Amongst Women concentrated on the family, and the new book concentrates on a small community. The dominant units in Irish society are the family and the locality. The idea was that the whole world would grow out from that small space. John McGahern bookcommunityconcentrate share on social
We absolutely believed in Heaven and Hell, Purgatory, and even Limbo. I mean, they were actually closer to us than Australia or Canada, that they were real places. John McGahern absolutelyaustraliabelieve Change image and share on social
I love the description of Gothic churches before the printed word, that they were the bibles of the poor. John McGahern biblechurchdescription Change image and share on social
I read all the time. I was reading a book I admire very much by Alice McDermot called Charming Billy. John McGahern admirealicebilly Change image and share on social
The rosary was said every evening. I always liked that sentence about the medieval Churches, that they were the Bibles of the poor. The Church was my first book and I would think it is still my most important book. John McGahern biblebookchurch share on social
I belong to the middle class that grew up very influenced by the Catholic church. The people of the novel are from a more pagan and practical world in which the Christianity is just a veneer. John McGahern belongcatholicchristianity Change image and share on social
Ireland is a peculiar society in the sense that it was a nineteenth century society up to about 1970 and then it almost bypassed the twentieth century. John McGahern bypasscenturyireland Change image and share on social
But that private world, once it's dramatised, doesn't live again until it finds a reader. John McGahern dramatisefindlive Change image and share on social
I think there's a great difference in consciousness in that same way in that when we're young we read books for the story, for the excitement of the story - and there comes a time when you realise that all stories are more or less the same story. John McGahern bookconsciousnessdifference share on social
I've never written anything that hasn't been in my mind for a long time - seven or eight years. John McGahern havelongmind Change image and share on social
