John McGahern – författare

Now a major motion picture: the Booker-shortlisted Irish author's last novel: a 'masterpiece' (Observer) - 'wise and compelling ... elegiac and graceful' (David Mitchell) - by 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) Joe and Kate Ruttledge have come to Ireland from London in search of a different life. In passages of beauty and truth, the drama of a year in their lives and those of the memorable characters that move about them unfolds through the action, the rituals of work, religious observances and play. We are introduced, with deceptive simplicity, to a complete representation of existence - an enclosed world has been transformed into an Everywhere.'McGahern brings us that tonic gift of the best fiction, the sense of truth - the sense of transparency that permits us to see imaginary lives more clearly than we see our own.' John Updike'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn Bragg

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME McGahern's 'masterpiece: the sort of book which you can give anyone of any age and know that they will be changed by it' (Colm Tóibín) by 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel).'A book that can be read in two hours, but will linger in the mind for decades.' Sunday TelegraphOnce an officer in the Irish War for Independence, Moran is now a widower, eking out a living on a small farm where he raises his two sons and three daughters. Adrift from the structure and security of the military, he keeps control by binding his family close to him. But as his children grow older and seek independence, and as the passing years bring with them bewildering change, Moran struggles to find a balance between love and tyranny.'McGahern brings us that tonic gift of the best fiction, the sense of truth - the sense of transparency that permits us to see imaginary lives more clearly than we see our own.' John Updike'An overwhelming experience.' The Times'Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn Bragg

Paul King, an Irish landowner, is dying; his wife is half his age. He has not allowed his wealth to spread ease or comfort. When he dies, his handsome young workman Paul is urged by a cunning mother to move in on the vulnerable young widow.The Power of Darkness reflects a fallen world. The title is a description of the force that drives it; sexual ignorance and the old fear of famine lead to irrational greed, coupled with the need for redemption.

The celebrated second novel by 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) and 'the Irish novelist everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín) is 'a perfectly written tour de force' (Sunday Times) and 'the best novel to come out of Ireland in many years.' (Irish Times)Set in rural Ireland, John McGahern's second novel is about adolescence and a guilty, yet uncontrollable sexuality that is contorted and twisted by both puritanical state religion and a strange, powerful and ambiguous relationship between son and widower father. Against a background evoked with quiet mastery, McGahern explores with precision and tenderness a human situation, superficially very ordinary, but inwardly an agony of longing and despair.'Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn Bragg

Stories by one of the outstanding Irish writers of today, author of Nightlines, The Barracks, The Dark, The Leavetaking, The Pornographer, High Ground, Amongst Women (nominated for the Booker Prize in 1990) and That They May Face the Rising Sun.

The stories in High Ground are set in ordinary places, in the streets and suburbs and dancehalls of Dublin, the small towns and fields of the midlands, the big houses of the beleaguered Anglo-Irish in the aftermath of their ascendancy, the whole changing country propelled in a generation from the nineteenth into the late twentieth century.

A haunting novel by 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) and 'the Irish novelist everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín). A day, crucial and cathartic, in the life of a young Catholic schoolteacher who has returned to Ireland after a year's sabbatical in London where he married an American divorcee. As a result he now faces certain dismissal by the school authorities. Moving from the earliest memories of both the man and the woman, the novel recreates their breaking of the shackles of guilt and duty into the acceptance of a fulfilling adult love.'A beautiful, irresistible work of imagination. Sunday Telegraph'Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn Bragg

The provocative novel by 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) and 'the Irish novelist everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín).A writer of pornographic fiction, creates an ideal world of sex through his two stock athletes, Colonel Grimshaw and Mavis Carmichael, while he bungles every phase of his entanglement with an older woman who has the misfortune to fall in love with him. But his insensitivity to this love is in direct contrast to the tenderness with which he attempts to make his aunt's slow death in hospital tolerable, while his employer, Maloney, failed poet and comic king of pornographers, comes gradually to preside over this broken world. Everywhere in this rich novel is the drama of opposites, but, above all, sex and death are never far from each other.'Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn Bragg

John McGahern's astounding memoir of his childhood:'A glowing masterpiece.' Hilary Mantel'The one Irish writer everyone should read.' Colm TóibínAs wise and compelling a book as any of his elegiac and graceful novels.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, McGahern's work since his first novel ... Memoir strips the skin off his fiction as he faces a desperate early life with great force and tenderness.' Melvyn BraggThis is the story of John McGahern's childhood, his mother's death, his father's anger and violence, and how, through his discovery of books, his dream of becoming a writer began. At the heart of Memoir is a son's unembarrassed tribute to his mother. His memory of walks with her through the narrow lanes to the country schools where she taught and his happiness as she named for him the wild flowers on the bank remained conscious and unconscious presences for the rest of his life. A classic family story, told with exceptional restraint and tenderness, Memoir cannot fail to move all those who read it.'Magnificent ... Stand[s] supreme in the Irish canon.' Irish Times'Profoundly beautiful.' Daily Telegraph'Extraordinary, spellbinding, spiritual.' Irish Independent''In a tremendously distinguished career, he has never written more movingly, or with a sharper eye.' Andrew Motion, Guardian

