Beyond

by Michael Foley

An inexperienced young accountant, just qualified and planning to move to a major metropolis, is temporarily lured by Marie ('an intoxicating cocktail of gaiety, mischief and sensuousness') to a small town in Northern Ireland where he is further bewitched by the atypical Helen. Captivated by two such different but fascinating women, he allows himself to become entangled in various aspects of small town life - its venal businessmen, imperious family women and cynical seducers ('If ye tell women ye're in love they cry and then ye can ride them'). Displaying the characteristics of Michael Foley's earlier novels - style, wit, psychological insight, sharp dialogue and convincing characterisation - Beyond is a tale of young men and women attempting to transcend by means of sexual experimentation their humdrum lives in the Northern Ireland of the sixties, when new ideas began to unsettle the ancient certainties and the generation gap became two centuries wide.

292 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Originally from Killavullen, Co Cork, Michael Foley has written Kings of September, winner of the 2007 BoyleSports Irish Sportsbook of the year. He also ghostwrote Harte: Presence Is the Only Thing, the autobiography of Tyrone gaelic football manager Mickey Harte, shortlisted for the 2009 William Hill Irish Sportsbook of the Year.

Winner of the GAA’s McNamee Award in 2008 and shortlisted for Sports Journalist of the Year in 2003, he is acting sports editor and GAA correspondent for the Irish edition of the Sunday Times. This is his third book. He currently resides in Macroom, Co Cork.

Reviews

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grew slowly on me, like an ugly rash. If you like well-described, bad sex and Northern Ireland class divisions, this could be your bag. But it probably isn't.