Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Pyr (Amherst, N.Y., 2007). 1st edition, 1st printing. 357 pages. $25.00.
Description
Think Bladerunner Be seduced, amazed, and shocked by one of the worldâ??s greatest and strangest nations. Past, present, and future Brazil, with all its color, passion, and shifting realities, come together in a novel that is part SF, part history, part mystery, and entirely enthralling. Three separate stories follow three main characters: Edson is a self-made talent impresario one step up from the slums in a near future SĂŁo Paulo of astonishing riches and poverty. A chance encounter draws Edson into the dangerous world of illegal quantum computing, but where can you run in a total surveillance society where every move, face, and centavo is constantly tracked? Marcelina is an ambitious Rio TV producer looking for that big reality TV hit to make her name. When her hot idea leads her on the track of a disgraced World Cup soccer goalkeeper, she becomes enmeshed in an ancient conspiracy that threatens not just her life, but her very soul. Father Luis is a Jesuit missionary sent into the maelstrom of 18th-century Brazil to locate and punish a rogue priest who has strayed beyond the articles of his faith and set up a vast empire in the hinterland. In the company of a French geographer and spy, what he finds in the backwaters of the Amazon tries both his faith and the nature of reality itself to the breaking point. Three characters, three stories, three Brazils, all linked together across time, space, and reality in a hugely ambitious story that will challenge the way you think about everyt… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Joycepa
Three very different people--Marcelina, a reality TV producer living in Rio de Janeiro in 2006, who is also an accomplished capoeirista; Edson, a self-made talent impresario who still has deep roots in the favelas and crime of the SĂŁo Paulo of 2032; Father Louis Quinn, S.J., who, in 1732, has been
If this sounds like a confusing summary, it is. The book is a large, confusing collage of these three stories whose relevance to each other does not become clear until the very spectacular end.
Clearly this is a science fiction story. But in many ways, it doesn't feel like a science fiction story, simply because of where McDonald has chosen to set his story--the country of Brasil (real spelling), which even in our time and universe has an exotic, not-quite-real feel to it.
Having spent a great deal of time in Brasil, both in the northeast and in the Amazon region, I read anything written about Brasil or set in Brasil sceptically. It has been my experience that no one can capture the essence of either the country, the people, or the culture without having spent more than a few weeks in tourist hotels and reading guide books, emphatically so if one does not speak Portuguese. And the Amazon region is a world apart.
So, I was astonished to find that McDonald has indeed portrayed aspects of Brasilian culture in this book, especially that of capoeira, what is erroneously looked upon as the sport (it isn't) of Brasilian "kick boxing" (for want of a more accurate term). Capoeira, especially as described in the book, is a way of life, practically a religion.
And that is another aspect that McDonald has managed to convey well--the religion, West African in origin, of candomblé, which has incorporated aspects of Catholicism into its belief system.
I think he is less successful with his cities. For all that some famous Rio landmarks are mentioned, the cities could very well be almost any large metropolitan area in any non-first-world country in the world. The favelas of SĂŁo Paulo, however, rang true, even in 2032. He's done somewhat better with the Amazon area, although even then the story--which takes place on the Rio Branco some distance from the Amazon River itself--subsumes the region thanks to the intensity of the plot and the surprises in it.
All that aside, the story is a brilliant example of the genre. Confusing at the beginning, it leaves you wondering where the author could possibly be going with these three very separate threads. You soon find out; by the middle of the book, it becomes as good a page-turner as any mystery/thriller.
Highly recommended.
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tasked by his order to track down and bring to heel an errant Jesuit in a remote area of the Amazon River Basin--suddenly find themselves a part of inexplicable events, of interest to people who simply can not exist in their worlds--and in reality, who DON'T live in their worlds or time. All three are stunned to discover that there are an infinite number of alternate universes, and ways of traveling among and between those universes. All three, separately and together with unlikely companions from the three different time periods and universes--struggle in a confrontation with The Order, a group determined to keep the status quo among the alternate universes. Unfortunately, the status quo is something akin to an entropic death eventually. There is a possible way out, risky but one that holds hope for the future. The Order prefers the Devil it knows to the one that may or may not exist. Thus a monumental struggle over times and spaces with these three very unlikely protagonists in what is in reality a war to control all the known universes.If this sounds like a confusing summary, it is. The book is a large, confusing collage of these three stories whose relevance to each other does not become clear until the very spectacular end.
