Article: FICTION; Shades of green; Edna O'Brien and John McGahern set their new novels in rural Ireland, but few will confuse his Keillor-like social comedy with her gut-wrenching examination of murder.(ENTERTAINMENT)

Byline: John Freeman

Special to the Star Tribune

Stumbling upon a novel like "By the Lake" is as rare a pleasure as finding an unspoiled country hideaway. In it, Irish writer John McGahern brings to life a rural community that is handsome and tranquil, at peace with its own rhythms - an Irish version of Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon.

The setting is one that McGahern has evoked before, but it still feels fresh on this visit. On a remote lake, in the shadow of Ireland's Iron Mountains, a few locals have populated a bog and settled into their ways. There are two bars, and a broken-down abbey, all described lyrically at intervals as regular as ...

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