My heart was in my throat for this entire book. I could not put it down. I simultaneously sympathized deeply with our protagonist, Eilish, and found her infuriating. But also that was the point. Eilish finds herself in slow pot of boiling water, a government seizing control and power through an increasing rigid totalitarian regime that is meet by the rebels who in turn go mad with power. At first I found the prose difficult, I wasn’t sure if it was my ARC or if Lynch truly didn’t believe in conversational punctuation (it’s the latter it turns out). However, this prose was the reason I was able to ‘stomach’ the atrocities in this book. So many moments, tender and horrific. This book has destroyed me and for someone who has run the gauntlet of ‘power-hungry-corrupted- government-books’ that is no easy feat.

Thank you NetGalley for my review copy.

I was drawn in by the blurb, so much so that I broke my self imposed rule of not reading anything on the Booker prize list. Unfortunately this was not the book to prove to me that my rule was wrong. The characters and the story was fine, however the verbose prose, lack of punctuation and pace meant that I could not maintain my interest. So all in all, in the future I must maintain position as a literary philistine and avoid the Booker list.

Prophet Song is an urgent and timely novel that does not at any point sacrifice craft for relevance. Lynch’s prose is as deliberate and haunting as the tale it unravels, and the choices in form and style only add to the novel’s overall affect of threatening overwhelm. Thinking of the way that rising fascism and eroded civil liberties encroach gradually so as to get you used to their arrival, much like the fabled frog in a boiling pot of water, Eilish thinks to herself, fairly early in the novel, “All your life you’ve been asleep, all of us sleeping and now the great waking begins.” That is the feeling this book evoked in me, what I think it is working very hard to evoke in every reader. I keep seeing it compared to Cormac McCarthy and Atwood and Orwell, and I do think those latter comparisons are apt for how well-realized the dystopia here is, but McCarthy is the closest overall for the way that form marries style (and for the darkness that runs through the book; he is the only comparison made here or elsewhere I would be shocked to hear Lynch disavow as an influence). There is a strangeness and musicality to certain sentences, like this, the second in the whole book: “How the dark gathers without sound the cherry trees.” To me, there is more the feel of literary modernism to these sentences than anything else—I hear Dylan and Woolf both in them, and of course Beckett, even if it’s not a deliberate echo. It may be more that Lynch is just as fascinated with and as determined to push language as they were. All of this comes together to create a powerful, claustrophobic novel, both nightmarish and beautiful. I’m absolutely not surprised it’s on the shortlist for the Booker—I’m now hoping it wins the whole thing.

This book had me holding my breath for the majority of it. At first I found the lack of quotation marks confusing, but after some analysis found it to capture the breathlessness associated with the plot. This book was truly scary and page turning. I recommend.

"Prophet Song" by Paul Lynch is a haunting and timely novel that delves into the darkest corners of a dystopian Ireland on the brink of tyranny. Longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2023, this book offers a thought-provoking exploration of a mother's resilience and the lengths she will go to protect her family.

Set against the backdrop of a crumbling society, the story follows Eilish Stack, a scientist and mother of four, as she faces the chilling reality of her country's descent into authoritarianism. When secret police officers arrive at her doorstep to interrogate her trade unionist husband, Eilish's world begins to unravel. Lynch masterfully portrays the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty that pervades this dystopian Ireland, creating a setting that feels both familiar and nightmarish.

Eilish's character is the heart of the novel, and Lynch paints her as a complex and relatable figure. As the world around her crumbles, Eilish grapples with difficult choices, making sacrifices to protect her family. Her journey is a testament to the strength and resilience of a mother's love, and readers will find themselves deeply invested in her plight.

The prose in "Prophet Song" is both lyrical and stark, capturing the emotional turmoil and bleakness of the story's setting. Lynch's writing immerses readers in this dystopian world, making it impossible to look away from the unfolding chaos.

This novel is not just a gripping dystopian tale but also a powerful commentary on the fragility of democracy and the consequences of unchecked power. It raises thought-provoking questions about how far one would go to safeguard their loved ones in the face of oppression.

"Prophet Song" is an exhilarating, terrifying, and deeply intimate novel that offers a chilling glimpse into a society in turmoil. Paul Lynch's storytelling prowess shines through in this work, leaving readers both haunted and moved by the unforgettable narrative.

This story begins, more or less, with an election, a neo-Fascist government is elected, and Ireland is in upheaval. People begin to disappear. One of those is a trade union leader, a husband who is arrested, and simply ‘disappears.’

This story is mostly revealed through Elish Stack’s thoughts, whose world - along with many others - is falling apart after her husband’s ‘disappearance’, and soon after that her teenage son will also disappear. Without her husband and son, she is stretched thin having to be the sole provider and caretaker for her other three children, along with a father with dementia who needs looking after, as well.

The country is soon falling apart, as well, and the families that surround her hide inside their homes. It becomes difficult to determine whose side others are on, and so people become wary, and their distance grows from one another.

This was a heartbreaking read, but also, unfortunately, believable. When one person can have a book automatically banned in a state, when the chorus of those who chanted ‘Hang Mike Pence’ is still remembered for not bending to the desires of others, how difficult can it be to believe?


