Irish Literature

Time and the Woman

Eimear Mc Bride’s new novel presents us with a woman, or maybe a series of women, at various stages of life, presented within the confines…

Irish Literature

Waiting for Dilly

In Kevin Barry’s new novel two drug-dealers reminisce about their shared past in a stylised, expletive-filled Hiberno-English. The language used to disentangle their characters and…

What’s That Racket?

A Croatian dog writes about the loud love-making that is repeatedly heard in his apartment block at night, ‘the little acoustic scandal that has been…

World Literature

Symphony in Blue

Yelena Moskovich’s new novel develops depth and passion as it progresses, while never losing a sense of humour. All its early connections develop and entwine.…

World Literature

A Fire in the Brain

James Joyce never wanted to believe that his daughter could not be cured of her mental illness, saying ‘whatever spark or gift I possess has…

World Literature

Not So Simple

When a narrator declares her boredom and indifference, the danger is that this will be met with a responding yawn from an equally uninvolved reader.…

Irish Literature

Wordplay

It’s not easy being in a Joanna Walsh story. Nothing is quite as it should be and however fervently you maintain hope, that vision you…