What sets Irish noir apart?
According to celebrated author Ken Bruen, it boils down to laughter – wicked laughter.
“I think Irish noir deals a lot with depression, but there’s always humor.”
Ireland is known for its distinct blend of misty, moody crime fiction, and Bruen is considered one of the genre’s best. Dubbed “the Godfather of Irish crime,” Bruen’s award-winning work has been praised for its bleak comedy and candid representation of the Irish spirit – see his gritty Emerald Isle masterpiece The White Trilogy for proof.
The author hails from Galway, and while he admits the area struggles with crime, its rough backdrop also fuels his writing: “[Galway] was brilliant for a writer . . . I was in the right place at the right time.”
Watch Bruen discuss Irish crime fiction in the video below, then crack open The White Trilogy from Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes & Noble.
Photo: Final Gather / Flickr
