Byrne's `pictures' found in memoirs

by Gayle Hall

Gabriel Byrne...the name itself sits well on the tongue. It makes one think of Ireland, doesn't it?

You know him as a great actor, but there is much more to this special son of Dublin. Watching him work as he portrays a character on screen is most gratifying, but his special talent for telling a story is truly amazing.

Byrne's new book, a collection of memoirs entitled "Pictures in My Head," is filled with vignettes that give some insight into the man himself.

On the screen, he becomes the character he portrays. So too in his book, as he tells of his childhood in Dublin. Readers come to know this little boy.

There is a bittersweet nostalgia as Byrne looks back on his childhood that strikes a chord of familiarity in each of us.

Byrne provides us with some interesting insights into his career, which includes movie producing as well as acting and writing. There is a particular bit of reflection on his time with Richard Burton during the filming of "Wagner" that reveals a great deal about himself and his respect for others.

Included in the book are photographs of various moments in his life, and even the selections here give us an added layer of interest as we learn about this complex man.

Anyone who buys the book will really enjoy the time spent with Byrne.