Released: September 2023
Genre: Fiction, Dystopian, War
Paul Lynch’s brand of thought-provoking has proven very popular over the last decade. Prophet Song is easily his most provocative and well-known novel to date, a grim tale of modern authoritarianism and those caught up in a brutal collapse.
The story opens in a seemingly normal Republic of Ireland with Larry and Eilish Stack living a peaceful life with their children; Mark, Molly, Bailey and Ben. When the far-right National Alliance Party seizes control of the nation, things start to go downhill quickly. Larry is taken away by the secret police after attending a union march, leaving Eilish to face a rapidly deteriorating situation on her own. Exiting Ireland is disallowed, young men are pressed into serving the sadistic regime and supplies of food and other essentials slowly dwindle. This descent into violence and depravity is conveyed in a highly realistic and unsansitised manner. Eilish and her children are innocent civilians and the book never leaves their viewpoint, often leaning into an introspective tone throughout.
Throughout the novel and the events on ground level, Lynch emphasises how easy it can be for a dictatorship to sweep in and ruin everything alongside the destruction of a once peaceful nation while the populous isn’t looking. Being based in a modern context allows us to imagine how we would act in a similar situation while also drawing parallels with real-world conflicts and the ever-rising number of refugee crises. The sense of danger and misery really builds to a fever-pitch in the latter half with many gut-wrenching moments. Loss and grief are the primary emotions by the time we reach the climax.
Admittedly, the novel does leave many questions unanswered; we experience everything from a civilian point of view and are left unaware of how the sinister political machinations began. This also holds true for the ending which leaves the fate of Eilish and her children uncertain. There is no light at the end of this tunnel which speaks volumes of those who are displaced from their homes and all the unpredictability they have to deal with.
Recommended?
YES: Prophet Song delivers an unflinching look at how a fascist regime could emerge in the modern world and the way it affects common people who are only trying to get on with their lives. More than anything else, Lynch puts us directly into the character’s perspectives, sharing in their anxiety and eventual suffering. At many points, it doesn’t make for easy reading, but it still achieves a chilling tone and scenario.
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