The fiction of John McGahern is characterized by repetitions and circular constructions but never gives the impression of labouring an issue or of repetitiveness. His narratives are frequently structured by natural cycles and by man-made repetitions. Moreover, the author resorts to recurring names, themes and settings and thus creates a unique local universe. In previous analyses of McGahern’s fiction the conspicuous cyclical constructions have been shown to be also recurrent at a micro-level within his texts in the form of chiasmus. The writer may unconsciously have imitated the chiastic structures that are typical of the Bible. McGahern’s distinct narrative style can be illustrated with examples from both his short fiction and his novels. Examples examined in this article show how the author’s frequent resorting to chiastic structuring succeeds in foregrounding specific themes or crucial moments in his narratives.
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