Lies of Silence

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Lies of Silence
LiesOfSilence.jpg
First edition cover
Author Brian Moore
CountryIreland/United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Subjects The Troubles
Genre Suspense, literary novel
Publisher Nan A. Talese
Publication date
August 1, 1990
Pages197
ISBN 978-0-385-41514-9
Preceded by The Colour of Blood (1989) 
Followed by No Other Life (1993) 

Lies of Silence is a novel by Brian Moore published in 1990. It focuses on the personal effects of The Troubles, a period of ethnic, religious and political conflict in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to 1998.

Contents

Plot

The plot revolves around the protagonist, Michael Dillon, and his wife, Moira Dillon, who are held hostage in their house by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). The men force Dillon, an apolitical hotel manager, to drive his bomb-laden car to the hotel that he manages so that they can kill a leading Protestant reverend, members of the Orange Order, and militant Protestants, all of whom are attending the same function.

Various aspects of female psychology are also present throughout the novel, including Dillon's extramarital affair with the Canadian writer Andrea and Moira's mental breakdown following the revelation of his infidelity. [1]

Reception

Upon its publication, Lies of Silence received positive acclaim internationally. Publishers Weekly described it as "Moore's most powerful, meaningful and timely novel", [2] the Toronto Sun said that "once again Brian Moore proves his astonishing versatility and compelling humanity as a writer," the Irish Independent noted that "the writing is crisp and taut" and that "the moral crises [...] are intensely complex and gripping," [3] and Francine Prose in The New York Times described it as "characteristically first rate... intelligent... brilliant." [4] Lies of Silence was one of six books shortlisted for the 1990 Man Booker Prize. [5]

Lies of Silence is a choice for English comparative study for the Leaving Certificate in schools in Ireland. [1]

Translations

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References

  1. 1 2 "Exam Centre Leaving cert: Lies of Silence". www.skoool.ie. Skoool. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  2. Publishers Weekly. Amazon.com: Lies of Silence (9780385415149): Brian Moore: Books. Amazon. ASIN   B0108EQO3Y.
  3. Reviews sourced from blurb and pg. 3 of Lies of Silence, Vintage Books 1999 edition. ISBN   978-0-09-999810-5.
  4. Prose, Francine (2 September 1990). "The Reluctant Terrorist". The New York Times . Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  5. "Prize Archive 1990". The Man Booker Prizes. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 "Lies of Silence". Goodreads . Retrieved 15 November 2013.