Clearly this is a science fiction story. But in many ways, it doesn't feel like a science fiction story, simply because of where McDonald has chosen to set his story--the country of Brasil (real spelling), which even in our time and universe has an exotic, not-quite-real feel to it.
Having spent a great deal of time in Brasil, both in the northeast and in the Amazon region, I read anything written about Brasil or set in Brasil sceptically. It has been my experience that no one can capture the essence of either the country, the people, or the culture without having spent more than a few weeks in tourist hotels and reading guide books, emphatically so if one does not speak Portuguese. And the Amazon region is a world apart.
So, I was astonished to find that McDonald has indeed portrayed aspects of Brasilian culture in this book, especially that of capoeira, what is erroneously looked upon as the sport (it isn't) of Brasilian "kick boxing" (for want of a more accurate term). Capoeira, especially as described in the book, is a way of life, practically a religion.
And that is another aspect that McDonald has managed to convey well--the religion, West African in origin, of candomblé, which has incorporated aspects of Catholicism into its belief system.
I think he is less successful with his cities. For all that some famous Rio landmarks are mentioned, the cities could very well be almost any large metropolitan area in any non-first-world country in the world. The favelas of SĂŁo Paulo, however, rang true, even in 2032. He's done somewhat better with the Amazon area, although even then the story--which takes place on the Rio Branco some distance from the Amazon River itself--subsumes the region thanks to the intensity of the plot and the surprises in it.
All that aside, the story is a brilliant example of the genre. Confusing at the beginning, it leaves you wondering where the author could possibly be going with these three very separate threads. You soon find out; by the middle of the book, it becomes as good a page-turner as any mystery/thriller.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
As with many of Ian McDonald's other novels, there are parallel protagonists and plot strands that are brought together only at the end of Brasyl. The unusual thing in this case is that they run "parallel" in the first and fourth decades of the twenty-first century, and in the fourth decade of the
Brasyl was the first novel I'd read in quite a long while that had a glossary at the back. And it was helpful, because of the frequent use of Portuguese in the story. In fact, I sometimes ended up looking for words that weren't even in the glossary. I don't feel like really gained a richer appreciation for Brazilian culture from this book, but the setting was densely presented and effective in framing the story.
There is a cinematic feel to the story, and despite an explicit homage to Terry Gilliam's ("wrong") Brazil (214), the ideal directors for this one would be the Wachowskis--the book is suffused with their most conspicuous themes, tropes, and concepts, from The Matrix to Cloud Atlas to Sense8.
I enjoyed Brasyl a lot, but it seemed to have only about half of the overall length and primary character populations found in River of Gods or The Dervish House, and I think I preferred the more sprawling feel and longer immersion that those others supplied. (Of those three "New World Order" books, The Dervish House is probably my favorite.)
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eighteenth century. Their eventual interaction is neither on the plane of simple historical causality, nor is it a matter of "time travel" as usually understood.Brasyl was the first novel I'd read in quite a long while that had a glossary at the back. And it was helpful, because of the frequent use of Portuguese in the story. In fact, I sometimes ended up looking for words that weren't even in the glossary. I don't feel like really gained a richer appreciation for Brazilian culture from this book, but the setting was densely presented and effective in framing the story.
There is a cinematic feel to the story, and despite an explicit homage to Terry Gilliam's ("wrong") Brazil (214), the ideal directors for this one would be the Wachowskis--the book is suffused with their most conspicuous themes, tropes, and concepts, from The Matrix to Cloud Atlas to Sense8.
I enjoyed Brasyl a lot, but it seemed to have only about half of the overall length and primary character populations found in River of Gods or The Dervish House, and I think I preferred the more sprawling feel and longer immersion that those others supplied. (Of those three "New World Order" books, The Dervish House is probably my favorite.)
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LibraryThing member kd9
I am quite fond of Ian McDonald's writing. I voted River of Gods, his novel set in India, as Best Novel for the Hugo Awards, but I have to say that I had a hard time getting into this novel. I even read several other things in between starting this book and finishing it. This may be because of his
In the end, the three braided stories of an eighteenth century Jesuit in the heart of the Amazon jungle, a contemporary television producer in Rio, and boy from the street of a future Sao Paulo, do come together most satisfyingly. I raced through the last 100 pages and found the novel both thought provoking and intriguing.
