Faber & Faber

Cover image for Open Up by Thomas Morris

Open Up by Thomas Morris: Tales of lost boys and seahorses

Regular readers may have noticed that when reviewing books by Irish writers, I often mention they contribute to The Stinging Fly, a Dublin-based biannual magazine which publishes short fiction. From Wendy Erskine to Nicole Flattery, Kevin Barry to Louise Kennedy whose brilliant Trespasses was shortlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction, their contributors are …

Open Up by Thomas Morris: Tales of lost boys and seahorses Read More »

Cover image for Groundskeeping by Lee Cole

Groundskeeping by Lee Cole: ‘Isn’t that what fiction is, though? Sanctioned lying?’  

This is the third novel in as many weeks I’ve read with a writing theme although it’s entirely different from either Antoine Wilson’s Mouth to Mouth or Andrew Lipstein’s Last Resort. It was part of my attraction to Lee Cole’s Groundskeeping but if I’m honest it was that lovely jacket that first snagged my attention. …

Groundskeeping by Lee Cole: ‘Isn’t that what fiction is, though? Sanctioned lying?’   Read More »

Cover image for Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan: ‘To get the best out of people, you must always treat them well’

It’s a mystery to me why I’ve not read anything by Claire Keegan before given my predilection for Irish writing, particularly as Cathy over at 746Books has spoken so highly of her work. Small Things Like These is the briefest of novellas, a mere 124 pages with a good deal of white space thrown in …

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan: ‘To get the best out of people, you must always treat them well’ Read More »

Cover image

The Long Room by Francesca Kay: A study in loneliness and obsession

I’ve been hoping for a new novel from Francesca Kay for quite some time now. I enjoyed both of her previous books which explore the nature of passion – An Equal Stillness looks at the way in which the prosaic everyday grind of marriage and parenthood can stifle creativity while The Translation of Bones examines …

The Long Room by Francesca Kay: A study in loneliness and obsession Read More »