Reading the Contemporary Irish Novel 1987 - 2007 (Paperback)

Acknowledgements ix

Introduction: Reading the Contemporary Irish Novel 1987–2007 1

1 In the FamilyWay: Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown Trilogy (1987–1991) 23

2 House Arrest: John McGahern’s Amongst Women (1990) 51

3 Malignant Shame: Patrick McCabe’s The Butcher Boy (1992) 75

4 Uncertain Terms, Unstable Sands: Colm T´ oib´ýn’s The Heather Blazing (1992) 105

5 Unbearable Proximities:William Trevor’s Felicia’s Journey (1994) 127

6 History’s Hostages: Edna O’Brien’s House of Splendid Isolation (1994) 151

7 Shadows in the Air: Seamus Deane’s Reading in the Dark (1996) 173

8 The Politics of Pity: Sebastian Barry’s A Long Long Way (2005) 197

9 Mourning Remains Unresolved: Anne Enright’s The Gathering (2007) 217

Bibliography 243

Index 259