Dark Lies the Island

The new short story collection from Kevin Barry arrives hot on the heels of his triumph at this year's The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award. Included in this collection are 'Fjords of Kilkerry' (longlisted in 2011) and 'Beer Trip to Llandudno' (winner in 2012).

Plaudits aside, it's a great set of short stories. Much has been written on Kevin Barry's ability to get into the psyche of men and what ails them, what concerns them and what makes them angry. But his strength is in his ear for dialogue. His conversations feel real, his speech patterns feel spoken and his gift for oral storytelling means these stories all carry a weight and a lightness of touch, simultaneously.

Also, this is a collection of short stories. It's not an interlinked, interwoven set of stories, as is the current vogue. We get into the mind of a suicide bomber turned goth, a group of men searching for the perfect ale, a nervous man moments before a botched kiss, a dad who must deal with his daughter's sex life being made public. Particularly stand-out is 'Fjords of Kilkerry' which follows a poet and his bad decision to buy a rural hotel.

The best stories here remind me of V S Pritchett. They carry a heart. There are punch in the stomach moments, laugh-out-loud moments and moments of real tenderness. Barry's ability to fluidity navigate us through the lives of others in such a concise way makes him a master of the form.