There Was an Ancient House, by Benedict Kiely (Wolfhound, £6.99 in UK)
It is hard to see why this novel, originally published in 1955, should have been banned for being "indecent and obscene", but the ways of the Irish Censorship Board pass human understanding. The ancient house of the title now houses a number of religious novices, and while the book is not obviously anti-clerical, one wonders if the genial cynicism towards aspects of clerical life had not something to do with the book's banning. The 1950s was a vital period in Kiely's fiction, and this paperback continues the reissue of his novels which has been more than overdue. They fill in an entire literary chapter of the time. B.F.