- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Mercier Press (8 Jun 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1856355985
- ISBN-13: 978-1856355988
- Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.7 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,235,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
In Exile: Short Stories about Ireland
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Billy OCallaghans writing evokes a sense of longing for place and the familiar His characters are rendered with a lyrical stoicism that lends dignity to all our struggles. Suzanne McConnell Bellevue Literary Review Billys short stories are always a pleasure to read John Dolan Evening EchoIn Exile is an eclectic collection of short stories from one of Irelands brightest literary talents. A marriage is arranged, shot-gun style; a terrorist is called upon for one last horrific job; a soldier recalls the trauma of his first kill; an artist, out of pity and loneliness, befriends a hunchback. And in the title story, a man who has built a comfortable life for himself is given a stark reminder of his past, the things from which he has been saved and what he has lost. These poignant stories give a rare and evocative glimpse into the days and nights of lost people the weary and the vulnerable. Those whose lives have been wrenched apart, either by the inexorable tilt towards progress, or by the ghosts and shackles of a bygone era.
About the Author
Billy OCallaghan is from Cork. He has won the 2005 George A. Birmingham Short Story Award, the 2006 Lunch Hour Stories Prize, and the 2007 Molly Keane Creative Writing Award. His short stories have also been shortlisted for a number of Awards, including: The 2003 Sean OFaolain Short Story Award; the 2004 RTE Radio 1 Francis MacManus Short Story Award, the 2005 Pencil Short Story Prize and the 2006 Faulkner/Wisdom Award.His short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (USA), The Bellevue Literary Review (USA), Irelands Issues (Ireland), Elysian Fields Quarterly (USA), The Evening Echo (Ireland), Great Mystery & Suspense (USA), The Holly Bough (Ireland), Irelands Own (Ireland), Lunch Hour Stories (USA), New Fiction (United Kingdom), Southword (Ireland), Versal (Holland), and others.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In Exile is a magnificent book. I am sure that it will become a part of the history of that wonderful art form called the Irish Short Story.
Each story in this book is a literary gem. The style, the language are breathtaking. Each sentence begs to be reread. The atmosphere, the people haunt you. The heart of Ireland seems to emerge from the mists and becomes part of our own memories. It's lyrical, it's harsh, it touches us profoundly.
This book also can not be put down. Story after story grips you and when you reach the end you feel satisfied as if you've read many great novels .
O' Callaghan has a unique gift. He has great courage. He fearlessly tackles difficult subjects and situations and with great virtuosity he carries them through, effortlessly it seems. Some stories which we might consider as melodramatic in any other context, somehow they become here the most human stories we have ever read. Tales narrated with dexterity, economy and linguistic richness. Their heroes leap out of the book and we feel as if we know them well. Even if they are terrorists, fishermen, homeless alcoholics or beggars. They are all so real. We are profoundly moved and grateful for getting a chance to know them.
The immense love of O' Callaghan for Ireland, for its people, its traditions, its songs, its landscapes, its pubs, its troubled, painful history carries us along and we share it with all our hearts. After reading this book we feel as if we've known Ireland and its people for all our lives. It becomes our country too. And we are very proud of it.
My opinion is that Ireland too should feel proud to have a literary talent as bright as O'Callaghan among it's sons. I am very much looking forward to read what else will come out of the pen of O' Callaghan.
Each story in this book is a literary gem. The style, the language are breathtaking. Each sentence begs to be reread. The atmosphere, the people haunt you. The heart of Ireland seems to emerge from the mists and becomes part of our own memories. It's lyrical, it's harsh, it touches us profoundly.
This book also can not be put down. Story after story grips you and when you reach the end you feel satisfied as if you've read many great novels .
O' Callaghan has a unique gift. He has great courage. He fearlessly tackles difficult subjects and situations and with great virtuosity he carries them through, effortlessly it seems. Some stories which we might consider as melodramatic in any other context, somehow they become here the most human stories we have ever read. Tales narrated with dexterity, economy and linguistic richness. Their heroes leap out of the book and we feel as if we know them well. Even if they are terrorists, fishermen, homeless alcoholics or beggars. They are all so real. We are profoundly moved and grateful for getting a chance to know them.
The immense love of O' Callaghan for Ireland, for its people, its traditions, its songs, its landscapes, its pubs, its troubled, painful history carries us along and we share it with all our hearts. After reading this book we feel as if we've known Ireland and its people for all our lives. It becomes our country too. And we are very proud of it.
My opinion is that Ireland too should feel proud to have a literary talent as bright as O'Callaghan among it's sons. I am very much looking forward to read what else will come out of the pen of O' Callaghan.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am really sorry to have reached the end of this collection of short stories. I just might open it up and start again! This is a compelling collection of 21 stories. What strikes you first is in a world obsessed with celebrity and glitz the characters are unique in their ordinariness. The feelings, regrets and struggle that we all experience are written here in a richly descriptive and accepting way without the indulgence of self pity. The writer deals with everyday realities and also situations you hope only come once in a lifetime. The brutality can be baldly raw at times but I would expect nothing less from a writer who knows how to immerse you into his characters lives by the first paragraph. The stories include islanders struggling to preserve their threatened lifestyle. A cold blooded killer, or is he? A man worn down, kills the one thing he loves. War, drunken encounters, laughter, tears and intrigue. You might not always feel comfortable but you will indeed feel. A fine and varied collection. I'm looking forward to whatever the unusual imagination of this writer will offer in years to come.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Just finished reading this wonderful new collection of short stories and I was very impressed by the quality and imagination of the writing. These stories, many of which deal with serious and even harrowing themes, are full of fine imagery and well-drawn characters. I am certain that this writer will be an important voice in Irish literature in the years to come. Highly recommended!
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