Dublin 1907, a young Irish actress embarks on a doomed affair with John Millington Synge, the Irish playwright. In the 1950s an old, impoverished woman makes her way across London, reminscing about her glory days as an acclaimed actress and her relationship with the enigmatic Synge. This is a demanding read, more like poetry than prose, requiring the reader to slow down and savour every word, even having to reread sections at times. The second person narration also requires some effort on the reader's part but once accustomed to it, you get a real feel for Molly Allgood and the deep passion she felt for Synge. Molly takes centre-stage in this stream of consciousness narrative which flits between the faded grandeur of her life in the 50s and the vitality and exhuberance of her character in 1907, the year in which she meets Synge and becomes the inspiration for Pegeen, the leading female character in The Playboy of the Western World. Ireland is in a state of chassis in 1907 as the country moves towards independence and Molly and Synge's relationship seems equally tumultuous coming as they do from opposing religions, social status and age but this is not a historical novel as such but rather a reimagining of a love story. Molly is an extremely engaging character, vivacious in her youth, resourceful and witty in her later years holding her head up high despite her straitened circumstances with the odd nip of gin providing a much needed boost. There are equal amounts of tragedy and comedy in this character driven tale. Ultimately it is an uplifting tale despite the doom laden nature of the key players' relationship, the difference in class, the social disapproval and ultimately Synge's untimely death from Hodgkin's disease. Molly shines through the gloom and there's a mischievous glint in her eye and a vitality which remains with the reader. If you appreciate beautifully written prose and the stream of consciousness style you will thoroughly enjoy this delicate love story, prior knowledge of Synge's literary opus is not a prerequisite but I now feel compelled to revisit The Playboy of the Western World, last viewed about 30 years ago for 'O' Level English!

Admittedly, this is not Jospeh O'Connor's best effort, but to me that's like saying 'Figaro is not Mozart's best Opera'. Yes the simple size of the book means it lacks the depth that you get with 'Star of the Sea' or 'Redemption Falls', but as historic fiction goes, O'Connor does give us another masterclass. What I found interesting about this one is firstly that the author strays from the 19th Century settings that heped him make his name, instead taking a moderate step and having the setting jump to and from early/mid 20th Century. All I will say is that O'Connor's genius at historic description and detail is no less evident in this book than it has been in any of his others. I absolutely loved the fact that O'Connor used as a central character a recognisable figure from literary history. My favourite part of his previous book 'Star of the Sea', was the cameo made by Charles Dickens, so to use John Synge as a focus point of the novel was something I found very enjoyable. Additionally to have the main character as another, although admitedly much less known, real person is something that made the amateur historian in me perk up and pay close attention. What I love most about O'Connor's books is the way he plays with narrative, taking jumps between past and present, poetry and prose, and 'Ghost Light' is no different. Although the device is used a tad less frequently, this is not to the book's disadvantage. It makes it a lot easier to read across many sittings than O'Connor's other novels, but equally it does mean you miss that un-put-down-able thrill that so few authors can achieve, but O'Connor seemed to do for fun in other books. So all in all, O'Connor has given my bookshelf another thoroughly enjoyable read, I look forward to the next!

Margaret Drabble’s The Garrick Years, Somerset Maugham's Theatre and Michael Blakemore’s Next Season all offer required reading for a star struck reader, but other fiction titles set in and around the world of theatre are few and far between. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing: preconceived notions about the life of the luvvie are difficult to shift, often based in a jumbled notion that show business offers an exotic hedonism, far removed from gas bills and council tax. It does, but it doesn’t. Where Ghost Light scores highly is in its few, fleeting glimpses through the limelight. There’s not much to get wrong, in other words. We can watch actress Molly Allgood pacing the rehearsal stage at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, doing her best to drum life into The Playboy of the Western World while its playwright JM Synge throws his hands up at her ability, and we can walk away. As that professional relationship merges into a more personal one that taxes the rectitude of Synge and the overt gaiety of Allgood the story becomes more another love story and less about the flattery of audiences. Scenes of the actress’s fading glory in the shadow of her more successful sister are heart-rending in their description. Is there enough money to eat? Will that cheque from the BBC arrive in time to stop its aging recipient from starving? How will the expected death of the playwright affect the actress as she approaches an uncertain old age and a dimming celebrity? O’Connor’s writing is a poetry soaked in gin and sadness and takes its time to filter through. He readily acknowledges that while Synge and Allgood really existed, his version is always and only an observation of the facts of the case. His is a book best read slowly but definitely best read.

I usually like Joseph O’Connor’s books - I’ve read every other one. But I just couldn’t get into this one. Found the plot really, really slow and the constant slipping between 2nd and 3rd person narration was annoying! I read a lot of fiction and very rarely give up on one, but 97 pages in I put it back on the shelf and picked something else.