MissPrism

Flanner, isn't the expression "to trail one's coat" Irish in origin? ;-)

MissPrism

Another vote for William Trevor. Troubles , by J G Farrell. He's not all that well known, possibly because he died young

bilboburgler

I like O'Brian and Behan. I'm not sure when "Classic" starts but I've thought you should be talking pre-1900. Based on that you should look at Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, CS Lewis, Shaw, Wilde and Yeats as well.

Watch out for the odd people who claim to be Irish despite neither living there nor being born there ("a touch of the Irish" turns into "being touched")

bvlenci

It's nonfiction, but if you want to understand an important part of Irish history, read <i>The Great Hunger</i>.

Seamus Heaney is one of the great poets of modern times. To connect him with the 18th century, he translated part of the long 18th century Irish satirical poem <i>Cúirt an Mheán Oíche</i>, by Brian Merriman, who must not have got the memo about the language of Ireland. Seamus Heaney also made a wonderful translation of <i> Beowulf </i>.

annw

Consider Eavan Boland -- contemporary, but well worth reading anyway--essay and poetry.

Agree about Roddy Doyle too.

Pepper_von_snoot

Another novel you may consider is The Dream of the Celt by Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa.

This historical novel tells of the life of Sir Roger Casement.

Thin

annw

Check the Yeats thread too.

gigib

Gosh, thank you all for the intelligent commentary, with some cantakerousness thrown in! Much information here to feed my summer reading, thank you very much.

And, a congratulations to you Fodorites for being so well-read, I am impressed. I have been over at the TA forums for most of my general info such as hiking and routes and pubs, but got very little info about literature.

Now the trick will be to find these books in my lousy local Los Angeles County library.

Pepper_von_snoot

The Yeats thread is in the Lounge.

Not everyone has access to the Lounge.


Thin

amyb

Roddy Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy: The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van are probably his most popular mainstream releases. For me, they capture what I think of when I think of my friends from North Side of Dublin: the mindset, the personality, the attitude. Later works like Paddy Clark and The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, got more critical acclaim, but didn't capture the essence of Dublin as well. The last Doyle work I read was the followup to the Barrytown Trilogy, Guts, with all of the younger characters fully grown and leading adult lives, and that was just as good.

gigib

I thought Oscar Wilde was English! I have an antique copy of his "greatest works" in my bookcase, just pulled it out to put in my pile. Also just pulled out my '70s paperback copy of Tristam Shandy, I didn't know Sterne was Irish either.

I re-read Angela's Ashes recently and thoroughly enjoyed the misery. Did people really grow up like that?

Don't care a lot for poetry but I just found lots of Yeats to read online, very beautiful, we will be spending a bit of time in Sligo.

I'm sort of a dilletante, I can read something difficult like Ulysses or Finnegans wake and just enjoy the ride and soak up what I can.

bvlenci

Give Seamus Heaney a try; I don't think you'll be disappointed.

IMDonehere

When in Dublin, be sure to visit the Writers Museum. It is small and quirky.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/...writers-museum

Cathinjoetown

gigib,

Enjoyed the misery? Seriously? This is a true, to the extent anyone can know, account of the author's childhood. Hope your comment was ironic.

When I read the book, though not religious, the first thought I had was, " There for the grace of God...."

gigib

My thoughts exactly cathinjoetown, what I meant was that I enjoyed his account of the misery of his childhood.

Have just started rereading Tristam Shandy but my 1970s paperback is disintegrating, very very funny! The intro says that Sterne was born in Ireland but to an English soldier stationed there.

stevelyon

Seamus Heaney, poetry, but a joy to read.

Another vote for John Banville: "The Sea" - wonderful.

Roddy Doyle: "The Woman who walked into doors" - a very moving account of domestic violence.

gigib

I have "The Infinities" by John Banville at home, I read it some time ago but don't remember if I liked it or not!

Went to the bookstore and flipped through Finnegans Wake, yikes and double yikes, I don't think I'll dive into that. I bought a nice new copy of Ulysses.

They had lots of works by Roddy Doyle, next stop is the library to see if I can get a couple for free.

BigRuss

Watch The Commitments if you haven't. It's a product of its time (1989-90) but good stuff.

Shaw is a Stalinist apologist.

If you want something less literary but well-done, Stuart Neville's Ratlines or The Ghosts of Belfast. And unlike Brookmyre, Welsh, and Scott (Scotland), or Doyle (Ireland), Neville doesn't write in dialect (very spare use of it), so you can actually understand it.

Pepper_von_snoot

Well, if you enjoy reading about misery, you should definitely dive into George Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier. This is set in England, not Ireland, though. Nonfiction account of haves/have nots.

Aces above McCourt's maudlin, weepy, smarmy Angela's Ashes.

Thin

plambers

Blackwater Lighship by Colm Toibin is a favorite.