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extensive use of Brazilian words and phrases, even thought there is a glossary in the back of the book. Most science fiction readers are used to finding out the meaning of odd words in the context of the story, but this time it doesn't work as well.In the end, the three braided stories of an eighteenth century Jesuit in the heart of the Amazon jungle, a contemporary television producer in Rio, and boy from the street of a future Sao Paulo, do come together most satisfyingly. I raced through the last 100 pages and found the novel both thought provoking and intriguing.
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LibraryThing member BobNolin
A difficult novel to get through, it never really caught fire. Part of the problem was the lack of English at critical places. A lot of (I suppose) Portuguese words, and only a few of them were listed in the glossary. I wasn't looking for a Portuguese/English dictionary, but there were an awful lot
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of words not included that should have been. There are three stories here (one in 1732, one in 2033, one in the present day), and a common thread gradually appears, though it's never very clear. It's a many-worlds story, which somehow allows for time travel. After the far superior "River of Gods," "Brasyl" was a disappointment. Show Less
LibraryThing member ScoLgo
What a great and trippy book! Three time-lines; The first, set in present-day Brazil, follows a media producer looking for her next hit reality TV show. Another, in a near-future cyberpunk setting, follows an androgynous young street hustler as he finds himself on the run with his dead girlfriend's
Highly recommended but bear in mind that you will need patience at the beginning because things don't start to come together until about halfway through the book. For those who need it, (me!), the glossary of terms is also helpful for gaining traction with the liberal use of Portuguese throughout the narrative. It's not as dense as say, the made-up language of A Clockwork Orange, but I found the language issue to be rather heavy going at the beginning. It is all worth it in the end though.
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double. The third is an 18th-century piece of historical fiction following the exploits of an Irish Jesuit warrior priest and a French scientist who have come together in the Brazilian jungle while pursuing their assigned missions. Somehow, from these seemingly disparate settings characters and events, McDonald weaves a masterful tale of particle physics, multi-dimensional travel, secret societies waging war to preserve or destroy the multiverse, and a final explanation for Life, The Universe, and Everything that is definitely more complete than merely '42'. I have not read such a nicely rendered explanation for a vastly complex scenario since finishing The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. I found the denouement in this book to be simply stunning.Highly recommended but bear in mind that you will need patience at the beginning because things don't start to come together until about halfway through the book. For those who need it, (me!), the glossary of terms is also helpful for gaining traction with the liberal use of Portuguese throughout the narrative. It's not as dense as say, the made-up language of A Clockwork Orange, but I found the language issue to be rather heavy going at the beginning. It is all worth it in the end though.
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LibraryThing member slothman
McDonald brings us a tale of intrigue rooted in the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, set in Brazil with narrative threads in past, present, and future. The depiction of the many-worlds interpretation is one of the best I've seen in science fiction, giving a strong sense of just how
Like River of Gods, Brasyl is a feast of cultural immersion; I would love to read this book in hypertext form with links to show all the nuances he depicts.
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fundamentally weird it is rather than invoking those key words to depict a handful of timelines.Like River of Gods, Brasyl is a feast of cultural immersion; I would love to read this book in hypertext form with links to show all the nuances he depicts.
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LibraryThing member clong
I thought this book had a strong beginning, but it never really gelled. I found the jumping between three different story lines narrative format problematic, with none of the three tales ever developing much momentum. While I’m not a big fan of the needlessly-bloated, I’d say that this is a
Marcelina had a lot of promise as a character, and I was quite interested to see where he was going to take her. But from the point she actually met her doppelganger she became little more than a characature. And I’d have to say that the setting didn’t really feel like now to me; though I can’t claim to have any familiarity with the world of tabloid television in today’s Brazil.
The Edson section never really grabbed me, nor did I find his relationships with Fia1 or Fia2 to really make much sense. His interactions with Mr. Peach were much more interesting. I will say that the City of Trash was one of the highlights of the book.
The Quinn/Falcon section was the only one that ever really engaged me. I liked both these characters, and I cared about what was going to happen to them. But again, their story felt simple and sketchy.
