Book Review

[kenjari]

Reading in the Dark
by Seamus Deane

This short novel is told from the point of view of a boy growing up in post-war Ireland, discovering painful family secrets as he matures. The prose is quite beautiful and really captures the feel of memory and of the way a child's understanding of the adults closest to him slowly changes. The book masterfully explores the way family relationships can change because of secrets revealed, even when those secrets are never discussed openly. Deane also uses folklore and myth to great effect.