The Leavetaking - Softcover

McGahern, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014028057X ISBN 13: 9780140280579

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2006

Synopsis

Widely considered one of the greatest Irish writers by readers and critics alike, John McGahern has been called “arguably the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett” (The Guardian) whose “spare but luminous prose” (Chicago Tribune) is frequently compared to that of James Joyce. In The Leavetaking, McGahern presents a crucial, cathartic day in the life of a young Catholic schoolteacher who, along with his new wife, returns to Ireland after a yearÂ's sabbatical in London. Moving from the earliest memories of both characters into the present day, The Leavetaking recounts the coupleÂ's struggle to overcome the suffocating influence of the church in order to find happiness in a fulfilling adult love.

About this title

About the Author:

John McGahern (1934–2006) was the author of six novels, including The Dark and Amongst Women (winner of IrelandÂ's GPA Book Prize), four volumes of short stories, and a memoir. He received numerous awards, including IrelandÂ's most prestigious literary prize, the AE Memorial Award.

Review:

A luminous novel of love and acceptance in twentieth-century Ireland—by "one of the best stylists in English prose" -- Newsweek

He has transformed situations and scenes common in experience into something rich and strange, something uncommonly beautiful. -- The Sunday Independent, London

McGahern brings us the 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

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 014028057X
• ISBN 13: 9780140280579
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176