Skippy Dies

Skippy Dies (2010) by Paul Murray. Skippy, also known as Daniel, does indeed die, in the first chapter of the book. Skippy is, or was, a student at Seabrook College, a school for boys in Ireland. But his death is not the last we hear of him, far from it. The first half of the book, after the first chapter, is a long flashback of Skippy's life as a student at Seabrook, and out of it comes a clear explanation of why he died. Also serving as protagonists are Howard the Coward, a teacher at Seabrook who becomes romantically involved with a female substitute teacher; Ruprecht, a student, a corpulent genius who schemes to open up a gateway between this world and the other dimensions predicted by string theory; Barry and Carl, small-time drug dealers and bullies; Lori, the object of Skippy's affections and a very mixed-up girl; and other minor characters, all vividly drawn and fascinating to read about. The book has a lot to say about various subjects, among them school politics, love, sex, war, popular music and 21st century culture. I found it to be a good read, never boring, and capable of being profoundly moving, while still at times hilarious. Grade: A