BOOK REVIEW:
The 2023 Booker Prize has been awarded to Prophet Song, a dystopian vision of Ireland in the grips of totalitarianism.
It was written by Ireland’s Paul Lynch, 46, who has won the prestigious fiction writing prize for the first time with his sixth novel.
Set in Dublin, it tells the story of a family grappling with a terrifying new world in which the democratic norms they are used to begin to disappear.
Lynch said Prophet Song was inspired by the Syrian war and refugee crisis.
When receiving the award he said this was a very difficult book to write; he started before his son was born and by the time he finished, his boy was able to ride a bike.
Lynch’s writing is raw and evocative, capturing the essence of the time period with vivid descriptions and strong character development.
On a dark, wet evening in Dublin, scientist and mother-of-four Eilish Stack answers her front door to find the GNSB on her doorstep; two officers from Ireland’s newly formed secret police want to speak with her husband.
The story follows three main characters; Eilish, Mark and Aine.
Eilish finds herself caught within the nightmare logic of a collapsing society – assailed by unpredictable forces beyond her control and forced to do whatever it takes to keep her family together.
All three are complex and deeply flawed characters with inner struggles and external challenges, making their journey all the more compelling.
This creates a captivating narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.
The central premise is that Ireland has elected a Neo-Fascist nationalist government.
Union leaders and other enemies of the regime start disappearing, and the country rapidly descends into civil war and poverty.
The premise takes a little swallowing, but everything that Lynch describes has happened somewhere in the world in modern times, and that may be the reason you don’t want to pick this up as it has that all-too-familiar darkness we are seeing on the news today.
Lynch has the ability to transport readers to the unforgiving landscape of Ireland with beautifully crafted prose, painting a vivid picture of the harsh realities faced by the characters where poverty and desperation are rampant.
The Prophet’s Song is a powerful and compelling novel that showcases Paul Lynch’s talent for storytelling with its richly drawn characters, atmospheric setting and thought-provoking themes.
It is a genre-crossing novel.
This is a book that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page and we are certainly looking forward to this being our December Book Club choice which will stimulate many conversations in January.
Julie Chessman – Book Shop Umina
