Irish-American Books

Before I moderated a panel at this year's Printer's Row Book Fair, my only experience with James T. Farrell was the first novel of his Studs Lonigan trilogy, Young Lonigan: A Boyhood in Chicago Streets. In his own words, Farrell balances the life of Studs Lonigan with the life of Danny O'Neill in this first novel of the O'Neill/Flaherty pentalogy. In the introduction to A World I Never Made, Charles Fanning Farrell writes that Farrell created, in Danny O'Neill, "a character whose life experience [was] to be precisely the opposite of Studs. "Danny and Studs," in Farrell's words, "will stand as I conceived them-dialectical opposites in their destinies-one goes up, the other goes down."

If you're looking for the fluid, tight, lyrical prose of a poet, you won't find much of that in any of the eight novels that make up these two collections. Despites Farrell's scholarly approach to his non fiction writing, the fiction here is written in the plain and austere prose you might expect from any randomly selected lower middle class resident of Chicago's south side Irish community in the early 1900s. At the Printer's Row Book Fair, I asked Fanning to touch on Farrell's choice to write in this style. Fanning spoke of the literary establishment's reluctance to accept Farrell for this very reason. In his introduction, Fanning writes that Farrell wanted to create a narrative voice that would "speak for people who cannot easily speak for themselves."

"For this prodigiously gifted intellectual," Fanning writes, "encyclopedically well read and fiercely committed to the life of the mind, the forging of this style was likely a heroic effort of will."

A World I Never Made is a great starting point for the reader interested in exploring the Chicago literary tradition.

The Danny O'Neill books are, at once, one of the great evocations of childhood, the great coming of age novels and the great works of naturalism in our literature. They were, for me, utterly enthralling, enthralling, as well as enlightening, reading throughout; but some have found that the full tetrology gets repetitive as one goes forward through nearly twenty years, and 2,000 pages of Danny's life and times. (If Lonigan is better it's because it has more cumulative punch as an integrated work, though Farrell's artistry is, chapter by chapter and volume by volume, at a high peak in the O'Neill books. For those inclined to make the journeys, A World I Never Made, is definitely the best introduction to the series. For those looking for the best of the batch, I'd recommend the starting out with both incredibly charming and intense -- and Lonigan linked-- "No Star is Lost," reportedly soon forthcoming from the U. of I. Press. For lit heads and Farrell fans happy with a single addition from Farrell to the American canon's Lonigan trilogy, "No Star is Lost" is probably it. Tom Sawyer eat your heart out!

I think this books' story of a boy growing up will actually strike chords with more readers than does Studs Lonigan trilogy (as extraordinary as that is). This book gets into the heart of a boy's feelings, hopes, fears, dreams, better than almost any book I've read. Like Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Joy in the Morning about Frankie Nolan's young life, this novel is simply able to put you into the boy and remind you of your own childhood. It also recalls the real terror of awaiting parental corporal punishment! It's that vivid.

Im a addict to great literature and I rarely find something that is so raw and almost wrenching at the same time that moves me. It almost hurts reading what most dont want to face when Brolly puts it so brutually lifes adventures, awakenings and the harshness we all go through. Also all the superficialness of life and the person within ourselves we are faced with and come to terms with. I would definitely recommend spending the extra dollar for this book...

I am not an expeienced reviewer.I felt an overwhelming desire to share my feelings on this new artist.Its not often that a new writter comes along that stops you in your tracks ,or has you turning page after page and wanting more.I really felt like Shane takes the reader on a vivid ride, heart wrenching ,hummorous and incredibally deep. He has a wonderful way of expressing himself ,and he's not bad on the eyes.

Actor Shane Brolly recently starred in the movie "Underworld", and while the movie did reasonably well at the box office, critics did not attribute that sucess to his performance. Perhaps an inexperienced actor, Brolly is a natural poet. Totally raw, his images and language accost readers, confronting them with themes and ideas so common to the human experience that we trudge through life ignoring them. Brolly's poems remind us what it is to be frustrated with our own apathy. He screams at readers about his inability to escape the net of expectations; he wants to do so much - be so much - and yet, those very wants keep him from placing his first step. In the face of such magnitude of purpose, where can he begin?
Particularly effective is a poem entitled "two doves" which dazzles in its simplicity. Brolly is a man to watch; his rough words name-call and curse, and his purpose whispers almost silently.

