Each member of the Barnes family is facing inner demons, too, which we learn about through alternating chapters dedicated to each character. In Dickie’s sections, we flash back to his past days as a Trinity College student and the secrets he kept while there, which feed into his present troubles — there’s a blackmailer threatening to destroy him. Sweet PJ is targeted by a bully who claims his mother has been ripped off by Dickie’s garage — and then he’s targeted by someone even worse. This all may sound bleak, but Murray’s writing is pure joy — propulsive, insightful and seeded with hilarious observations. Through the Barneses’ countless personal dramas, Murray explores humanity’s endless contradictions: How brutal and beautiful life is.

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Persons: Barnes, Dickie, Frank, —, Victor, Cass, Elaine, PJ, Murray, Barneses Organizations: Trinity College, Trinity