Pub Date: 12 Dec 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press

Thanks to Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for sending this digital ARC of Paul Lynch's 'Prophet Song' for reading and review.

This is one of the most frightening and unsettling books I've read in a while. It posits a present/near future Ireland which, for reasons unknown or unstated, quickly emerges as a fascist police state under the control of an ultra-nationalist, right-wing 'regime' with a suspended constitution and a Gestapo-like police presence. Trade unionists and other everyday people are disappeared. A rebel force emerges, dubbed terrorists by the regime and the country turns into a warzone with the streets of central and suburban Dublin - where most of the action takes place - turned into rubble.

Your initial reaction to this is that it feels a bit far-fetched, all of this happening in a northern European, latterly liberal democratic nation. And then you get to thinking about what's happening worldwide. 21st century cities in Ukraine flattened and pummeled - normal life shattered. The Covid lockdowns (which I supported) that were implemented more rigourously in some countries than others and, for the most part, people acceded and obeyed the rules imposed on them in an emergency situation, the anti-immigrant rhetoric and action at the highest in the UK and the US. A mother in the US being jailed for providing her daughter with abortion pills. The book bannings and the anti-gay laws in the US that are spreading like wildfire and gathering fans around the world. The fully emerging theocracies in the US and elsewhere. When you put all of those bits together, things that are really happening, it then becomes less of a stretch of the imagination to see it all coming together in one place, expected or unexpected.

Eilish, a mother, wife, daughter, sister, neighbour, and friend, is the central character and everything that happens is viewed through her perspective as she first tries to deal with her husband's situation and we watch as that slides down her list of priorities while she tries to keep her family together and safe while making unimaginable decisions throughout. It's a traumatic and heartbreaking read,

The writing is powerful, the ways it's put down on the page may put some people off since, especially at the beginning and until you get into its rhythms, dialogue and description run into each other with barely a break and no immediate indication that it's a different character or situation.

I won't forget this for a long time, if ever, and if it's looking like that might happen, all I have to do is read the news and I'll be reminded all over again. And again.

The author does an excellent job of capturing the descent into shock and desolation over the course of a few months in a war zone. The "it can't happen here" dissonance in the midst of fascist chaos was well-represented and drew me into the story. It felt authentic and terrifying and I tore through the book even as it drew me down into the eddy.

I greatly disliked this book. It's unoriginal, not written well, and promotes one of the most horrific political ideology of all time, socialism.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc. This was very well crafted and the portrayal of the mother and her choices was executed with excellent prose. It was a good way to explore a dystopian world with science fiction and good characters throughout the story. Overall, a good read.

Never one to shy away from the more “chewy” books, I was eager to receive an ARC copy of this recently-shortlisted Booker nominee (to be published in the US in December 2023). And “chewy?” Oh, yeah. This one was so “chewy” I could barely swallow.

I found Prophet Song to be terrifying and absolutely chilling. Compelling, sure. But not a book I enjoyed reading. For me, it hit all my terror-triggers, and I actually had a hard time sleeping for a few nights after finishing the book. So I guess you could say . . . it delivered an emotional gut-punch. (Kind of in the same way Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale did when I read it in 1985.)

That said, the reason I had such a strong reaction to the book (aside from the terrifying plot, of course) was . . . the brilliant writing. The paragraph structure, the dialog, the very flow of the book was dark and frantic and claustrophobic. The language created that feeling of chaos, of nowhere to turn, of the walls literally closing in. It was . . . amazingly disturbing.

So how to rate a book that I hated reading . . . but at the same time, could understand and appreciate the absolute Art (with a capital A) that created my discomfort? (Again, the same feeling I had back in 1985 when I read The Handmaid’s Tale.)

4 stars . . . for brilliant writing, incredible emotional impact, and a storyline that will stick with me. It probably deserves 5 stars. But those sleepless nights have gotta count for something. (I will be rooting for this one to win the Booker, but I won’t be reading it again.)

Lynch certainly focuses on building the tone of the novel. All of the imagery is used to build that sense of foreboding and unease that follows you through the entire story. I do think it gets heavy handed at times, and it was at times so heavy handed where I definitely thought "yeah I get it and Eilish doesn't want to see it, this is well understood." But I feel like the second half or so of the novel definitely improved. Using Eilish as a tool to see what happens to those who don't choose to leave worked well. Definitely seems to be a divisive writing style but I think Lynch pulled it off in the end.

A fearless portrait of a society on the brink as a mother faces a terrible choice, from an internationally award-winning author

Excellent sci-fi dystopia. Well-written with good world-building and excellent characters.

'Prophet Song' by Paul Lynch

Well, I needed a glass of wine to get through this read! This dystopian version of Dublin shook me to the core. I found it so unsettling to witness the lives of the Stack family disintegrate along with democracy. This novel is based on Eilish's character and her internal thoughts so it feels more like a character study than a dystopian novel in some ways.