I thought this book on Irish Travellers in America truly remarkable.
In fact, I've now read it twice because I could not stop thinking about it.
I tried to explain it to some friends but had a difficult time articulating its content. I told them I would compare the reading experience to the equivalent of meeting a stranger on a plane and having them tell you the most amazing tales completely out of your realm of experiences.
The Traveller family stories here are simply transcendent and moving, yet at the same time stark and sobering. These people really are proud outsiders with many admirable qualities. It is time to rethink the "institutional prejudices" I'd say.
Why is this book so short? And will the author please write more. Also, do Travellers adopt non-Travellers into their culture? Sign me up.

Very entertaining and interesting book on American citizens of Scottish and Irish Traveller lineage and culture. I had no idea their culture was so rich and complex. They are led by powerful family monarchs; are educated, self righteous, speak a language older than Christ, are skilled at many trades, some are land rich, they are family centric, strongly Catholic and are nomadic. Definitely they are American Outsiders as the titled describes, yet, they are so free, so American and tribal at the same time.

A strange, unique, and most enjoyable book.

Ten-year-old Sofia Monari continues her diary describing her Italian immigrant family's life in Boston's North End. It's October of 1903, and Maureen, an Irish girl Sofia met in quarantine, has come to live with the Monaris after her mother dies and her father and siblings return to Ireland. Sofia describes her adventures with Maureen as they learn more about America; go to school; celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas; and help Sofia's older sister, Gabriella, begin a dressmaking business. Young readers who enjoyed the previous two books about Sofia, as well as other books in the My America series, will definitely enjoy this book.

It is 1903 and 10-year-old Sofia is finally getting used to life in the United States. Things are looking up now that her best friend Maureen, whom she met in quarantine, has come to live with their family on the north end of Boston. The two share many adventures as both are in the 5th grade. They have many new experiences including celebrating the various "new" American holidays. The future looks bright for Sofia as her parents are finally able to open their own grocery store. This was another good book in the My America series and a fitting conclusion to Sofia's story.

I JUST HOPED THAT THEIR WAS A WAY TO CONVINCE AND TEACH THE ORDENARY PEOPLE OF WHAT GOES ON IN THIS WORLD,UNFORTUNATLY MOST PEOPLE ARE SO NAIVE AND STUPID THAT THEY ONLY BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY SEE OR HERE THROUGH THE MEDIA AND SPECIALY WHEN THEY LISTEN TO THEIR LEADERS,THESE IDIOTS TRULEY BELIEVE IN THEM AND NOT REALISING WHO THE REAL CRIMINALS ARE,BUT YET AGAIN I GUESS TO BE A REAL CRIMINAL POLETICION,THE MIDDLE EAST OR IRAQ IS NOT THE PLACE TO APPLY FOR THIS JOB IT IS INFACT THE WESTERN COUNTRIES,SUCH AS THE U.S.A.,GREAT BRITAIN,AND THE REMAINING POPETS.

Mark Phythian is an international authority on the arms trade. In 'Arming Iraq' he produces a cogent critique of the policy that led to the arming of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship - a dictatorship already notorious for its gross violations of human rights. He also uncovers the devious methods which the arms suppliers used to beat official sanctions against the regime and the connivance of governments that had introduced sanctions in the first place.The British Conservative Government in particular emerges discreditably from this account. Indeed the reverberations of this unsavoury episode continue and help to explain the atmosphere of 'sleaze' which brought about its electoral downfall in 1997.Anyone interested in the arms trade and the problem of democratic accountability would be well advised to read this meticulously researched monograph

This book is still, 3 years after its publication, perhaps the best work about the nature of nature writing. It serves as a wonderful introduction to the growing field of ecocriticism and was a big source of inspiration and reference for me when writing my own such work concerning one small aspect of modern nature writing - Deep Immersion: The Experience of Water. Indeed, I credit my own good fortune to have had that recent book of mine nominated as top environmental book of the year, to the lessons in critrical thinking that I gleamed from a careful reading of Armbuster et al.'s book. Beyond Nature Writing is worthy of placement on any and every 'green' academic's shelf.

