Colm Toibin has created a satisfying short story about an archeologist who believes in facts. Toibin takes back to the Neolithic age in County Meath Ireland as Professor Kelly finds himself more and more surrounded by the ancient spirits. If you do a family read-a-loud at Christmas, you might consider this book.

3.5 Stars

Once again I am stepping out of the box with something I wouldn't normally read. I am so glad I did as Colm Tóibín has written yet another beautiful story filled with wonderful prose. Even though it takes place before Christmas, I read it Halloween night and the fact it has ghosts made it the perfect time to enjoy this. I would have given this more stars had it not been for the ending.

The Yule Solstice, a time of great power in Neolithic societies (if the number of archaeological sites with demonstrable connections to the Sun's position on that date is any evidence), has come to his attention as an important time at Newgrange as well. He feels duty bound, as the first archaeologist to possess this information, to investigate despite his unshakeable materialism:
The job of an archaeologist was to make known only what can be proved. The rest was idle speculation.

So two things are immediately apparent from this. First is that this is a story set in the past, as the site in its present state dates from after 1982 (see link beside the photo). Second is that there are those who know more than they have told about the site in the many years of Ireland's fussing about with it. That's very interesting....

As the tale is a short one, I don't want to give too much away. The entire review is posted at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.

"You will be different from now on."

This is a short story that could be told during Christmas time, when the stars shine bright in the dark night sky. Tóibín has written a beautiful story filled with magic and power from an idea that could have been forgotten easily. He took the life of a regular archaeologist and turned it special, he took a regular archaeological site and turned it magical, he took a town and its people and made them loyal to their roots, to their values. This short story is one of the most significant writings I've ever read, and now I want to read more stories by Tóibín.


Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The elaborated build up of the story failed to give the proper justice at the end of this mysterious short read and finished with a very confusing open-end.

I enjoyed cozying up with this short story on an October night. This story was perfect for Halloween time. I thought the author made it too short in some places- the ending was a bit ambiguous and I felt like there could have been some more detail about the spirits and the characters, but overall a sweet, short read.

I love Colm Toibin so was very excited to find this new short story.

I loved the style which evoked such a tense atmosphere that I felt compelled to read it in a single sitting. The author also described the lead-up to the festive period so vividly I could visualise them sights and sounds.

What I found lacking though was the denouement which, after the huge build-up, felt limp and left me wanting.

Although I've enjoyed everything I've read by Colm Tóibín (Brooklyn; The Testament of Mary), none of them seem to be by the same author - which is high testament to just what a gifted writer he is. This is him writing in somewhat of a minor key, but he artfully crams in a lot in 30 short pages. More of a folk tale or Irish legend, it maintains its mystery even after the final pages. What a lovely thing to read right around the winter solstice and All Hallow's Eve, and well worth the hour of so it takes to read.


My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Beautifully written short story! I am a little disappointed that it was a short story and not a novel or even a movie. It is a great fall or winter read. I picked it up 3 days prior to Halloween and it was perfect.
Professor O'Kelly makes the short trip across Ireland from Cork to Newgrange to do research on a tomb on the Winter Solstice. The town's people try every effort to stop him from going but in the end he seems to be greatly rewarded for his efforts.

4.5/5 stars
Oh, how I love the prose of Colm Toibin. Storytelling as an art is never more clearly on display than it is within his hands. In the same way that his novels are paced exquisitely to achieve a tension both luscious and harrowing, this short story moves effortlessly through a brief tale of an encounter at the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Archetypes abound, yet there is nothing stereotypical; it all just rings absolutely true.

The reason that I’ve given a slightly lower than perfect rating is that the multiple perspectives (so, so much in vogue) combined with the limits of a short story do not allow Toibin to flex his character-developing muscles. Readers of his novels can testify to the immensity of that loss. Regardless, I hope to see “The Shortest Day” anthologized soon in academic texts, as it is a fantastic teaching piece, along with a genuinely satisfying read.

This quick story packs a lot in. As an archaeologist heads off to continue his research right before the winter solstice, the souls of those in the ancient tomb worry that he'll ruin their peace. It's a sweet, thought-provoking meditation on time and what we owe each other.

“It was the winter secret of those who had lived thousands of years before. They must have loved the sun, or trusted it. They lured it down this corridor as though they were pulling it into the chamber by rope.”

What a delightful short story by the master Irish storyteller, Colm Toibin. Beautifully told, in simple but stunning prose, this exceeded my expectations and has set the bar at what I think a short story should be like.

