The New Yorker: Fiction Tessa Hadley Reads John McGahern
Feb 1, 2026
Tessa Hadley, novelist and short‑story writer known for acute domestic observation, reads and reflects on John McGahern. She traces his clear surfaces, repeating rhythms, and how a gold watch becomes a charged emblem. Conversation ranges from male power and family cruelty to small details that quietly foreshadow darker turns.
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Repetition Creates Depth
- John McGahern's technique pairs surface simplicity with rhythmic repetition to deepen meaning.
- Tessa Hadley says this repetition builds an archetypal, enigmatic effect across his stories.
A Swift, Lyrical Courtship
- The couple meet casually on Grafton Street and quickly move in together, enjoying simple urban pleasures.
- Their early domestic bliss is described with lyrical, almost poetic detail.
Returning Home As Defense
- The narrator returns home yearly partly to avoid feeling guilty for leaving.
- Hadley frames this as a defensive habit learned from an 'ungiving' father.
