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A pig escapes from its pen and roots up the garden of Kitty McCloud, a bestselling novelist who “corrects” the classics. What the obstreperous little pig unearths is evidence of a possible transgression that the novel’s three Irish characters—the plagiarizing Kitty, her blood-feud rival Kieran, and a sexy swineherd named Lolly—are convinced the other has probably benefited from.
How this hilarious mystery is resolved inspires both comic eloquence and a theatrically colorful canvas depicting the brooding Irish land and seascape.
Unhappy in love, New York creative writing instructor Aaron McCloud, 32, arrives in Western Ireland's County Kerry to suffer amid its natural beauty in this very funny sixth novel from Caldwell (The Uncle from Rome). Aaron stays with his aunt Kitty, who makes a living rewriting the classics (her version of Oliver Twist features lots of repentance), but Aaron's wallow in self-pity is interrupted by a lost pig that attaches itself to him. When the pig digs up a human skeleton buried in the backyard, Kitty identifies the remains as the missing Declan Tovey and blames the pig's mischievous owner, Lolly McKeever. But Lolly won't admit to owning the pig, let alone killing Declan, and Aaron, for his part, is attracted to Lolly and suspicious of his aunt, who had her own reasons for wanting Declan dead. The stage is set for an Irish country comedy of manners in which darts, pints, pigs and burial plots all play a part. Caldwell's shaggy pig story, the first of a projected trilogy, puts farcical doings into lilting language and provides a payoff that is as unexpected as it is satisfying. (Jan.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationAn out-of-control pig starts the spirited plot rolling in this sixth novel from Caldwell. After several failed love affairs, Aaron McCloud leaves New York for Ireland to feel sorry for himself in the comfort of his Aunt Kitty's house. His bus ride to her village halts abruptly when an overturned truck tips out a load of pigs. His self-indulgent suffering will have to wait. One of the pigs follows him to her house, gets loose, and digs up her garden. What Aaron takes for a scarecrow in the dirt is a dead body, which Kitty recognizes as Declan Tovey, an itinerant handyman. She accuses her neighbor, Lolly McKeever, of murdering him. Then Lolly accuses friend Kieran Sweeney of killing Declan out of jealousy. No, says Sweeney. Kitty did it. Aaron is confused; with a renegade pig, an unearthed corpse, and a secret priest's tunnel in evidence, his suffering will have to be postponed yet again. In the lilting style of an Irish storyteller, Caldwell (Uncle from Rome) offers a hilarious ramble through a small Irish village with dart games, flowing Guinness, and a true Irish wake. Highly recommended for all public libraries.
—Donna Bettencourt
Hoodo
Posted April 6, 2011
self-examination, drawn out physical description and yet the pig plays only a small part. Usually I don't like to get to the end of a good book, but couldn't wait for the last page of this one.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The book had several funny parts but as a whole it didn't keep my attention. The funniest parts were of course when the Irish characters were involved. But the main character is an American born Irish man who is a melodramatic creative writing professor. So the majority of the book is his thoughts written as an English professor would write them. It made the book feel like it was trying to be some great literary piece instead of what it should have been, a fun read about Irish antics.
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Posted March 30, 2008
I usually read murder and mayhem. But this title got my attention. I'm glad it did. Some of the chapters made me laugh so hard my kids came into my room to see what I was 'watching'. I'm Irish as well and now I now why my husband says the big 'I' (comical insanity} runs through my veins.
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Posted March 20, 2008
This book is a delightful read! Found myself laughing out loud! Loved the pig and his true pig antics!
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Posted January 22, 2008
This is an absolutely delightful novel. There's mystery, love, humor, and imagination throughout. I read it in one day's time and laughed on almost every page ... sometimes outloud. It is definitely a worthwhile read.
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Posted February 28, 2008
Sometimes cute but for the most part I found it didn't hold my interest.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.After another failed love, thirty-two years old creative writing teacher Aaron McCloud escapes New York to spend time with his Aunt Kitty in County Kerry, Ireland. Kitty like her nephew is a writer, but instead of instructing others she earns a lucrative living rewriting the classics. Aaron figures that the great English authors like Shakespeare and Dickens are turning in their grave.----------- Although he feels like a failure with his female relationships, Aaron finds a lost pig that adopts him wherever Aaron goes the pig is sure to follow him. When the pig digging in the back yard uncovers a human skeleton, Kitty says he is the missing Declan Tovey. She believes the pig¿s owner, Lolly McKeever is behind the death and burial, but she won¿t admit even owning the pig. Although he learns Lolly had a motive for Declan¿s death, Aaron is attracted to her while also wonders if his aunt, who butchers the language, might be a modern day Lady Macbeth.----------- The western Irish countryside is rarely this much macabre fun as found in THE PIG DID IT, a terrific character study. Joseph Caldwell satirizes manners using the pig and the corpse to force everyone to wrestle in the mud, dirt and sea. The whodunit is cleverly designed not as much as a murder mystery, but more to allow readers to look deep into the souls of the prime trio especially the visiting American, who must choose between desire and blood.------------- Harriet Klausner
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Posted December 19, 2011
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Overview
A pig escapes from its pen and roots up the garden of Kitty McCloud, a bestselling novelist who “corrects” the classics. What the obstreperous little pig unearths is evidence of a possible transgression that the novel’s three Irish characters—the plagiarizing Kitty, her blood-feud rival Kieran, and a sexy swineherd named Lolly—are convinced the other has probably benefited from.
How this hilarious mystery is resolved inspires both comic eloquence and a theatrically colorful canvas depicting the brooding Irish land and seascape.