The Companion

In this subversive comic extravaganza, Dublin-born film-school dropout Trevor finds himself washed up in New York where he answers an ad to work as a companion to Ed, a wheelchair-bound teenager with muscular dystrophy. Ed's family is very wealthy and very dysfunctional. Ed's father, a guilt-ridden judge, rarely emerges from his dusty study. Ed's morbidly obese, sexually perverse mother retired to her bed after a skiing incident ten years ago. They may live in the same luxurious apartment, but Ed and his parents barely interact. A bizarre yet touching friendship develops between Trevor and Ed–both men are equally in need of someone who can show them umderstanding and compassion.

As the boisterous narrative increasingly focuses its attention on Trevor's past and the mysterious stirrings of his psyche, Lorcan Roche's The Companion becomes a darkly humorous tale of obsession. An Irish take on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and A Confederacy of Dunces, The Companion's electrifying style, shocking finale, and its moving tale of friendship under duress all make for an immensely rewarding read.

Lorcan Roche, born in Dublin in 1963, is a journalist, playwright, travel-writer, magazine editor and a one-time male nurse. His works include award-winning plays for radio (Angel of Suburbia) and stage (Him and Her, Whatever Happened to Joe Magill, and The Old Fella). He lives in Dublin with his wife and daughter.