A fascinating, erudite collection, _Beyond Nature Writing_ contains some gems and is published in a truly beautiful edition. Especially worth reading are the essays by Glotfelty and Ulman--Ulman's being especially at the forefront of ecocriticism as it considers virtual and cyber environments. The digital worlds we as humans increasingly create and how we treat them (and what we place in their content) are going to have ethical implications on the world in which we live. Ulman's article thus comes at the right time--although it is by far not the only essay in here worth reading. One thing noticeably missing from this anthology, and ecocritism in general, is a lengthy consideration of dramatic literature. There is the essay by Sweeting, and that's good, but I got the (bad) feeling that this might be the first ecocritical essay on drama I've ever read. Although the problem lies more with the narrow interests of some ecocritics, imagine if this collection included only one essay on the novel. _Beyond Nature Writing_ would have challenged ecological criticism even greater by including more essays on drama, something ecocritics seem to neglect beyond _A Winter's Tale_. Perhaps Ulman's work on cyber-created environments could be used to revert to open eco-consideration of the word-based world of the stage. Maybe the next major ecocritical anthology will include at least two essays on drama! Overall, though, this collection is really worth reading and might just replace _The Ecocriticism Reader_ as the benchmark text in this area of criticism.

I didn't know anything about this book, but was hooked at the title, so I bought it. I read the first page or so, a little disappointed. Was I suppose to already know something of the Wise Woman Healer story? (Sadly, my adventurous ancestors shelved childhood stories as they left their homeland and adapted to life here in America.) The book quickly reminded me of a college reference book, so I skipped to the middle where I found the old stories retold in English along with the authors comments. The Book of Cailleach is a text-book of sorts; a review and study on the old tales of the Wise Woman Healer/Hag Goddess persona, an in-depth dissection of tales from pre- and post- Christian influence. Some tales are primitive and dark. Some attempt to make sense of natural phenomena. Some hint of the spiritual struggles of the early Celts, their ancient earth-based beliefs slipping slowly into the shadows of a new religion. The more I read, the more I involved became. I not only read the words, but I began to feel the emotional battle these mystical people must have endured. The last few chapters are the same tales told in their original language (to use as reference should the reader question the author's interpretations.) I'm looking forward to reading the whole book from the beginning, now with more understanding.

This Powerful analysis of the 'wise woman healer' from the oral traditions of Ireland's rural communities, is unique in its depth and perspective. Stories, told and retold, embedded in the texture of culture and community, collected and studied for many decades, and here translated and made available to the general reader for the first time. The figure of the 'wise woman', the 'hag', the Cailleach, or the 'Red Woman' are part of an oral tradition which has its roots in pre-Christian Ireland. In the hands of Gearóid Ó Crualaoich these figures are subtly explored to reveal how they offered a complex understanding of the world, of human psychology and its predicaments. The thematic structure of the book brings to the fore universal themes such as death, marriage, childbirth or healing, and invites the reader to see the contemporary relevance of the stories for themselves.

"This is a breathtaking book. It returns to Irish folk material the emotional depth and imaginative meaning which it always contained in its natural context but of which it has often been stripped by the utilitarian and commonplace interpretations long in fashion. It reminds me once again why I am charmed and enchanted by this material, and more than that, why I regularly find in it answers to the deep-seated obsessions of my own. A real gem of a book, containing an exemplary methodology showing how the Irish folk tradition can be interrogated to find answers which are vitally important to our age and times."

