Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eclipse | 2000 | John Banville / Benjamin Black | Buy |
| 2 | Shroud | 2002 | John Banville / Benjamin Black | Buy |
| 3 | Ancient Light | 2012 | John Banville / Benjamin Black | Buy |
The Cleave Trilogy spans twelve years, from Eclipse (2000) through Shroud (2002) to Ancient Light (2012). The novels share the character of Alexander Cleave, a retired actor, though Shroud shifts focus to a different protagonist before Ancient Light brings Cleave back to center stage.
The trilogy is among Banville’s most personal and introspective work, dealing with memory, loss, deception, and the gap between the self we present to the world and the one we hide. Ancient Light in particular blends a memoir of a teenage love affair with the present-day grief of a father, and is often considered one of Banville’s finest novels.