John McGahern
2002
Around 305 pages
Sometimes I adore slice of life novels, other times I am bored to tears. This falls more in the latter category. This was John McGahern's final book, but felt less impressive to me than Amongst Women, so that's disappointing.
Our setting is a remote village in Ireland, and focuses on the daily lives of community members, with the most interesting character being who is an auctioneer, undertaker, and IRA leader. It's written in a repetitive stream of consciousness style, which definitely fits the themes of the book, but doesn't make for the most compelling read.
I feel like other writers might condescend to characters who don't ever leave their hometowns, but McGahern is always respectful, even if he keeps his distance. I wasn't that entertained, but it was still a solid way to end a literary career.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award in 2003.
UP NEXT: The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
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