Little by little, freedoms are eroded and lives change forever when a new 'National Party' takes power and Eilish feels too paralysed to leave. Some of the scenes with her children were absolutely gut wrenching to read and Lynch's writing with no paragraphs really makes it engrossing and almost impossible to escape Eilish's thoughts. @littlecassreads compared it to Black Butterflies and I definitely agree.

The only jarring note for me was some of the stylised vocabulary and poetic prose which I think was too much at times I think more restraint with that style would have made it much more effective. At times it took away from Eilish's story instead of enhancing it. The ending is devastating though not without hope. This, along with 'The Bee Sting' is a worthy contender for the Booker

Dublin in a not too far future, a totalitarian government, people disappearing. A mother's quest to survive with her family and find a way out. The excellent writing pushes you to keep reading, you're in the mother's oppressive nightmare too.

Set in a near-future Dublin, an unspecified crisis has led to the rise of a far-right authoritarian government and the creation of a police state. The GNSB (Garda National Services Bureau) acts as all secret police forces act. One night they come to the home of Larry and Eilish and take away Larry, a teacher and trade unionist. He vanishes, just as so many others are being taken and vanishing. Eilish is left to try and hold her family of four together as conditions become more and more difficult, with more and more restrictions being imposed. Resistance to the new regime leads to a civil war – and we all know how that goes. I found this a compelling, chilling and all too recognisable scenario. This is the way it happens all over the world. Perhaps it could happen in Ireland. Who knows? But that isn’t the point. The point is that is has happened elsewhere and continues to do so. Eilish isn’t particularly likeable, although her plight is relatable. She makes some questionable decisions. She irritates. But I felt that was a real strength of the book. Can any of us say with any certainty how we would act in similar circumstances? Nightmarish and chilling, this is a harrowing read, and Lynch’s choice to write with very few paragraph breaks makes for a propulsive narrative that carried me along with mounting horror. One of the best and most disturbing dystopian novels I have ever read, and one which reminds us how it could indeed happen here.

If it wasn't for the Booker Prize I would probably not have read this - and I so pleased I have. So far my absolute front runner for winning the Booker 2023.

I'm not sure it I enjoyed the novel but I was propelled through the narrative with the relentless tension and breathtaking turn of phrase.

I found the frustration of the mother with her children, who simply seem to walk their own path and who seem to have little feeling and awareness for her desperate need to hold her family together and keep them safe, almost unbearable.

I think I am in a minority of people who didn’t click much with this book.

A thought experiment of what a totalitarian state would look like, just set in Ireland. I might have enjoyed this more, if I read fewer ‘rise of totalitarian state’ type books recently, but this didn’t feel like it was offering any new perspectives. I enjoyed the fact that there were few details in the actual reason behind the collapse weren’t explored, it gave it an allegorical element and meant you could really fill in the blanks with whatever chaos is haunting your imagination.

I felt bogged down by the language, the questionable choices of the protagonist and the endless bleakness. I also found the lack of breaks in between events difficult to follow. It may have just been the lay out on my reading device, but there seemed to be no breaks in the text between many scenes, so I would finish one paragraph when they were in their house one day, and the next paragraph it would be at her father’s house several days later. Intermingled with the many dream sequence scenes, and the dementia, I ended up having to read several passages several times. This might have been deliberate, but I found it a bit exhausting.

The new angle I did enjoy was that of the mother of four trying to hold her kids, husband, father and life together. Dystopia for the sandwich generation. There was a scene early on where Eilish explains that they can’t leave the country because her daughter’s hockey team are close to winning the title this year, which I really felt, as a similarly over invested sports mum.

On the whole though, this mainly gave me anxiety and a desire to get to the predictable end, with very little relief along the way.

DNF - The premise of this story was promising & I think had the author approached telling the story in a different way, I might have found more enjoyment in the book as a whole. With that being said, I do appreciate the unique approach. I'm sure it will be appreciated by other readers. However, I found the structure very clinical (cold), leading me to have a difficult time immersing myself in the narrative.

Eilish is a mother of four living in Ireland with her husband, Larry. This book opens with a knock on the door. Two representatives of the Garda National Services Bureau want to interrogate Larry. The government has adopted the Emergency Powers Act, which has suspended civil rights. Larry is a leader of the teachers’ union, and as such, has fallen afoul of the new regime. When Larry disappears, Eilish must navigate an increasingly violent environment, while attempting to safeguard their children and her father (who has dementia). The narrative follows what happens to the family, as conditions in the city deteriorate and supplies become scarce. A civil war breaks out and fear is ever-present.

This book examines the erosion of liberties that so many of us take for granted. It is a dark but powerful story, especially since this horrendous situation has actually happened in countries around the world. The tone is one of looming disaster. The writing is top rate. The structure of the book may be difficult for some readers, since it contains long paragraphs with embedded dialogue. This builds the sense of foreboding and tension but requires focused concentration to determine who says what. The majority of this book is bleak, but it also contains a very tiny ray of hope. It portrays the manner in which many people, when faced with this type of situation, are slow to act, and the reasons this can happen. I read this novel due to its longlisting for the Booker Prize. It is a chilling picture of a scenario that is all too easy to visualize. I can envision this book becoming a future classic.