The Bard of Ireland (opens in new tab)

<figure> <a href=" <img alt="" class="img-responsive" src=" /> </a> <figcaption> Colm Tóibín, the author of <em>Brooklyn</em> and <em>Long Island.</em> </figcaption> </figure> <p>By Pico Iyer</p> <p><span class="drop-cap">C</span>olm Tóibín writes what could be called emotional thrillers, so swift and intimate that you can’t stop reading, even though the only mysteries they’re investigating have to do with loneliness and loss. His celebrated novels take many di...