CHRISTINE FALLS
Book •
John Banville's 'Christine Falls', written under the pseudonym Benjamin Black, is a noir-tinged crime novel set in 1950s Dublin that follows pathologist Quirke as he probes a troubling death linked to the city's hidden social cruelties.
The novel explores themes of grief, moral ambiguity, and the grim social conditions of mid-century Ireland, rendered in Banville's elegant prose.
It was first published twenty years before being chosen as Dublin City Council’s One Dublin One Book for 2026, bringing renewed attention to its atmospheric depiction of the era.
The book balances a tightly plotted investigation with deep psychological insight into its characters, particularly the compromises and hypocrisies of the time.
Its selection for a citywide reading emphasises its status as both a compelling crime story and a work of literary significance.
The novel explores themes of grief, moral ambiguity, and the grim social conditions of mid-century Ireland, rendered in Banville's elegant prose.
It was first published twenty years before being chosen as Dublin City Council’s One Dublin One Book for 2026, bringing renewed attention to its atmospheric depiction of the era.
The book balances a tightly plotted investigation with deep psychological insight into its characters, particularly the compromises and hypocrisies of the time.
Its selection for a citywide reading emphasises its status as both a compelling crime story and a work of literary significance.
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Brendan O'Connor
John Banville
John Banville - “Humble items around the house might bring me to tears”
