Reading in the Dark

Stairs, February 1945

When we first meet the novel’s narrator, a young boy in an Irish Catholic family, he is climbing the stairs. His mother warns him to go back down because there is “somebody there” (3). She means that she sees a ghost, but the boy does not see or sense anything. 

Disappearances, September 1945

The narrator describes the structure of his large family. His oldest sibling, Eilis, is four years older than him, while Liam is two years older. The narrator has four younger siblings, whose ages are spaced out in “one-year or two-year steps” (6).

The narrator comments on two instances of disappearances. The first relates to a belief that fairies walk among humans and are intent on stealing children. The second relates to an experience the narrator has at Duffy Circus. There, he sees a magician, Mr. Bamboozelem, make a series of objects disappear before finally disappearing himself.  

Eddie, November 1945

During a difficult winter, the family’s boiler breaks, and the narrator’s uncles arrive to help repair it. While working, they tell many stories. One relates to one of the narrator’s uncles, Eddie, who disappeared in April 1922 after a shoot-out between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the police.