Vivid stories begin and end with love

Dark Lies the Island

**By Kevin Barry**

**Jonathan Cape, €16.35**

**Reviewed by Joanne Hayden**

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For all its satire and snapshots of hyperreal characters, Dark Lies the Island is, not insignificantly, bookended by two love stories. Kevin Barry's distinctive linguistic exuberance is evident throughout his new collection, but even at their most outlandish, the stories tap into a vein of truth. They divide into small, overlapping ...