IMPERFECT BEINGS
Published on 22. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-83594-046-4 (ISBN)
Description
In a series of unexpected moments when past loves and choices re-surface with startling clarity, the imperfect beings who populate these stories find themselves finally grasping the impact of crucial early relationships, as joy, loss and betrayal echo across decades.
A man searches for a possible secret half-sister to understand his father. A woman is haunted by a boy's death fifty years ago. A lighthouse keeper recalls his first relationship. A public figure, slipping into dementia, relives a fateful night that haunts him. A man seeks insights into his mother's past on a remote Portuguese island. From childhood holidays shadowed by tragedy to chance reunions that rewrite old narratives, Bolger's complex and deeply humane characters reveal the fragile beauty of human connection.
A man searches for a possible secret half-sister to understand his father. A woman is haunted by a boy's death fifty years ago. A lighthouse keeper recalls his first relationship. A public figure, slipping into dementia, relives a fateful night that haunts him. A man seeks insights into his mother's past on a remote Portuguese island. From childhood holidays shadowed by tragedy to chance reunions that rewrite old narratives, Bolger's complex and deeply humane characters reveal the fragile beauty of human connection.
Reviews / Votes
Review for previous collection:"Bolger writes with great intuition about the secrets and lies that circulate beneath the surface of our everyday lives." -- Leagues O'Toole * Sunday Business Post * Review for previous collection:
"Secrets Never Told is a taut collection of stories delivered with precision and poise." -- Dani Gill * The Irish Times * If his book has a unifying theme it's the toxic potential of memory, which can bubble up at any time to overwhelm the flimsy present. And the older you get, the heavier the past's burdens become. -- Paul Whitington * Book review: Toxic potential of memory * And Dermot Bolger writes best when he writes sparely, at times delivering blunt life lessons, unvarnished home truths. -- Paul Whitington * Book review: Toxic potential of memory * 'In the short story collection Imperfect Beings, Dermot Bolger explores the messier layers of our existence with skill and passion.' -- Helena Mulkerns * Imperfect Beings by Dermot Bolger: The fine-tuned work of a mature master writer * 'In deft, fine strokes of detail throughout, his canvas bears witness to how often people walk through life dressed in deceit, self-deception and confusion.' -- Helena Mulkerns * Imperfect Beings by Dermot Bolger: The fine-tuned work of a mature master writer * 'As with all Bolger's works, he captures the stubborn, vibrant life force of his characters, flawed and often flailing in an Ireland that is hard as concrete.' -- Helena Mulkerns * Imperfect Beings by Dermot Bolger: The fine-tuned work of a mature master writer * 'If Bolger's fiction canon kicked off with a cutting-edge novel about youth, then readers who have followed his powerful and extensive body of work since The Journey Home will appreciate this collection as the fine-tuned work of a mature, master writer addressing themes that ring true with the years.' -- Helena Mulkerns * Imperfect Beings by Dermot Bolger: The fine-tuned work of a mature master writer *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Dublin
Ireland
Dimensions
Height: 215 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
322 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83594-046-4 (9781835940464)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Dermot Bolger is one of Ireland's best known writers across a range of genres. His fifteen novels include The Journey Home, The Family on Paradise Pier, New Town Soul, An Ark of Light, The Lonely Sea and Sky and most recently, Hide Away. His eleventh poetry collection, Other People's Lives, was published in 2022 and his most recent plays include Last Orders at the Dockside and an acclaimed adaptation of Joyce's Ulysses which both enjoyed sold-out runs at the Abbey Theatre. He is a member of Aosdana.