Exile and memory stalk Russian writer Andrei MakineAndrei Makine’s fiction conveys a mood closely linked with his dislocationMon Mar 14 2016 - 01:00
Where Love Begins, by Judith Hermann review: mundane tale of a modern lifeGerman novel of social isolation is dull, vague and directionless, Eileen Battersby findsSat Mar 12 2016 - 01:01
‘The Vegetarian’ towers over Man Booker International Prize long listCandidates for now combined literary award uneven but greeted with interestThu Mar 10 2016 - 16:17
Eileen, by Ottessa Moshfegh review: little shock and no aweA lack of narrative cohesion leaves this much-hyped debut novel flounderingSat Mar 05 2016 - 00:33
Review: For Two Thousand Years by Mihail Sebastian, translated by Philip Ó CeallaighRomanian writer’s remarkable second novel is well served by a graceful, eloquent translationSat Feb 27 2016 - 00:39
Superabundance by Heinz Helle review: a rather sterile study in introspectionAimlessness quickly emerges as the theme as the observant narrator inhabits a bubble of disengagement in this small, all too human story, making for a rueful, unoriginal debutWed Feb 24 2016 - 11:57
‘Wild Sky’ shows the Rising was not confined to DublinDeirdre Kinahan’s new play set in Co Meath was staged in Rossnaree HouseMon Feb 22 2016 - 01:08
In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri review: embracing a passionate cultureAn English and Bengali speaking author who explores identity writes a book in ItalianSat Feb 20 2016 - 00:24
Harper Lee: A brave writer who told the truth about racism‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ author was a feisty storyteller with a powerful messageFri Feb 19 2016 - 18:58
Martin John by Anakana Schofield review: humane method in story of madnessIrish-Canadian writes about mental illness with peculiar decency and candour in this caustically funny novel, says Eileen BattersbySat Feb 13 2016 - 00:40
Review: Stoner by John WilliamsA study of an ordinary, quietly heroic life is one of the finest novels of the 20th centurySun Feb 07 2016 - 00:45
Mend the Living by Maylis de Karangal review: a young heart in limboFlamboyant writing combined with a tragic subject make the author’s fifth novel a searing, unforgettable read, writes Eileen BattersbySat Feb 06 2016 - 00:39
Human Acts by Han Kang review: a Korean tragedy with its own flawsThis meditative novel by the author of The Vegetarian is heartbreaking and amazingly disjointedSat Jan 30 2016 - 00:30
I Saw Her That Night review: War and peace and impossible loveFriendship and betrayal, hope and guilt and the torment of remembering are Drago Jancar’s themes in this kaleidoscopic, communal war novel, writes Eileen BattersbySat Jan 23 2016 - 00:39
You Have Me to Love, by Jaap Robben: A boy adriftThis bold adult novel by a popular Dutch children’s author has moments of almost painful beauty, writes Eileen BattersbySat Jan 09 2016 - 00:11
They Were Coming for Him review: stranger in a strange bookThis oddball Spanish novel about Albert Camus jumbles facts and fiction, to tediously unconvincing effectSat Jan 02 2016 - 13:13
Sun fails to enter Newgrange chamber but wonder enduresHundreds gather to witness the solstice and celebrate ancient mid-winter gatheringMon Dec 21 2015 - 21:46
Newgrange: A soggy winter solstice, it was not meant to beEileen Battersby believes in miracles, but rain sees off any chance of magic in the chamberMon Dec 21 2015 - 17:00
My favourite children’s books of 2015 by the Book Elf aka Eileen BattersbyEight wonderful titles from around the world to take note of and hope that Santa has room for on his sleighFri Dec 18 2015 - 13:42
Eileen Battersby’s books of the year: FictionOur Literary Correspondent reveals her 30 highlights in fiction for 2015Thu Dec 17 2015 - 05:45
The best non-fiction books of 2015Music, memoir and the magic of Peanuts can be found in the year’s finest factual readsThu Dec 17 2015 - 05:45
Memories of Bosnian war persist 20 years after Dayton peace dealAwful events have been powerfully captured in both fiction and non-fictionMon Dec 14 2015 - 01:00
Review: The Company of Trees by Thomas PakenhamA proven lover of trees describes his sylvan odyssey with breathless, anecdotal energySat Dec 12 2015 - 00:43
The Hotel Years by Joseph Roth: chronicler of an empire’s death foretoldIf there is a single quality that explains the genius of this Austrian Jewish journalist, it is his ‘refined fury’Sat Dec 12 2015 - 00:27
Review: The Private Life of Plants, by Lee Seung-UA South Korean novel of a dysfunctional family is poignant and surprisingly delicateSat Dec 05 2015 - 00:58
Requiem for a Soldier, by Oleg Pavlov: The suffering of a Russian soulIn his latest novel, Oleg Pavlov brilliantly balances black humour with poignancySat Nov 28 2015 - 00:20
The Story of Mr Sommer review: sadness in soaringPatrick Süskind, German author of the sinister bestseller ‘Perfume’, has written a delicately nostalgic novel that is a surprise as much as a revelation, writes Eileen BattersbySat Nov 21 2015 - 00:34
