Synopses & Reviews
The Dark, widely acclaimed, yet infamously banned, is John McGahern’s sensitive, perceptive, and beautifully written portrayal of a young man’s coming-of-age in rural Ireland. Imaginative and introverted, the boy is successful in school, but bitterly confused by the guilt-inducing questions he endures from the priests who should be his venerated guides. His relationship with his bullying, bigoted, widowed father is similarly conflicted — touched with both deep love and carefully suppressed hatred. When he must leave home to further his education, their relationship is drawn to an emotional climax that teaches both father and son some of the most intricate truths about manhood.
Review
"We must know that while we read this book, an experience much like touching the raw nerves of a growing boy, we are in the company of a very talented writer." Library Journal
Review
"[McGahern] writes with a poignancy and passion. He has been likened to the early Joyce, and he has the same spare artistry." Spectator (UK)
Review
"The best novel to come out of Ireland for many years." Irish Times
Synopsis
The Dark is a sensitive, perceptive and movingly written story of a young man coming of age in the Ireland of the 1950s. When he must leave home for school, his relationship with his violent father reaches a climax, teaching both father and son truths about themselves and one another.
Synopsis
The Dark, widely acclaimed, yet infamously banned, is John McGahern's sensitive, perceptive, and beautifully written portrayal of a young man's coming-of-age in rural Ireland. Imaginative and introverted, the boy is successful in school, but bitterly confused by the guilt-inducing questions he endures from the priests who should be his venerated guides. His relationship with his bullying, bigoted, widowed father is similarly conflicted touched with both deep love and carefully suppressed hatred. When he must leave home to further his education, their relationship is drawn to an emotional climax that teaches both father and son some of the most intricate truths about manhood.
About the Author
John McGahern was born in Dublin and brought up in the west of Ireland. He is the author of three collections of short stories and six novels, including Amongst Women, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.