Diviner: The Art of Brian Friel

"It was widely praised, and is a considerable work of literary theory as well as a very thorough study of Friel's work." Books Ireland Summer 1999 "I find the book most engaging when Pine is most specific. Most illuminating in my view is the discussion of the relationship between Friel's early stories and his plays, and the sensitive and full analysis of the complex politics of the plays and of Friel's relationship to the competing perspectives which create the vexed reality of contemporary Ireland." Robert Gordon, Goldsmith University Irish Studies Review 8 (1) 2000 "Pine, in a very legalistic manner has almost the method of a defence counsel and heaps evidence on top of argument and nearly always makes a good case." Books Ireland March 2000

• Survey of the work, language, literature and politics, liminality, splitting and the gap, memory and space. Part I Private conversation; the landscape painter; the short stories. Part II Public address: plays of love; plays of freedom. Part III Politics: a field day; plays of language and time. Part IV Music: plays of beyond; magic. Appendix: Brian Friel and George Steiner.