An exquisite short story collection from 'one of the greatest Irish writers' (Cillian Murphy).The jilted lover in a Dublin pub on a summer evening; the bitter climax between a father and son as a marriage begins; the fortunes and misfortunes of an Irish family; the memories of an ageing priest.John McGahern - the Booker shortlisted author of modern classic Amongst Women, celebrated as 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) - is hailed as one of the finest story writers of all time. With lyrical precision that alchemises undramatic encounters into profoundly haunting events, reflecting both the ordinary and extraordinary in our lives, McGahern is a magician on the page.For this revised, authorised edition, completed shortly before his death, John McGahern edited and deleted a number of stories from the Collected Stories that first appeared in 1992.'Wise and compelling . . . Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'The preeminent Irish writer of his generation.' Anne Enright'He blew me away.' Colin Barrett'A great writer.' Sebastian Barry'Extraordinary.' Colin Walsh'A master.' Kevin Barry

An enlightening collection of essays, reviews and speeches by 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) and 'the Irish novelist everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín).'Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn BraggMcGahern did not spread himself thinly as a writer. Nearly all of his creative energy went into what was central for him: the great novels and stories that are now part of the canon of Irish and world literature. Yet he spoke out when he felt he had something worth saying and his non-fiction writings are of great interest to anyone who loves his work, and to all those interested in the recent history of Ireland. This book brings together all of McGahern's surviving essays, reviews and speeches. In them his canon of great writers - Tolstoy, Chekhov, James, Proust and Joyce - is cited many times, with deep and subtle appreciation. His discussions of Irish writers who influenced him are generous and brilliant - among them Michael McLaverty, Ernie O'Malley and Forrest Reid. His interventions on issues he felt strongly about - sectarianism, women's rights, the power of the church in Ireland - are lucid and far-sighted.

A landmark event: the collected stories of 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) and 'the Irish novelist everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín).'Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn Bragg'Gentle, lyrical, an amorist of language, a natural historian of the soul.' Irish Times'Exquisite stories . . . Here is a Dublin of tatty dancehalls and uneasy courtships, of kisses in damp doorways and unfulfilled hungerings . . . Writing of extraordinary beauty.' Guardian

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME McGahern's 'masterpiece: the sort of book which you can give anyone of any age and know that they will be changed by it' (Colm Tóibín) by 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel).'A book that can be read in two hours, but will linger in the mind for decades.' Sunday TelegraphOnce an officer in the Irish War for Independence, Moran is now a widower, eking out a living on a small farm where he raises his two sons and three daughters. Adrift from the structure and security of the military, he keeps control by binding his family close to him. But as his children grow older and seek independence, and as the passing years bring with them bewildering change, Moran struggles to find a balance between love and tyranny.'McGahern brings us that tonic gift of the best fiction, the sense of truth - the sense of transparency that permits us to see imaginary lives more clearly than we see our own.' John Updike'An overwhelming experience.' The Times'Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'I have admired, even loved, John McGahern's work since his first novel.' Melvyn Bragg

Faber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles. 'My only concern', John McGahern once said, 'is that I get the sentence right and describe my world clearly and deeply.''The Country Funeral' witnesses three brothers, John, Philly and Fonsie Ryan, as they travel west from Dublin to Gloria Bog - the heart of the territory where so many of McGahern's stories take place - to attend the funeral of their uncle. Depicting the customs and rituals of the day, McGahern exquisitely traces how the brothers react to the area in unexpected and tender ways, and face their own feelings about the transience of life.Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.

'Magnificent.' Irish Times'Much to savour.' The Times'An event in Irish culture.' TLSThe collected letters of John McGahern, 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) and 'the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett.' (Guardian)John McGahern is consistently hailed as one of the finest Irish writers since James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.This volume collects some of the witty, profound and unfailingly brilliant letters that he exchanged with family, friends and literary luminaries - such as Seamus Heaney, Colm Tóibín and Paul Muldoon - over the course of a well-travelled life.It is one of the major contributions to the study of Irish and British literature of the past thirty years, acting not just as a crucial insight into the life and works of a much-revered writer - but also a history of post-war Irish literature and its close ties to British and American literary life.'McGahern brings us that tonic gift of the best fiction, the sense of truth - the sense of transparency that permits us to see imaginary lives more clearly than we see our own.' John Updike

