After the wake

Brendan Behan’s genius was to strike a chord between critic and common man. When he died, at the age of 41, he was arguably the most celebrated Irish writer of the twentieth century.

After the Wake is a collection of seven prose works and a series of articles. It includes all that exists of an unfinished novel, ‘The Catacombs’, and pieces together items whose comic and fanciful accounts evoke Flann O’Brien. Also featured are works of acknowledged excellence, ‘The Confirmation Suit’ and ‘A Woman of No Standing’. This writing bears all the hallmarks of the author’s talent – an ability to bring characters to life quickly and unforgettably, a sharp ear for dialogue and dialect, and a natural vocation for story-telling.

This diverse collection is a delightful and entertaining windfall from one of Ireland’s most colourful writers. An essential complement to Behan’s master works.