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book that would have benefited from each of the three storylines being a bit more fleshed out. Perhaps more importantly, McDonald never really sold me on the critical underlying premises of this universe. I found myself constantly thinking about reasons why things that were happening were implausible if not paradoxical.Marcelina had a lot of promise as a character, and I was quite interested to see where he was going to take her. But from the point she actually met her doppelganger she became little more than a characature. And I’d have to say that the setting didn’t really feel like now to me; though I can’t claim to have any familiarity with the world of tabloid television in today’s Brazil.
The Edson section never really grabbed me, nor did I find his relationships with Fia1 or Fia2 to really make much sense. His interactions with Mr. Peach were much more interesting. I will say that the City of Trash was one of the highlights of the book.
The Quinn/Falcon section was the only one that ever really engaged me. I liked both these characters, and I cared about what was going to happen to them. But again, their story felt simple and sketchy.
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LibraryThing member clothingoptional
A fantastic read. Well-deserving of the Hugo nomination.
The marketing blurb on the inside of the dust jacket tries to tie Brasyl to Bladerunner, but really I didn't see it at all. However, what Brasyl turns out to be is a fantastic romp through three time periods in Brazil. McDonald gives a great
As a whole, quite wonderful. Yet, I would love to see McDonald write an entire book set in 16th century Brazil. This is really the strongest part of the book and a subject the author truly loves.
The marketing blurb on the inside of the dust jacket tries to tie Brasyl to Bladerunner, but really I didn't see it at all. However, what Brasyl turns out to be is a fantastic romp through three time periods in Brazil. McDonald gives a great
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overview of quantum theory to boot.As a whole, quite wonderful. Yet, I would love to see McDonald write an entire book set in 16th century Brazil. This is really the strongest part of the book and a subject the author truly loves.
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LibraryThing member cybergeist
Excellent book following three interconnected stories set in different time periods and realities in Brasil...I was a bit confused after the first read, but it made a lot more sense after the second...but then maybe I'm just a bit slow :)
LibraryThing member tpi
This was the first book by Ian McDonald I have read. The plot was interesting, even engaging at times. But the writing was horribly loose and overwritten, and especially in the beginning before I got used to large amount of Portuguese words scattered everywhere this was really, really slow read.
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Why say something simply, when you can use a few flowery and long sentences without commas to say the same thing? :-) This book didn't give me any need to sample something else McDonald has written. Second this years' Hugo nominated book I have read. At this time "No award" is still my first choice in the novel category. Show Less
LibraryThing member BillHall
A fascinating book set in vibrant landscapes and populated by extreme (but believable) characters that are unlike those in any of the thousands of other SciFi books I have read.
Although the science component is not immediately evident, Ian McDonald's book explores the quantum multiverse of
The main characters are also initriguing. The main characters in 1732 were Father Quinn, an Irish Jesuit admonitory sent to check up on rumors of another priest gone feral deep in Amazonia; and Robert Falcon, a geographer - clearly based on the historical astronomer, Charles Marie de La Condamine (see Wikipedia), who explored the Amazon as part of the French Geodesic Mission in the late 1730's. In 2006 the main character is Marcelina Hoffman, a hyperkinetic TV producer of over the top "reality documentaries" who dabbles in marshal arts and drugs. Marcelina's TV colleagues, family and neighbors fill supporting roles. In 2032 the main characters are the 20 something bisexual Edson Jesus Oliveira de Freitas; Edson's patron, Mr Peach, a gay aristocratic physics teacher at the University who is into superhero fetishism; and Fia Kishida, who had been one of Mr Peach's students in quantum theory and her doppleganger from another thread in the multiverse.
Towards the end, the physics and the interactions between the different times and threads become more apparent, although at the end, the resolution seemed a bit confusing to me.
The only weaknesses in the writing are perhaps an overuse of untranslated Brazilian slang and problems I had understanding the resolution. Nevertheless, the book is very close to five star for me.
