Includes bibliographical references (pages 225-240) and index.
Contents:
Introduction: betrayal and the Irish novel -- Part 1. A short history of betrayal -- DeĢirdre and the sons of Usnach: a case study in Irish betrayal -- Part 2. 'Trust not appearances': James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) -- The landscape of betrayal: Liam O'Flaherty's The Informer (1925) -- A spy in the house of love: Elizabeth Bowen's The Heat of the Day (1949) -- Jesus or Judas? Francis Stuart's Black list, Section H (1971) -- 'Cangled both to treachery': Eugene McCabe's Death and Nightingales (1992) -- 'A family--a whole fucking country--drowning in shame': Anne Enright's The Gathering (2007).
Summary:
This book argues that modern Irish history encompasses a deep-seated fear of betrayal, and that this fear has been especially prevalent since the revolutionary period at the outset of the twentieth century. The author goes on to argue that the novel is the literary form most apt for the exploration of betrayal in its social, political and psychological dimensions. The significance of this thesis comes into focus in terms of a number of recent developments -- most notably, the economic downturn (and the political and civic betrayals implicated therein) and revelations of the Catholic Church's failure in its pastoral mission.--Provided by publisher
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