Introduced by Sinéad Gleeson, John McGahern's Booker Prize-shortlisted Irish 'masterpiece' (Colm Tóibín) is essential reading for admirers of Claire Keegan.As he weakened, Moran became afraid of his daughters.Moran's life is defined by his days of glory as a guerrilla leader in the Irish War of Independence. Now, he is simply an ageing widower, eking out an existence on the small farm where he raises his two sons and three daughters. He keeps control by binding his family close - but as his children seek independence, and the passing years bring bewildering change, this tormented veteran must find a balance between love and tyranny. 'It almost finished me as an aspiring writer. How could a book be this good?' Donal Ryan 'Wise and compelling . . . Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'The preeminent Irish writer of his generation.' Anne Enright'He blew me away.' Colin Barrett'A great writer.' Sebastian Barry 'Extraordinary.' Colin Walsh'A master.' Kevin Barry

With a new foreword by Yiyun Li, this beloved memoir of an Irish childhood by the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of classics like Amongst Women is a 'healing book' (Sebastian Barry)'McGahern is about as close as we get to Proust.' GuardianI am sure it is from those days that I take the belief that the best of life is life lived quietly, where nothing happens but our calm journey through the day, where change is imperceptible and the precious life is everything.Through the sun-dappled mazes of Irish country lanes, a little boy walks with his mother, naming the tangled wildflowers together - a memory that will inspire the rest of his life.This is the story of John McGahern's childhood: his mother's death, his father's tyrannical violence, his encounters with religion, and how, through his discovery of reading, his dream of becoming a writer began.'A master.' Kevin Barry'Timeless.' Sinéad Gleeson'Extraordinary.' Colin Walsh'Blew me away.' Colin Barrett'A great writer.' Sebastian Barry'Exquisite.' Andrew Michael Hurley'Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'A glowing masterpiece.' Hilary Mantel'The Irish novelist everyone should read.' Colm Tóibín'The preeminent Irish writer of his generation.' Anne Enright'I'm grateful for every sentence he left in this world.' Donal Ryan

With a new foreword by Kevin Barry, McGahern's 'timeless' (Sinéad Gleeson) novel of rural Irish life is perfect for admirers of Claire Keegan.'I'm grateful for every sentence McGahern left in this world.' Donal RyanWhen the bells rang out for Mass, the strokes trembling on the water, they had the entire world to themselves.Joe Ruttledge has returned to his native Ireland with his wife Kate. Leaving behind their life in London, the couple begin their new existence on a tranquil lakeside farm. Over a year, they become embedded in the rural community: entwined in the dramas of neighbours, friends and relatives, and immersed in the rhythm of the seasons, work, play, religion - and soon, their little world becomes an Everywhere: a universe in miniature, cast in light and dark.'Extraordinary.' Colin Walsh'The preeminent Irish writer of his generation.' Anne Enright'McGahern's exquisite sentences capture every nuance of elegy, regret, yearning and hope.' Andrew Michael Hurley

With a new foreword by Colin Walsh, this is 'one of the most volatile, vital and unsafe novels in Irish literature', banned by the censor for obscenity in 1965 - and just as explosive today.He was coming and there was nothing to do but wait and grow hard as stone and lie.Mahoney grows up in fear of his father: of his beatings with the heavy leather strap; of the nights he wants love. Seeking to escape the claustrophobic family farm, he contemplates a future in the priesthood, but battles with his tortured conscience amidst adolescent lusts. After winning a scholarship, he takes a stand against the household's toxic violence - and begins a journey towards an understanding that may mean peace.'A master.' Kevin Barry'Timeless.' Sinéad Gleeson'Extraordinary.' Colin Walsh'Blew me away.' Colin Barrett'A great writer.' Sebastian Barry'Exquisite.' Andrew Michael Hurley'Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell'One of the greatest writers of our era.' Hilary Mantel'The Irish novelist everyone should read.' Colm Tóibín'The preeminent Irish writer of his generation.' Anne Enright'I'm grateful for every sentence he left in this world.' Donal Ryan'One reads McGahern for the textures of time and space, through which each of us travels, often alone.' Yiyun Li

Bringing John McGahern’s 1965 masterpiece back into print in the United States after years of inaccessibility, this new sixtieth-anniversary critical edition includes an introduction aimed at first-time readers, explanatory footnotes, McGahern’s own glossary, and four scholarly essays aimed at guiding readers through the novel’s famously controversial history. While the text was initially banned in Ireland for obscenity, this edition demonstrates that McGahern’s novel of adolescence is not obscene, but revelatory, exposing the corruption underlying authority structures in mid-century Ireland—from the family to the church, to the government’s willingness to ignore national and communal trauma. The Dark follows a promising young boy’s struggles to break free from the economic and social forces trapping him in a lifestyle that is both familiar and suffocating. At the heart of the novel is the boy’s complex and stormy relationship with his abusive, widowed father, who is left to raise a family with little outside aid. The Dark is a story of alarming brutality, surprising tenderness, and poetic lyricism; a reflection of Irish society that maintains historical significance as contemporary Ireland continues to build its national identity.