Although the science component is not immediately evident, Ian McDonald's book explores the quantum multiverse of
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tropical Brazil in three temporal epochs, Amazonia in 1732, and Rio de Janiero in 2006 and 2032. Compared to the bland worlds and peoples of temperate climates, tropical Brazil is bright, teaming and frenetically exciting. The characters use a lot of Brazilian slang (enough that a glossary the could have been even more extensive is required). The main characters are also initriguing. The main characters in 1732 were Father Quinn, an Irish Jesuit admonitory sent to check up on rumors of another priest gone feral deep in Amazonia; and Robert Falcon, a geographer - clearly based on the historical astronomer, Charles Marie de La Condamine (see Wikipedia), who explored the Amazon as part of the French Geodesic Mission in the late 1730's. In 2006 the main character is Marcelina Hoffman, a hyperkinetic TV producer of over the top "reality documentaries" who dabbles in marshal arts and drugs. Marcelina's TV colleagues, family and neighbors fill supporting roles. In 2032 the main characters are the 20 something bisexual Edson Jesus Oliveira de Freitas; Edson's patron, Mr Peach, a gay aristocratic physics teacher at the University who is into superhero fetishism; and Fia Kishida, who had been one of Mr Peach's students in quantum theory and her doppleganger from another thread in the multiverse.
Towards the end, the physics and the interactions between the different times and threads become more apparent, although at the end, the resolution seemed a bit confusing to me.
The only weaknesses in the writing are perhaps an overuse of untranslated Brazilian slang and problems I had understanding the resolution. Nevertheless, the book is very close to five star for me.
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LibraryThing member AwesomeAud
I got this 2007 trade softcover at a remainder book store on Fairway Road in Kitchener.
A rather confusing story with three main threads. In Rio de Janeiro, 2006, Marcillina, a reality television producer seeks to find an old football (soccer) player who let down the entire country of Brazil during
All in all, very strange and hard to follow, but for some reason I rather liked the main characters, and that kept me going.
A rather confusing story with three main threads. In Rio de Janeiro, 2006, Marcillina, a reality television producer seeks to find an old football (soccer) player who let down the entire country of Brazil during
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the world championships in the 1950s. Suddenly, she finds that her doppelganger is sabotaging her life. In Sao Paulo, 2032, we follow Edson, a maker of shady deals trying to go straight with his talent agency. He gets mixed up with a quantum computer programmer, and his life becomes unpredictable. In 1732 we follow Father Luis Quinn as he travels up the Amazon in search of a rogue priest said to be either enslaving or converting the natives against the dictates of the Church. Quinn encounters a tribe that is said to have the ability to see into the future, and Quinn learns their secret.All in all, very strange and hard to follow, but for some reason I rather liked the main characters, and that kept me going.
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LibraryThing member pgmcc
Quantum computing and the “multiverse” are the science behind McDonald’s tale of futuristic life in Sao Paulo, missionary efforts and heresy up the Amazon in the 1700s, and the sleaze of reality TV in present day Rio de Janeiro. Religion versus science is the underlying struggle that reveals
McDonald also touches on criminality, corruption, religious sects, slum existence, life in the jungle, designer cosmetic surgery, dreams and loss.
The characters and relationships in each of the three time slots covered are interesting and of their time. Louis Quinn, a Jesuit priest with a less than Jesuitical past, is the main character in 1732; Marcelina Hoffman is the centre of the action in 2006; Edson Jesus Oliveira de Freitas is the gender-shifting, small-time-want-to-make-it-big wheeler-dealer, sorry, entrepreneur, from 2032 Sao Paulo, who holds things together in the future.
The novel starts in the year 2006 with an amazing surveillance operation that will amuse and get people thinking about what is right and what is wrong. 2032 Sao Paulo is then introduced with football being a major theme. 1732 is introduced as our Jesuit priest arrives to carry out a most challenging task. The novel carries on with the interweaving of the three time-slots.
This is a fascinating read for many reasons, including the Brazilian history it contains, the appetite whetting for more information on quantum physics, and the underlying struggle between religious belief and scientific fact.
As is his wont, McDonald has include language of the locality, i.e. Portuguese. A glossary provides some useful explanations and translations.
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itself as the reader progresses thorough the story.McDonald also touches on criminality, corruption, religious sects, slum existence, life in the jungle, designer cosmetic surgery, dreams and loss.
