A clear-eyed account of alcoholism, which the author likens to ‘having a twin brother who hates you’
When it comes to drinking in Ireland, the line between what constitutes a debilitating vice and mere “good craic” can be very fine.
Beholding the cover of comedian Tadhg Hickey’s addiction memoir, a similar tonal indeterminacy is at play: it’s jaunty, featuring a mugging Hickey and arbitrary celebrity endorsements — memoir cover cliches. You’d be forgiven for thinking a silly book awaits, but, though there are some chuckles and Hickey writes with an amiable levity throughout, what you actually get is an impressively clear-eyed account of alcoholism, which Hickey likens to “having a twin brother who hates you”.
Hickey’s tortured love affair with alcohol begins in childhood. Before he even starts drinking, he basks in the pub’s atmosphere, fascinated by this strange elixir’s transformative power: “These lads had shuffled in a couple of hours ago shaky and shy — two or three pints later they were composites of Luke Kelly and Dave Allen.”
Reading about his youth, you wouldn’t begrudge Hickey for seeking oblivion. His impossibly querulous mother overprotects him to such an extent that she takes him out of school for imaginary illnesses and suggests he wear “a permanent indoor helmet”. Hickey inherited her incapacitating fear along with her alcoholism. Yet he sidesteps victimhood status while nonetheless feeling pity for his younger self.
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