Recent developments in Irish literature are largely ignored in existing critical texts on Irish culture. This is the first study to make a detailed examination of the new novelists and themes emerging in the genre, as well as covering the foundations of contemporary Irish fiction.

Gerry Smyth provides a broad overview of the forms and theories that comprise the traditional Irish novel and explores the ways in which modern writers challenge established notions of Irish fiction. Focusing on the work of leading contemporary Irish writers - including Roddy Doyle, Glenn Patterson, Emma Donoghue and Patrick McCabe - Smyth employs innovative techniques in his analysis, such as the relevance of post-colonial theory to Irish literature, and the links between literature and wider cultural and political developments. Also included is a previously unpublished interview with Roddy Doyle.