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Beneath the Earth

Beneath the Earth

Short storyContemporary LiteratureDrama
Pages
304
Published
2015
Language
English

Synopsis

In this collection of twelve dark, unerring and surprising short stories, John Boyne explores the extremities of the human condition in all its brilliance and brutality. The secrets we keep and the ways in which they shape us, the impossibility of shared loss, the lengths we will go to in order to protect our families and the distance we will run to protect ourselves. Drawing on a host of enthralling characters - a farmer, a cuckold and a teenager exploring his sexuality; good parents, bad parents, writers and soldiers; a student, a rent boy and a hitman - Boyne examines the hopeful and the damaged without prejudice or judgement. This, his first collection of short stories, is some of John Boyne's finest writing to date. It includes 'Rest Day' which won the 2015 Writing.ie Short Story of the Year award in Ireland.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

DarkMelancholic

Genres

Contemporary Literature Drama Short Stories

About the author

J
John Boyne

John Boyne is an Irish novelist born in Dublin. He studied English at Trinity College Dublin and creative writing at the University of East Anglia, where he won the Curtis Brown prize. His novels for adults include The House of Special Purpose, The Absolutist and The Heart's Invisible Furies, and he also writes for younger readers. His best-known book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2006), has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a film, a play, an opera and a ballet.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does this collection contain any recurring characters or a shared narrative thread?

    Each of the twelve stories functions as an independent piece of fiction rather than a connected series. The collection is unified by the author's exploration of human secrets and the ways individuals attempt to protect themselves or their families.

  • Are any of the stories in this collection based on real people or historical events?

    The story titled Rest Day is set during the First World War, and another entry titled Empire Tour offers a fictionalized look at the marriage of Agatha Christie.

  • Has any part of this collection received specific recognition?

    The story Rest Day was awarded the 2015 Writing.ie Short Story of the Year in Ireland, and the collection as a whole was longlisted for the 2016 Edge Hill Prize.