John Banville / Benjamin Black Books In Order

Publication Order of Philip Marlowe Books

Publication Order of Quirke Books

Publication Order of The Revolutions Trilogy Books

Publication Order of The Cleave Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Frames: The Freddie Montgomery Trilogy Books

Publication Order of St. John Strafford Books

Publication Order of Tax Free Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Plays

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Writer and the City Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

John Banville is an Irish author of fiction as well as playwright and screenwriter. He is known for his darkly humorous writing, precise forensic style, and thick poetry. He was born in Wexford, Ireland, on December 8, 1945.

Banville also writes under the pen name of Benjamin Black, under which he wrote Christine Falls and then The Silver Swan. He has also taken over the Philip Marlowe character from celebrated author Raymond Chandler under the Benjamin Black mantle.

His mother stayed at home as a housewife and his father worked in a garage. His father passed away when John was in his thirties. Banville is one of three siblings and is the youngest of them all. Vincent, his older brother, is a novelist as well and has written under pen name Vincent Lawrence as well as his given name. His sister has also had her writing published in both nonfiction memoir and a children’s book.

Growing up, Banville attended a Christian Brothers school and St. Peter’s College in Wexford. He originally thought he wanted to be a painter and architect. He did not go to university, something he recounts as being a mistake and regrets that he did not attend. However, he says that he wanted to get away from his family and be free.

When he was done with school, he landed a position working as a clerk. His job at Aer Lingus allowed Banville to travel at extremely affordable rates thanks to a deep discount, which he used to travel to places like Greece and Italy. Banville lived in America for around a year before returning to Ireland. There he became a sub-editor and then chief sub-editor at Irish Press.

Banville saw his first novel published in 1970. It was a collection that was titled Long Lankin. The Irish Press closed in 1995, and Banville became a sub-editor for the Irish Times. He was made literary editor in 1998, but the Times also became vulnerable thanks to financial issues. Banville was offered the option of working as a sub-editor in the features department or taking a redundancy package and leaving, and Banville exited the Times.

Since then, he has worked contributing to The New York Review of Books and was elected to an artist’s board but resigned in 2001. He is married to Janet Dunham, an American textile artist. Together they have two sons, both grown adults. The pair met in 1968 in San Francisco. Janet was a student at Berkeley. He also has two daughters with former Arts Council of Ireland’s head Patricia Quinn prior to this marriage.

His first fictional novel was released in 1971 and is titled Nightspawn. He would come out with several more standalone fiction novels after that. He is the author of the Revolutions series, a historical fiction set of three books that focuses on different figures throughout history and puts a creative twist on them.

The first book had critics lauding Banville’s work, saying that he is ‘superb’ and praising the illumination of the time in history. Doctor Copernicus was released in 1973 and focuses on Nicholas Koppernigk and how his work changed the entire world. The second book is titled Kepler and focuses on the life of Johannes Kepler. The third book is titled The Newton Letter. It focuses on an Isaac Newton historian who comes obsessed with his own writing.

Doctor Copernicus is the first book in the Revolutions series by John Banville. This novel focuses on the man Copernicus, whose scientific discoveries would eventually become accepted as fact. This would give us the idea that continues to today with the sun at the center and the planets spinning around it instead of the Earth being at the center.

Readers who love historical fiction will really enjoy this engaging historical fiction story from John Banville. Copernicus’s world comes to life in a debut novel of the series that gives a peek into Copernicus’s life. Follow along in Banville’s lively telling of a scientist who contributed a lot to science and dealt with a lot in the process.

Readers will love following Copernicus as he deals with all the trials that life throws at him, like a brother who has ill will toward him and the attitudes of a world and a hierarchy that is not ready to accept the Sun as being at the center of the universe. Conspiracies abound and Copernicus is tested on his scientific journey as he attempts to prove his theory while the entire world rises up to fight him on it. Check out the book that the Guardian described as possessing “precision and timing”.

The Daily Telegraph said that Banville is Nabokov’s heir thanks to his ‘fastidious wit’ and ‘exquisite style. The Times agreed, calling the book one that is not only exciting but ‘beautifully’ written too. You may know what happened to Copernicus in real life, but find out what happens in this novel by picking up Banville’s first in the Revolutions series!

Kepler is the sequel in the Revolutions series by Irish author John Banville. This novel focuses on the life and character of Johannes Kepler, the man who is famous for being a famous mathematician and astronomer. It was his work that laid the foundation for many to follow on the path of this German scientist and change long-held scientific theories forever.

Kepler worked on his theories in pre-Renaissance Germany in the sixteenth century. In Kepler’s world, his family mirrored the chaotic disorder of the world outside. Kepler would retreat into his thoughts and mind to get away from it and find respite.Kepler’s work would eventually lead to the contemporary theories being completely tested and a new level and age of truth dawning.

This creative second novel in the Revolutions series by John Banville takes a real figure from history and brings them to life. Want to find out what happens along the way to this scientist and the impacts that his scientific work had on modern society? Then pick up Kepler and find out for yourself what happens in this engaging second novel in the Banville’s Revolutions Trilogy.

One Response to “John Banville / Benjamin Black”

1. Anthony Kirby: 10 months ago

   I’m fascinated by John Bainville’s work and have read most of the Dr Quirk series. Set inthe Dublin of my twenties . The only on of the author’s novels under his own name that I’ve read is ‘The Sea’ which I admired for it’s literary style and pacing. I’ve just seen the movie ‘Marlow ‘ .Sadly I felt that something went wrong .I’ll read ‘The Black Eyed Blond’ Occasionally things seem to happen in adopting novels to the screen .

   Reply