Creatures of the Earth

An exquisite short story collection from 'one of the greatest Irish writers' (Cillian Murphy).

The jilted lover in a Dublin pub on a summer evening; the bitter climax between a father and son as a marriage begins; the fortunes and misfortunes of an Irish family; the memories of an ageing priest.

John McGahern - the Booker shortlisted author of modern classic Amongst Women, celebrated as 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel) - is hailed as one of the finest story writers of all time. With lyrical precision that alchemises undramatic encounters into profoundly haunting events, reflecting both the ordinary and extraordinary in our lives, McGahern is a magician on the page.

For this revised, authorised edition, completed shortly before his death, John McGahern edited and deleted a number of stories from the Collected Stories that first appeared in 1992.

'Wise and compelling . . . Elegiac and graceful.' David Mitchell
'The preeminent Irish writer of his generation.' Anne Enright
'He blew me away.' Colin Barrett
'A great writer.' Sebastian Barry
'Extraordinary.' Colin Walsh
'A master.' Kevin Barry