Informationen zum Autor Born in 1934, John McGahern was the eldest of seven children. Raised on a farm in the West of Ireland, he was the son of a Garda sergeant who had served as an IRA volunteer in the Irish War of Independence; his mother died when he was nine. He became a primary school teacher in Dublin but was dismissed when his second novel, The Dark , was banned in 1965 for 'obscene' content. Living subsequently between London, Paris and upstate New York, he and his second wife Madeline Green eventually settled back in his native Leitrim in the early 1970s. The author of six acclaimed novels and four story collections, McGahern was shortlisted for the 1990 Booker Prize for Amongst Women and awarded the Irish PEN Award, the Prix Ecureuil de Littérature Etrangère and the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He died in 2006. Klappentext John McGahern''s astounding memoir of his childhood: ''A glowing masterpiece.'' Hilary Mantel ''The one Irish writer everyone should read.'' Colm Tóibín As wise and compelling a book as any of his elegiac and graceful novels.'' David Mitchell ''I have admired, even loved, McGahern''s work since his first novel ... Memoir strips the skin off his fiction as he faces a desperate early life with great force and tenderness.'' Melvyn Bragg This is the story of John McGahern''s childhood, his mother''s death, his father''s anger and violence, and how, through his discovery of books, his dream of becoming a writer began. At the heart of Memoir is a son''s unembarrassed tribute to his mother. His memory of walks with her through the narrow lanes to the country schools where she taught and his happiness as she named for him the wild flowers on the bank remained conscious and unconscious presences for the rest of his life. A classic family story, told with exceptional restraint and tenderness, Memoir cannot fail to move all those who read it. ''Magnificent ... Stand[s] supreme in the Irish canon.'' Irish Times ''Profoundly beautiful.'' Daily Telegraph ''Extraordinary, spellbinding, spiritual.'' Irish Independent '' ''In a tremendously distinguished career, he has never written more movingly, or with a sharper eye.'' Andrew Motion, Guardian Vorwort John McGahern's astounding memoir of his childhood is 'a glowing masterpiece' (Hilary Mantel) by 'the one Irish writer everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín). Zusammenfassung A family story, told with restraint and tenderness. This book is a son's unembarrassed tribute to his mother. His memory of walks with her through the narrow lanes to the country schools where she taught and his happiness as she named for him the wild flowers on the bank remained conscious and unconscious presences for the rest of his life....

Vorwort
John McGahern's astounding memoir of his childhood is 'a glowing masterpiece' (Hilary Mantel) by 'the one Irish writer everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín).

Autorentext
Born in 1934, John McGahern was the eldest of seven children. Raised on a farm in the West of Ireland, he was the son of a Garda sergeant who had served as an IRA volunteer in the Irish War of Independence; his mother died when he was nine. He became a primary school teacher in Dublin but was dismissed when his second novel, The Dark, was banned in 1965 for 'obscene' content. Living subsequently between London, Paris and upstate New York, he and his second wife Madeline Green eventually settled back in his native Leitrim in the early 1970s. The author of six acclaimed novels and four story collections, McGahern was shortlisted for the 1990 Booker Prize for Amongst Women and awarded the Irish PEN Award, the Prix Ecureuil de Littérature Etrangère and the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He died in 2006.

Klappentext

John McGahern''s astounding memoir of his childhood:
''A glowing masterpiece.'' Hilary Mantel
**''The one Irish writer everyone should read.''** Colm Tóibín
As wise and compelling a book as any of his elegiac and graceful novels.'' David Mitchell
**''I have admired, even loved, McGahern''s work since his first novel ... Memoir strips the skin off his fiction as he faces a desperate early life with great force and tenderness.''** Melvyn Bragg

This is the story of John McGahern''s childhood, his mother''s death, his father''s anger and violence, and how, through his discovery of books, his dream of becoming a writer began. At the heart of Memoir is a son''s unembarrassed tribute to his mother. His memory of walks with her through the narrow lanes to the country schools where she taught and his happiness as she named for him the wild flowers on the bank remained conscious and unconscious presences for the rest of his life. A classic family story, told with exceptional restraint and tenderness, Memoir cannot fail to move all those who read it.

''Magnificent ... Stand[s] supreme in the Irish canon.'' Irish Times
**''Profoundly beautiful.'' Daily Telegraph
''Extraordinary, spellbinding, spiritual.''** Irish Independent''
**''In a tremendously distinguished career, he has never written more movingly, or with a sharper eye.''** Andrew Motion, Guardian

Zusammenfassung
A family story, told with restraint and tenderness. This book is a son's unembarrassed tribute to his mother. His memory of walks with her through the narrow lanes to the country schools where she taught and his happiness as she named for him the wild flowers on the bank remained conscious and unconscious presences for the rest of his life.