House of Mourning and Other Stories

October 15, 2013

These stories by Ireland's distinguished literary talent Hogan (A Farewell to Prague) read like dispatches from realms most of us will never visit. And yet, the yearning for understanding and the loneliness haunting his characters seem familiar. We meet Irish Travellers, or Pavees/Gypsies, who trade horses and tales of violence; exiles return to or flee families and homes on their quests for redemption; and abandoned souls seek solace in proximity to others. These characters exist in natural landscapes crowded with colors and textures, redolent with plants and wildlife that Hogan renders in loving detail. Many tales occur near water, and characters swim, tell stories, and make love on the riverbanks and lakeshores. These watery spaces become territories of vulnerability as well as erotic possibility and, sometimes, personal tragedy. VERDICT This volume presents work from Hogan's previous two collections of new and selected stories. As such, readers can see how Hogan's storytelling has evolved over time, ultimately becoming more associational, elliptical, and almost improvisational. The most recent piece, "Wooden Horse," beautifully exemplifies how Hogan's mature work blurs biography and fiction.--John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

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