Getting Through. London: Faber & Faber, 1978. First Edition. Cloth boards in publisher’s dust jacket. A nice bright copy.

Signed by the Author on title page.

McGahern’s second published collection of short stories, that explores the quiet tensions and rituals of rural Irish life, focusing on moments of emotional and psychological endurance.

The title story, “Getting Through,” follows a lonely schoolteacher’s failed attempt to connect with a woman, highlighting themes of isolation, failed communication, and the struggle for authenticity in a repressive society. Other stories in the collection examine family dynamics, memory, and the subtle violence of everyday existence, all rendered in McGahern’s characteristically spare, lyrical prose.