The second half of Brian Moore's disappointing new novel, The Mangan Inheritance, takes place on the ould sod, as the style shifts from that of a conventional novel of manners to the wild improbabilities of a gothic romance….

The Mangan Inheritance is a good yarn, poorly told. Although there are some vivid and powerful moments, they are inevitably diminished by the flatness of the central character. We are told that Jamie is "an indifferent caretaker of his talent," yet nowhere is there a hint of this talent…. Jamie's overwhelming concern is himself. The entire book is, in a sense, the protagonist staring at himself staring in the mirror. Narcissism may be fun for the beholder, and voyeurism has its pleasures, but it's wearisome to watch someone we don't care about watch himself.

The Mangan Inheritance is a risky book. The problem is that we are always aware that...