In reading other reviews, I found that they are all telling you what it is about and I am not going to do that. You need to go into this cold to get the full effect and magic and true beauty of this story, which is both moving and a little mysterious. And absolutely lovely. You will not be sorry going in with no prior knowledge; it is absolutely the best way to read this short story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Colm Toibin, and Amazon Original Stories for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Amazon and Netgalley for sharing this short story. I think Colm Toibin is an imaginative and great writer, although this story did not resonate with me at all. In fairness, I’m not normally a short story fan, but for me, this one seemed like there was “no there there”.

I am generally a fan of Tóibín's writing, so I was interested to read his new short story The Shortest Day. The premise was interesting and the prose was atmospheric and generally well paced across the 30 pages of the tale. I liked the storytelling style, but I think, for me, something fell short in the conclusion. It all just seemed a little anti-climatic after the big build-up as to what would happen. It's an entertaining tale, but I expected something more gripping from the finale. Still, if you are a Tóibín fan you will surely find this short story appealing. It's a three-star read for me.

There was lot of detail in thus short story. I feel as though I learned all about an ancient culture, their lives and their beliefs. I enjoyed the spirits and their discussions. Professor O'Reilly was a great character.

The Shortest Day........and in the scheme of things, aren't they all?

Colm Toibin's short story takes us from the presence of an Irish mist in County Meath back through time to 3200 BC. As an archaeologist, Professor O'Kelly has been enthralled by Newgrange rising above River Boyne. Ireland can readily boast of its treasure from the Neolithic Period which is older than the pyramids and even Stonehenge.

And no matter how many occasions of his skillful manuevering through its passageways, this Christmas season will be ripe to see the unseen for O'Kelly. It's the winter solstice and there is a secret wrapped in the light that may reveal itself to his aging professoring eyes. O'Kelly ponders the hierarchy of the people and their beliefs. Those who are in charge and those who simply build. Thousands of years in humankind and not much ever changes.

Toibin weaves a bit of Irish folktale and fantasy throughout this one. An Irish secret is a rough gem passed down and kept in the back pocket of many a family and many a village. And hidden as it may well be, Toibin allows the readers a glimpse of the glimmer in this very satisfying and exceptional short story. It's one for the Ages and one for the here and now.

I received a copy of The Shortest Day through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Amazon Originals and to the talented Colm Toibin for the opportunity.

Professor O’Kelly is an Irish archaeologist who believes science, and only science holds all the answers. He sets out to unlock the mysteries of an ancient burial chamber at Newgrange, even though the locals are determined to stop him. They know that on the shortest day of the year, the burial chamber comes to life, and anyone who interferes with that power will be dealt with, in a most frightening way

The spirits of those buried in Newgrange funeral mound, and the people living in the settlements around it, fear for the worst when a professor plans to go to study it just before Christmas – coinciding with the winter solstice, and the one day a beam of sun shines right through into the depths of the dark chamber, about which all outsiders are ignorant. Surprisingly, considering the author, this one-off short story didn't feel up to much.

This is a book that concerns a professor meddling in the realm of the dead, by visiting the site where they are buried on the day of the year when the sun shines through. The local people try to stop him in two ways, at least, but he visits the site anyway, in spite of them. Interesting book. I will not tell the reader the end, or I would spoil it for them.

I’ve actually only recently learned about Newgrange. An absolutely fascinating Neolithic structure in Ireland that predates both the Stonehenge and the Pyramids. So of course I’d want to read a story set there, but then again I’d have probably just read a new Toibin (whose writing is generally very enjoyable) story on author’s appeal alone. It was actually, I believe, the latter that made me download the story from Netgalley. But at any rate, it really doesn’t matter. I was delighted with the setting of this story, though it’s so very short, seems like something from an Amazon shorts Christmas collection. Which is to say the story takes place on and around Christmas time when an archeologist obsessed with the structure comes to observe it alone much to the dismay of the ghosts who reside there and are all very excited to enjoy their winter solstice ritual of direct sunlight. Also, much to the dismay of the locals who don’t like people interfering with their ghosts. It has been speculated that Newgrange was a sort of Neolithic astronomical solar observatory, all the more awe inspiring, since it would require a very precise building strategy to ensure the exposure to the sunlight of the shortest day of the year. So there you have it, The Shortest Day is a shortest read, really, only 31 pages, and it’s enjoyable, albeit very mild in its appeal. Not the sort of grand tale suitable for a grand structure. More along the lines of a quaint Christmas story. Might leave you wanting more, but at any rate a very pleasant way to spend 25 minutes or so. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.