reviews
Jun 25, 2009
Pierce
rated it: 
I've been reading this on and off for quite a while. Short stories between other novels. I think this might be the first time I've ever had a very strong personal reaction to a set of short stories.
McGahern has always been there floating on the periphery for me. A man who comes up regularly as an important Irish author, but I'd just never gotten round to reading him. He died in 2006.
I think this collection has a strong overlap with The Collected Stories; it has just two new o More...
McGahern has always been there floating on the periphery for me. A man who comes up regularly as an important Irish author, but I'd just never gotten round to reading him. He died in 2006.
I think this collection has a strong overlap with The Collected Stories; it has just two new o More...
May 27, 2011
Fionnuala
rated it:
Familiar McGahern territory
The stories in this anthology are mostly set in the Leitrim and Roscommon landscape which McGahern wrote about so well and the themes are those he returned to again and again in his writing: memories of childhood; his relationship with a tyranical father; religion; sexuality; old age and death. To this reader, it seems that he was always polishing the same material as a sculptor might polish a piece of rough granite until at the end, he has a small but perfectly s More...
The stories in this anthology are mostly set in the Leitrim and Roscommon landscape which McGahern wrote about so well and the themes are those he returned to again and again in his writing: memories of childhood; his relationship with a tyranical father; religion; sexuality; old age and death. To this reader, it seems that he was always polishing the same material as a sculptor might polish a piece of rough granite until at the end, he has a small but perfectly s More...
Jul 09, 2008
After reading his novel, That They May Face the Rising Sun I couldn't wait to dive into this collection of short stories. Alas, I am a little disapponted, but I don't think its necessarily McGahern's fault. The stories are okay (not page-turning but interesting) but unlike the novel the writing doesn't make you want to reread the passages. This might have something to do with the short story format as opposed to the ebb and flow of a novel.
Mar 31, 2011
Martin
rated it: 
Wonderful collection of well-crafted stories, always vivid and compelling, frequently affecting and memorable.
Jan 05, 2012
Nov 07, 2011
Sep 28, 2011
Oct 09, 2011
Jun 07, 2011
Aug 07, 2010
Feb 01, 2010
Aug 03, 2009