The characters and relationships in each of the three time slots covered are interesting and of their time. Louis Quinn, a Jesuit priest with a less than Jesuitical past, is the main character in 1732; Marcelina Hoffman is the centre of the action in 2006; Edson Jesus Oliveira de Freitas is the gender-shifting, small-time-want-to-make-it-big wheeler-dealer, sorry, entrepreneur, from 2032 Sao Paulo, who holds things together in the future.
The novel starts in the year 2006 with an amazing surveillance operation that will amuse and get people thinking about what is right and what is wrong. 2032 Sao Paulo is then introduced with football being a major theme. 1732 is introduced as our Jesuit priest arrives to carry out a most challenging task. The novel carries on with the interweaving of the three time-slots.
This is a fascinating read for many reasons, including the Brazilian history it contains, the appetite whetting for more information on quantum physics, and the underlying struggle between religious belief and scientific fact.
As is his wont, McDonald has include language of the locality, i.e. Portuguese. A glossary provides some useful explanations and translations.
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LibraryThing member comixminx
As a half-Brazilian who speaks Portuguese, I came to this from a different angle compared to many readers.McDonald has done a good job in integrating the Brazilian cultural references and language into the text, with few mistakes - but there's just so much of it that it feels larded on, used as
The plot itself and the story drew me in, though only from part-way through rather than immediately. It's pacy and readable. I can't say that the denouement (full of battle, blood, and gore) was my sort of thing though. So it worked for me some of the time but not all.
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scenery. (As an aside, I would really like to read a book genuinely dealing with Brazilian issues and concerns - which this one doesn't - in a similar mix of languages, feeling like it comes from the heart and not as set-dressing.)The plot itself and the story drew me in, though only from part-way through rather than immediately. It's pacy and readable. I can't say that the denouement (full of battle, blood, and gore) was my sort of thing though. So it worked for me some of the time but not all.
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LibraryThing member jkdavies
Much more fun this time around... I remember being slightly dazed the first time I read it, the tumult of all the characters, the cities, the places... but this time, the threads linking everything seemed smoother, clearer, and Ian Mcdonald's superb use of language shone through
LibraryThing member hopeevey
Ian McDonald's Braysyl takes place in Brazil, but in three different time lines - 2006, 2032, and and 1732. The separate story-lines don't so much come together, as you discover they were never actually separate.
I love the book, but I can't recommend it to just anyone. If you know something about
The story is very set in Brazil. Especially at first, I felt like I needed a primer on Brazilian culture and history. The text is littered with Portuguese words, because there simply aren't good English equivalents. The glossary is a big help with that, but it's confusing until you get used to to the bilingualism of the story. It also seems to presuppose familiarity with Brazil, but I managed to pick up enough from context to get by. The story hops from time-line to time-line, without a clear reason for why or when it switches, which just adds to the confusion.
But it's a great story, if you can get to it. I don't think it could be told any other way. For me, the pay-off was well worth the effort, but your mileage will vary.
I love the book, but I can't recommend it to just anyone. If you know something about
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Brazil, if you're prone to being seduced by outstandingly well-written characters, and if you can keep track of three distinct story-lines, you may come to love Braysyl like I do. Or you might hate it. It's a difficult read. I didn't much care for it at first. I only got excited about reading it as the characters came to life for me. The story is very set in Brazil. Especially at first, I felt like I needed a primer on Brazilian culture and history. The text is littered with Portuguese words, because there simply aren't good English equivalents. The glossary is a big help with that, but it's confusing until you get used to to the bilingualism of the story. It also seems to presuppose familiarity with Brazil, but I managed to pick up enough from context to get by. The story hops from time-line to time-line, without a clear reason for why or when it switches, which just adds to the confusion.
But it's a great story, if you can get to it. I don't think it could be told any other way. For me, the pay-off was well worth the effort, but your mileage will vary.
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Subjects
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 2008)
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 2008)
Locus Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 2008)
SF Site Reader's Choice (2007)
Gaylactic Spectrum Award (Nominee — Novel — 2008)
SF Site Editor's Choice (#1 — 2007)
John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (Finalist — 2008)
British Science Fiction Association Award (Shortlist — Novel — 2007)
Warwick Prize for Writing (Longlist — 2009)
Locus Recommended Reading (2007)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-05
Physical description
357 p.; 6.2 inches
ISBN
9781591025436
Local notes
Inscribed (Dublin, August 2019).