Saturday, October 31, 2009 CAROLINE WALSH “Farrell, when I met him, struck me as an Edwardian or even a Regency figure, marvellously suave and poised, one of those people who seem to fit perfectly into their particular space in the world. Full Article at Irish Times

People who don’t read novels — a group that may include half of the adult population, if you believe the horror stories — aren’t really put off by all those pages. Five hundred? A thousand? Who cares, and who’s counting? Full Article at Blogcritics.org

A character in John Banville's new novel is compared to an over-cleaned painting, "brilliant and faded at the same time". Full Article at Guardian Unlimited

Poetry, Ezra Pound liked to say, should be at least as well written as prose. Irish novelist John Banville has dedicated his writing life to turning Pound's prescription on its head. Full Article at Guardian Unlimited

What happens to writers after they have won the Man Booker prize? They let their hair down and have fun, fun, fun. They stop trying to keep their publishers sweet. Full Article at The Telegraph

It is nothing if not audacious to have the Greek god Hermes as narrator of your novel. But, having won the Man Booker Prize for his previous book, The Sea, the Irish author John Banville has moved on to a higher plane. Full Article at The Independent