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Prophet Song: Survival and struggle in dystopian Ireland

Paul Lynch’s Booker Prize-nominated novel depicts an ordinary family thrown down a perilous path

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Ng Wei Kai

Ng Wei Kai

Published Thu, Nov 2, 2023 · 06:00 PM
    • shsong30 - PAUL LYNCH AUTHOR PHOTO: JOEL SAGET
    • The novel’s chief achievement is in the focus and restraint of Lynch’s narrative, in a twist on what has become an established literary genre.
    • shsong30 - PAUL LYNCH AUTHOR PHOTO: JOEL SAGET AFP
    • The novel’s chief achievement is in the focus and restraint of Lynch’s narrative, in a twist on what has become an established literary genre. PHOTO: ONEWORLD PUBLICATIONS

    PAUL Lynch’s latest novel, nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize, paints a chilling portrait of his native Ireland descending into a fascist regime.

    In vivid and lyrical prose, Prophet Song depicts the suffering of innocent people caught in the maelstrom of societal collapse.

    The story begins with a worrying house visit from the new secret police to the ordinary home of the Stack family. Larry Stack is a teachers’ unionist whose work has come under the scrutiny of the new Irish government.

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