This is an extensive selection of poems, many of which feel like the poetic interpretation of a Chagall painting, full of dream-like, surreal imagery haunted by ghosts and steeped in natural imagery such as ‘The Girl who Married the Reindeer’. The earlier poems at the beginning of the collection are filled with references to agricultureContinueContinue reading “Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin: Selected Poems. A Review”
Author Archives: nicolaheaney
Lantern, Sean Hewitt: A Review
This debut collection feels very much like a prayer in praise of the natural world and the symbiosis between man and nature. Almost every poem is steeped in the language of the natural world and many make direct reference to religion. From the opening poem ‘Leaf’, we are treated to natural images that feel bothContinueContinue reading “Lantern, Sean Hewitt: A Review”
All the Beggars Rising: Lucy Caldwell
Being Various was one of my favourite books in 2019, so I was intrigued to read more fiction from Lucy Caldwell. Enter All the Beggars Rising. Written from the point of view of Lara, a middle-aged woman with a chequered childhood, it’s a story about struggling to shrug off the ghosts of the past. It’sContinueContinue reading “All the Beggars Rising: Lucy Caldwell”
Penguin Modern Poets Three: A Review
This series aims to introduce readers to new, contemporary poets. I bought this collection as I’m of the belief that one cannot have enough Sharon Olds poetry in their possession and I’d never read any substantial amounts Booker or Shire although I have been a big fan of everything I’ve read or encountered. Suffice toContinueContinue reading “Penguin Modern Poets Three: A Review”
That They May Face the Rising Sun: A Review
Although published in 2002, McGahern’s last novel has no tangible sense of time – apart from a reference to watching ‘Blind Date’ and the recent Enniskillen bombing, this could be set anytime in the 20th century. Set in rural Leitrim amongst a smattering of houses around a lake, this is a novel where time isContinueContinue reading “That They May Face the Rising Sun: A Review”
Christmas in Austin: A Review
Centred around the four Essinger family as they descend upon their family home for Christmas, this is Markovtiz’s seventh novel and a typically incisive examination of the tensions in familial relationships. With each member of the family given their own turn at the narrative we get an insight into the conflict between living a lifeContinueContinue reading “Christmas in Austin: A Review”
Big Sur – A Review
Big Sur is the quasi-autobiographical tale of Jack Duluoz who tries to escape his life in San Francisco by seeking solitude in a cabin the wilds of Big Sur. Expecting a lyrical exploration of adventures in the wilderness, I settled down in the dark night at Deetjens on Big Sur with the copy I’d pickedContinueContinue reading “Big Sur – A Review”
Put that Phone Away! Review of Cal Newport’s ‘Digital Minimalism’
Everyone knows that social media is making us unhappy. If like me, you’ve tried to put your phone away, cut down on social media use etc only to fail miserably after a couple of days, you’ll understand the frustration of feeling like you’re controlled by the need to ‘stay connected’. What makes this book suchContinueContinue reading “Put that Phone Away! Review of Cal Newport’s ‘Digital Minimalism’”
Melmoth by Sarah Perry: A Review
It’s not very often that the protagonist of a novel is described with disgust but yet manages to elicit our sympathies, but that is just one of the many astonishing things about this wonderful book. The central character is Helen Franklin, a fairly pitiable woman in her early 40s working as a translator in Prague,ContinueContinue reading “Melmoth by Sarah Perry: A Review”
Being Various: A Review
Being Various is a collection of new, especially commissioned short stories curated by Lucy Caldwell. It takes in the whole island, with the list of contributors reading like a who’s who of award-winning contemporary Irish short story writers. Kevin Barry’s ‘Who’s Dead McCarthy’ brings Dublin to life with a poignant vernacular whilst Eimear McBride playsContinueContinue reading “Being Various: A Review”
Nicola Heaney 