" I really enjoyed this book. "
" Wonderfully written novel about expat journalists based in Africa. Every page was true. "
Ed O’Loughlin was born in Toronto and raised in Ireland. He reported from Africa for the Irish Times and other papers and was Middle East correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age of Melbourne. Not Untrue & Not Unkind is his first novel. He lives in Ireland.
Gerard Doyle, a seasoned audio narrator, he has been awarded dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards, was named a Best Voice in Young Adult Fiction in 2008, and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He was born of Irish parents and raised and educated in England. In Great Britain he has enjoyed an extensive career in both television and repertory theater and toured nationally and internationally with the English Shakespeare Company. He has appeared in London’s West End in the gritty musical The Hired Man. In America he has appeared on Broadway in The Weir and on television in New York Undercover and Law & Order. He has taught drama at Ross School for the several years.
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