I have told myself this month IS going to be all about whittling down my reading pile (that notorious night table that seems to have growing spurts of the books that 'live' there far too often). I have even made a real, paper list of what I want to try and read/finish. But . . . it is March now and I also told myself at the beginning of the year I would read a book or two of Irish lit (or stories set in Ireland) this month. So, in honor of March and spring and green, verdant fields for which I am hoping for, I am going to pick a book or two to read. These are all on my shelves and are books I keep meaning to get to. Some are much older than others, some you have likely seen here before, but there are also a few new books to be tempted by, too.
The Night Stages by Jane Urquhart -- Urquhart is actually Canadian, but this story is set in Ireland. "Set mainly in a remote westerly tip of Ireland in the 1940s and '50s, this stunning new novel from one of Canada's bestselling authors is at once intimate and epic in scope."
Conversation Piece by Molly Keane -- I absolutely should, should, should read this since I had planned to read all of Molly Keane's work in order the books were published. Have sort of stumbled on that project. I read one book by her last year that I failed to even write about. "When Oliver visits Pullinstown, he is introduced to wild days of hunting and shooting, and to characters like his cousins, with their passion for horses and trickery, and Sir Richard, elderly, but a match for his headstrong offspring."
Someone by Alice McDermott -- And I should really read this one, too, since I had to have it when it first came out and I loved another book by her I read a few years ago. "An ordinary life-its sharp pains and unexpected joys, its bursts of clarity and moments of confusion-lived by an ordinary woman: this is the subject of Someone, Alice McDermott's extraordinary return, seven years after the publication of After This. Scattered recollections-of childhood, adolescence, motherhood, old age-come together in this transformative narrative, stitched into a vibrant whole by McDermott's deft, lyrical voice."
The Visitor by Maeve Brennan -- "Written in the mid-1940s, it is a story of Dublin and of the unkind, ungenerous, emotionally distant side of the Irish temper. This haunting novella stands with her greatest short stories."
The China Factory by Mary Costello -- "An elderly school teacher recalls the single act of youthful passion that changed her life forever. A young gardener has an unsettling encounter with a suburban housewife. A teenage girl strikes up an unlikely friendship with a lonely bachelor. In these twelve haunting stories award-winning writer Mary Costello examines the passions and perils of everyday life with startling insight, casting a light into the darkest corners of the human heart."
1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn -- This is the first of, I'm actually not sure how many books following a group of characters through Irish history to contemporary times.
Blind Arrows by Anthony Quinn -- "Dublin 1919. A city at war with itself, a cauldron of soldiers, spies, rebels and political intrigue. The mysterious and seductive Lily Merrin, secretary at Dublin Castle, is on a mission, but whose side is she on and what is compelling her to consider the ultimate sacrifice? Charismatic Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins burns with a vision for his country, but others are plotting his downfall. And now Martin Kant, an English journalist, enters the arena. A serial killer is at large and Lily is in mortal peril. Kant must employ every sinew of his declining resources if he is to rescue not only Lily, but his own soul. Can hope survive amidst the moral ruin, and love be sustained in a time of soaring ambition and bloodshed?"
Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden -- Everyone I know who has read this has loved it. Enough of a recommendation for me! "Set over a single midsummer's day, Molly Fox's Birthday is a mischievous, insightful novel about a turning point--a moment when past and future suddenly appear in a new light." I have her newest novel, too.
Love and Summer by William Trevor -- "In spare, exquisite prose, master storyteller William Trevor presents a haunting love story about the choices of the heart, and the passions and frustrations of three lives during one long summer."
The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black -- "With its vivid, intense evocation of 1950s Dublin, and intricate, psychologically complex storyline, The Silver Swan is "even more engrossing than Christine Falls (Entertainment Weekly)." I really liked the first Quirke mystery and very much enjoyed the most recent book, so now maybe I need to fill in those gaps?
On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry -- "Spanning nearly seven decades, Sebastian Barry’s extraordinary fifth novel explores memory, war, family ties, love, and loss, distilling the complexity and beauty of life into his haunting prose."
The Dowry by Walter Keady -- "In The Dowry, Walter Keady spins a winsome tale in the best traditions of Irish literature, applying a wealth of charm and graceful wit to this story of love, money, and marriage."
The Copper Beach by Maeve Binchy -- "In the Irish town of Schancarrig, the young people carve their initials--and those of their loves-into the copper beech tree in front of the schoolhouse. But not even Father Gunn, the parish priest, who knows most of what goes on behind Shancarrig's closed doors, or Dr. Jims, the village doctor, who knows all the rest, realizes that not everything in the placid village is what it seems." It's been ages since I have read anything by Maeve Binchy, but I think she is a wonderful storyteller and I have lots of her books on hand--any would do, I suspect!
And the inevitable question for you? Do you have a favorite Irish author? Or a favorite story set in Ireland?