''The Empty Family'' is a collection of short stories by Irish writer

Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín (, approximately ; born 30 May 1955) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, critic, playwright and poet. His first novel, '' The South'', was published in 1990. '' The Blackwater Lightship'' was shortlis ...

. It was published in the UK in October 2010 and was released in the US in January 2011.The Empty Family Stories , Colm Tóibín Official Website
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Reception

''The Empty Family'' was shortlisted for the 2011

Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award __NOTOC__ The Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award—named in honour of Frank O'Connor, who devoted much of his work to the form—was an international literary award presented for the best short story collection. It was presented bet ...

. Reviews were generally positive. Bryan Lynch wrote in the ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'' that the "stories are always intensely interesting and sometimes profoundly provocative", noting that the sexually frank depictions required great courage. Keith Miller in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' described the book as an "exquisite and almost excruciating collection". ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' journalist Heather Ingman noted that most of Tóibín's familiar themes are present but with the addition of a "hard-won wisdom",The Irish Times - Sat, Sep 25, 2010 - Colm Tóibín's hard-won wisdom
/ref> giving rich rewards to the reader. Many reviewers commented on the fact that Tóibín's prose has become ever more spare and refined, with Ingman inviting readers "to read slowly and savour the silences between the words".

References

2010 short story collections Books by Colm Tóibín LGBT short story collections Lambda Literary Award-winning works Irish short story collections {{LGBT-fiction-stub