Prophet Song: LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023
As seen:
By Paul Lynch
avg rating
3 reviews
On a dark, wet evening in Dublin, scientist and mother-of-four Eilish Stack answers her front door to find the GNSB on her step. Two officers from Ireland’s newly formed secret police are here to interrogate her husband, a trade unionist.
Ireland is falling apart. The country is in the grip of a government turning towards tyranny and Eilish can only watch helplessly as the world she knew disappears. When first her husband and then her eldest son vanish, Eilish finds herself caught within the nightmare logic of a collapsing society.
How far will she go to save her family? And what – or who – is she willing to leave behind?
Exhilarating, terrifying and propulsive, Prophet Song is a work of breathtaking originality, offering a devastating vision of a country at war and a deeply human portrait of a mother’s fight to hold her family together.
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This is a summary of our book group's discussion.
Compelling. A harrowing, gripping, tense, and at times shockingly horrific vision of a dystopian authoritarian, totalitarian state and the insidious, subtle ways in which ordinary life is changed gradually and menacingly. Depressing but utterly compelling and I had to finish it even though at times I had nightmares about it. Think it was so powerful as it reflects what is going on increasingly frighteningly all around us with both the advent of second Trump presidency and the rise of the Reform Party in UK and the evident increasing erosion of civil liberties, right wing policies, restrictions on right to protest and treatment of refugees.
An ordinary family (story told by the mother) living an ordinary life in suburban Dublin. Secret Police, suspension of the constitution, emergency powers imposed by far right National Alliance Party. Eilish also dealing with a father with dementia - escape to Canada.
An insight into what is going on every day in so many countries - but somehow brought it home when it is so close and on familiar territory. Disappearances, arrests, lorries, guards, prison like containers, darkness, rain, violence, boats- so resonant of what is the experience of so many desperate people fleeing from war, tyranny, persecution, famine etc.
Told in the present tense- sense of urgency, immediacy, tension. Internal monologue. No paragraph breaks or speech marks but soon adapted to that. For some the audio versions very helpful as the pages of unbroken text were daunting. Rushed ending perhaps? Some questions raised - crossed into The North but inference was they would be interned indefinitely in a refugee camp there so need to escape by boat to Isle of Man, UK? Would have appreciated a little more explanation at the end to clarify this.
Found reading it very triggering- nightmares - reminded me of my grandmother’s stories of WW2 in Germany . Threats of sexual violence. Were people resisting? Yes - union leaders arrested, son goes to join the resistance. Some elements of hope - people sharing what they have - tents, food and supporting each other but a sense of desperation and powerlessness. Raised questions of what we personally might do given a similar situation. At what point would one leave ones home and go abroad. Would we leave it until it was too late? Frogs in boiling water scenario. Mistaken belief that it would all be sorted.
Lynch said the main inspiration was the war in Syria.
At times a bit disconnected - consequences of her decisions. Would have liked some background perhaps to why this party had been able to take control. What was the cause and reason behind their coming to power. Perhaps it doesn't matter - the story focusses on its impact on an ordinary family.
Reminded me of Dr Seuss’s The Battle Book
Stays with you and will do for a long time. An important if tough read. “Imprisoned with the delusion of the individual” - resonates!
Beautiful disturbing piece of writing. Not as powerful as Brian Keenan’s “Evil Cradling” which was written of course from first person experience of such horrific events.
High scoring book ranging from 7 to 10 with several top scoring 10s. A total of 125 ( must be all time top scoring book) so an average of 8.9
Totally gripping tale of state control, all the more affecting because it is set in modern day Ireland. I couldn't put it down and have recommended it to everyone who would listen...
OMG!!! What just happened?!?! Left feeling completely stunned after reading this one. Need to take a moment to process it all. The writing style was difficult to get used to with no paragraph breaks, very little punctuation and it was often difficult to tell who was actually speaking. I got used to that by about half way through and the rest of it flew by. Couldn't put it down. Yes, it's nothing we don't know already about extreme right wing governments exerting too much power, rebellion, civil war and refugees, but it's no less powerful for that. Totally took my breath away.
