Irish Books

Disaster on Rails: Emma Donoghue’s "Paris Express"

In this episode of Irish Books, historian Professor Dianne Hall joins Chris Murray to discuss Emma Donoghue’s The Paris Express, a book that brings aspects of the thriller genre to literary fiction. Set aboard a train on a single day in 1895, The Paris Express assembles a cast of real figures, but in an alternate history in which they are propelled towards disaster. At the heart of the story is the tension between the young anarchist Mado Pelletier, who carries a bomb, and the only passenger who guesses her secret, the librarian and charity-worker Blonska. Chris and Dianne explore Donoghue’s blend of historical research and imaginative reinvention, the novel’s queer aesthetic, and how the threat of impending destruction speaks to the sense of fragility in our own time. . Dianne Hall is Professor of History at Victoria University, Melbourne. LINKS:Irish Books Podcast on Blogspot: https://irishbookspodcast.blogspot.comBuy "Paris Express" https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781035057276/ Guest:Dianne Hall https://researchers.vu.edu.au/2149-dianne-hall The Irish Books Podcast is proudly produced by East Coast Studio with support from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Monash University See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irish Books Season 1

Hear in-depth discussions of recent Irish books that are worth reading, across a range of genres. Expert guests get to the heart of books you know and give you ideas of what contemporary Irish literature to read next. In Irish Books, author and critic Chris Murray discusses recent Irish books with expert guests. Hear their in-depth conversations to learn about contemporary Irish books that are worth reading. For lovers of Irish fiction, The Irish Books Podcast gets to the heart of books you know and gives you ideas of what to read next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.