Private life by Josep Maria de Sagarra review: a vast tapestry of faded decadenceThere are no morals or heroes in this rampant portrayal of a throbbing, disappearing BarcelonaSat Nov 14 2015 - 05:00
International Dublin Literary Award longlist announcedImpressive show for German language writers with 11 titles among 160 nominatedMon Nov 09 2015 - 14:08
Yugoslavia, My Fatherland by Goran Vojnovic: Balkan brillianceAt last comes a work which will be required reading within and beyond the BalkansSat Nov 07 2015 - 10:40
Book Review: All For Nothing by Walter Kempowski, translated by Anthea BellVicious reality of war is reflected in life in a manor house passed by those fleeing conflictSat Oct 31 2015 - 02:00
On this day: October 25th, 1415 – Agincourt: the battle immortalised by ShakespeareEileen Battersby reflects on how conflict has inspired great literature, from Milton to Tolstoy, and among the greatest is Henry VSun Oct 25 2015 - 00:14
Late Fame, by Arthur Schnitzler: a story awoken from a long sleepPublished a century after it was written, the fate of Schnitzler’s novel echoes that of its hero, writes Eileen BattersbySat Oct 24 2015 - 00:04
Arthur Miller voiced the hopes and fears of ordinary AmericansThe celebrated playwright was born 100 years ago today in Harlem, New YorkSat Oct 17 2015 - 11:40
A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler: one man endures, one day at a timeThis wise German novel, set over decades in a remote mountain village, is tender, evocative but never sentimental, writes Eileen BattersbySat Oct 17 2015 - 00:38
Oscar Wilde: elusive ego, extraordinary wit and enduring geniusEileen Battersby pays tribute to one of the world’s greatest writers on the 161st anniversary of his birth, assessing his literary legacy and his remarkable lifeFri Oct 16 2015 - 07:48
Booker winner Marlon James tops Tarantino for body count‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’ is based on attempt to kill reggae king Bob MarleyTue Oct 13 2015 - 22:43
Nobel Prize for Literature: Courage defines Alexievich’s workEileen Battersby: Belarusian author is a witness with a profound grasp of humanityThu Oct 08 2015 - 20:13
August, October by Andrés Barba: brilliantly dissects the business of being aliveAugust, October is beyond impressive, it is the real thing, a study of how the mind and memory attempts to make sense of emotion and guilt; need and regretSat Oct 03 2015 - 00:51
Eileen Battersby on Friel: ‘Astonishing, a privilege’‘Our world is better for having had Brian Friel in it and now seems a lot smaller’Fri Oct 02 2015 - 21:49
The White Road: A Pilgrimage of Sorts, by Edmund de Waal: On the porcelain trailA mix of travelogue and memoir, anecdote and specialist study, this meditation on a mineral, by the author of ‘The Hare With Amber Eyes’, is a work of irresistible artistryFri Sept 25 2015 - 15:22
Ploughing championships 1996: ‘Drawn to the plough’From the archives: On the last day of the 1996 national championships, Eileen Battersby looks ahead to the world competition and talks to NPA director Anna May McHughTue Sept 22 2015 - 14:04
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood: Life in a hellish, familiar futureCanadian author’s wry voice shines through her grim taleFri Sept 18 2015 - 12:16
Eileen Battersby: Booker shortlist not the canvas it could be‘Big’ may have seduced Man Booker 2015 judges, while Anne Enright left on longlistTue Sept 15 2015 - 15:23
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante review: a feminist epicThe fourth and final novel in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet is frustrating and exhausting, but also haunting thanks to her tragically insightful protagonist – who is not the actual narratorSat Sept 12 2015 - 01:20
Two Years Eight Months & Twenty-Eight Nights review: Rushdie on overdriveSalman Rushdie’s satanically batty fantasy throws up his usual brew of Islamic mythology, pop culture, the grotesque, the baroque and numerous barbed observationsSat Sept 12 2015 - 00:12
Under Major Domo Minor by Patrick deWitt: Sisters Brothers goes gothicReview: Gormenghast meets The Grand Budapest Hotel, with guest appearances from Kafka at his most lighthearted, in this playfully black comedy of dubious mannersSat Sept 05 2015 - 01:08
Purity by Jonathan Franzen: exhausting effort misses all the connectionsReview: Far better novels come to mind while reading this dull, talky and predictable exposé of global surveillance, writes Eileen BattersbySat Sept 05 2015 - 01:06
Review: Did You Ever Have A Family, by Bill CleggLonglisted for the Man Booker but not worthy of being shortlisted, this small, tenacious novel about the aftermath of a family tragedy is flawed but powerful and lingers in the mind, writes Eileen BattersbyWed Sept 02 2015 - 12:27
