Member Review

Some Things Left Unsaid

In the deeply moving collection “The News from Dublin,” Colm Tóibín demonstrates his exceptional skill through nine short stories characterized by an unadorned and melancholy style. By deftly utilizing restraint and withholding specific details, Tóibín creates a powerful emotional resonance within the narrative's negative space.

Tied together by characters grappling with doubt and transition, these narratives move through settings in Argentina, Spain, Ireland, and the United States. Tóibín focuses on the psychological weight of fear, loss, and grief, examining the dynamics of love, longing, and family through the eyes of those living abroad. His subtle style prioritizes internal reflection over direct confrontation, a technique that heightens the story's inherent tension.

Within this collection, Colm Tóibín consistently employs a strategy of restraint by eschewing explicit final confrontations, suggesting that direct description is not always necessary for emotional resolution. This technique is notably evident in ‘The Journey to Galway,’ a moving story about a mother tasked with informing her widowed daughter-in-law of her son's death in war. Similarly, ‘A Sum of Money’ builds significant tension as it follows a student who has stolen funds, culminating in an anticipated parental meeting that remains unwritten. Perhaps the most powerful example is ‘Five Bridges,’ which depicts an undocumented worker in the U.S. returning to Ireland after an anti-immigrant president is elected, a choice that implies a lasting break from his young daughter. By leaving such pivotal moments unspoken, the narratives heighten the psychological impact of the characters' experiences.

Although 'The Catalan Girls'-- by far the longest of the entries– feels somewhat sluggish and seemingly lacks character development, it remains an outlier in an otherwise strong volume. As is typical of Colm Tóibín’s work, “The News from Dublin” features stories that are elegantly phrased and expertly crafted and stands as a powerful testament to Tóibín’s capacity for eliciting deep emotional impact.

Thank you to Scribner, Edelweiss Plus, and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.