The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose) - Softcover

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9780192801937: The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192801937 ISBN 13: 9780192801937

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2002

What began simply in Ireland as entertainment and communication through the spoken word soon grew into an extraordinary literary form unmatched in any other country. The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories triumphantly demonstrates the development of the short story in Ireland--from the early folk tales of the oral tradition (here translated from the Irish) to the writing of Oliver Goldsmith, Oscar Wilde, and James Joyce. William Trevor, himself a distinguished short story writer, brings a special sensibility and awareness to his role as editor as he presents stories by Maria Edgeworth, Elizabeth Bowen, Liam O'Flaherty and such modern rising stars as Edna O'Brian, Desmond Hogan, and Joyce Cary. This wide-ranging collection of forty-five stories will certainly serve to entertain and enrich our understanding of this unique literary genre.

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About the Author:

William Trevor was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork in 1928 and spent his childhood in provincial Ireland. He attended a number of Irish schools and later Trinity College, Dublin. He is a member of the Irish Academy of Letters and was awarded an honorary CBE in 1977 in recognition of his services to literature. His most recent publication is 'The Hill Bachelors' (2000), and his other books include 'The Ballroom of Romance' (1972), 'Angels at the Ritz' (1975, Royal Society of Literature Award), 'Children of Dynmouth' (1976, Whitbread Award), 'Other People's Worlds' (1980), and 'The News From Ireland' (1986).

From Library Journal:

The short story, unlike the novel, is rooted in an oral tradition. Perhaps this explains its popularity and prominence in Ireland, where people have always delighted in the spoken word. From the magical folk tales and fairy stories, seven of which are given here, to classics like Joyce's "The Dead" and O'Connor's "Guests of the Nation," Trevor admirably suggests the variety as well as the continuity of this tradition. Seumus O'Keely's poignantly comic "The Weaver's Grave," about two elderly men's personal battle to remember the last free space in an ancient burial ground, is a turning point, mixing a modern sensibility with antique form. The modern story, which often portrays the brutality, repression, and disappointment characteristic of Irish life, is keenly represented by Mary Lavin's "Sarah." Trevor has chosen well. Bitter Harvest , which supplements Montague's The Book of Irish Verse (Macmillan, 1974; Peter Smith, 1984. reprint), a collection of verse from earliest times to the Irish Renaissance, is not quite as successful. The contemporary poets represented here write against the backdrop of political turmoil, but the verse, less thematically homogeneous than Montague would make us think, reels more from Yeats's powerful influence than from explosives. Included are so many poets who have just started their careers that one might wait on this collection to see if all the fruits of Ireland's "bitter harvest" are really worth saving.
- Donald P. Kaczvinsky, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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