Kevin Foster, an expert in war narratives at Monash University, helps Chris examine a quirky veteran: the hero of Old God's Time fought in the Malayan Emergency and is a retired Garda. He was also brought up in a Christian Brothers home: protagonist Tom Kettle has been through the wars, so to speak. Tom's past resurfaces when two policemen visit his home in Dalkey about a cold case, little realising how closely the mystery relates to Tom's personal tragedies. His attempts to start again seem never to have succeeded; his life has been a series of devastating losses with only glimpses of contentment. Old memories intrude upon Tom's present so forcibly that we wonder whether he has dementia. The book is also haunted, in an inter-textual way, by ghosts from Sebastian Barry's other novels. Kevin and Chris find Old God's Time a moving and complex book which also achieves an unlikely humour in its vision of Tom Kettle's eccentric and perhaps disintegrating mind. The novel moves gracefully between different registers, invoking Greek myth with pathos at one moment and conventions of crime fiction at another. Contains spoilers.

<a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/kevin-foster/">Kevin Foster</a>, an expert in war narratives at Monash University, helps Chris examine a quirky veteran: the hero of Old God's Time fought in the Malayan Emergency and is a retired Garda. He was also brought up in a Christian Brothers home: protagonist Tom Kettle has been through the wars, so to speak. Tom's past resurfaces when two policemen visit his home in Dalkey about a cold case, little realising how closely the mystery relates to Tom's personal tragedies. His attempts to start again seem never to have succeeded; his life has been a series of devastating losses with only glimpses of contentment.&nbsp;Old memories intrude upon Tom's present so forcibly that we wonder whether he has dementia. The book is also haunted, in an inter-textual way, by ghosts from Sebastian Barry's other novels. Kevin and Chris find Old God's Time a moving and complex book which also achieves an unlikely humour in its vision of Tom Kettle's eccentric and perhaps disintegrating mind. The novel moves gracefully between different registers, invoking Greek myth with pathos at one moment and conventions of crime fiction at another.&nbsp;Contains spoilers.

Each episode focuses on a single book to offer in-depth exploration of contemporary Irish writing, one of the the dominant presences in book shops, book groups, and writers’ festivals around the world. Guest experts on Irish culture join author and critic Chris Murray to explore the techniques, cultural resonances, and deeper meanings of the nation’s recent literature. Irish Books tackles prize winners and some of the biggest names in Irish writing today while also calling attention to emerging voices that deserve notice. Listeners will learn more about the books they loved and find out what they should read next.

Host @drchrismurray.bsky.social (Bluesky)

Read the blog at https://irishbookspodcast.blogspot.com

The Irish Books Podcast is produced by East Coast Studio with support from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Monash University

Each episode focuses on a single book to offer in-depth exploration of contemporary Irish writing, one of the the dominant presences in book shops, book groups, and writers&rsquo; festivals around the world. Guest experts on Irish culture join author and critic Chris Murray to explore the techniques, cultural resonances, and deeper meanings of the nation&rsquo;s recent literature. Irish Books tackles prize winners and some of the biggest names in Irish writing today while also calling attention to emerging voices that deserve notice. Listeners will learn more about the books they loved and find out what they should read next.
Host <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/drchrismurray.bsky.social">@drchrismurray.bsky.social </a>(Bluesky)
Read the blog at <a href="https://irishbookspodcast.blogspot.com">https://irishbookspodcast.blogspot.com</a>
The Irish Books Podcast is produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/">East Coast Studio</a> with support from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Monash University