Kevin Barry-nothing to do with Irish history!

There are little kingdoms-Kevin Barry

I has never heard of Kevin Barry until a guy on twitter mentioned his name. I asked him who he was and he said he was very jealous that I hadn’t heard of him. Obviously, this sparked my curiosity off!
Kevin Barry is a young, Irish writer. He mostly writes short stories and plays but has finished his first novel, City of Bohane.
It’s always the way, when someone or something is brought to your attention, they are everywhere. And now I can’t escape from him.
He won first prize for his short story “Beer trip to Llandudno” in the Sunday Times short story competition, you may have seen it in the Sunday Times mag last week. So, my lovely husband presented me with copy of his “kingdoms” short stories and I read through it obsessively.
First story “Atlantic City” drew me into a world of sad, little people trying to live some kind of life in a randomly, awful Irish town. It hurts to read this and the other stories as Barry is too bloody observant for his own good. But, brilliant for the reader.
Other stories that remain in my thoughts are the To the hills, Wintersong, Animal needs and See the tree;how big it grows .
I felt embarrassed and entertained by these stories. These stories are not going to make you feel glowy inside. The way the Irish landscape is described will make you smile and feel proud sometimes. But, if you want to wonder about the excesses of Ireland and what we may be growing into, read any one of these stories. He is utterly easy to read and as easy to enjoy as a short story with no need for any other meaning but enjoyment.
My only gripe:stop using the word “forlorn”