"God made the cat to give man the pleasure of caressing the tiger."
So said Fernand Mery, and so it is. The cat has shared our home since the age of the pharaohs. In that span of time she has been the subject of artists and poets, cartoonists and fabulists. By turns she has been depicted as either self-absorbed or self-possessed, maliciously rebellious or innocently mischievous, incorrigibly wild or something like Mery's tiger.
In The Cat and the Human Imagination Katharine Brown offers a fascinating overview of our changing perception of the cat. Brown analyzes the works of artists from Lorenzo Lotto, whose 16th The Annunciation includes a sinister, almost rat-like cat which seems intent on fleeing the holy scene to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, whose paintings of young women with cats were studies in languid sensuality. It's a pity there are so few paintings included in this book.
The writers who have felt motivated to write about the cat are too numerous to mention. Baudelaire evoked the cat's "physical beauty and grace" in his mid-19th century poem "The Cat" and shocked bourgeois society with his decadent tastes. The Bronte sisters made cats the mainstay in the well-ordered household and so pleased Victorian society. Poe stressed their mystery....
My favorite is Rudyard Kipling's "The Cat That Walked by Himself," the best of his Just So Stories. As Brown writes: "We not only tolerate the cat's resistance to human authority and take vicarious pleasure in its freedom from the conventions that inhibit us-we idealize its independence. Rudyard Kipling wrote the classic tribute to the cat's quiet insistence on keeping true to himself in the brilliant fable "The Cat That Walked by Himself." After Woman has domesticated Man, Dog, and Horse, Cat smells warm milk and presents himself at the cave. He persuades her to admit him by amusing the baby, putting it to sleep by purring, and killing a mouse in the cave - all of which he would have done anyway to please himself. Thus he wins his point without making any concessions: "still I am the Cat who walks by himself."
After reading The Cat and the Human Imagination it occurs to me that we need something akin to a quantum theory to account for our various perceptions of the cat. Is it a merciless predator or an epitome of solicitous motherhood? Is it the companion of haggard old crones or sensuous young women? Is it affectionate or aloof?
Physicist asked whether light was a wave or a particle and decided that the answer depended on who asked the question. Maybe it's so with the cat as well.

The comprehensive scope and depth of Rogers' work reflects her long standing personal regard for and civilized society's varied view of the domestic cat over the centuries. Rogers' earlier studies of women in literature are woven into this work in insightful but possibly controversial ways which challenge and interest the reader. There are dozens of references to art and literature that provoke one's interest in learning more, and do not bore the reader. This is a work for adults, a gem that anyone at all interested in the societal history of the domestic cat will admire and return to.

Part of the reason Dickens uses his "flowery" language, despite the effectiveness in creating vivid imagery, was that he was paid by the word. Therefore, his wordiness should not solely be considered an artistic choice, which makes you a bit more sympathetic to how long winded this book can seem. It is however a classic for good reason, with a compelling plot, even without very memorable characters. Still a good book to read for its historical context, and if you can handle the language it, for its good story.

Probably the first thing I thought about when I first read Charles Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities was, 'There's WAY too much detail in thing dumb novel!' Well, as I read on it occurred to me that Dicken's uses his amazing flowery language for a reason. It gives you the 'reality' feeling, like you can actually see and picture in your mind what is going on. The novel grabs you in places and lets you feel the sorrow or happiness the characters feel. His rendition of London and Paris are extraordinary because he lets you see the injustice and the anguish that the peasant class felt at that time. The use of detail and language in this novel is one of its most effective elements and truely I would rate this book as one of the best.

If you wonder why so many Americans and English people are convinced that their respective countries are better than others, this book will explain all. Through the Catholic belief that the Church had replaced the Jews as God's chosen people, and the English Reformation view that England - Church and State - had replaced the Roman Church as God's chosen, Americans came to see their Independence as the sign that they had replaced the English. Although ordinary people are not aware of the complex history behind their ideas, they continue to nurse their sense of moral superiority. It is an attitude guaranteed to breed resentment and hatred in the rest of the world, and it has got the two countries into deep trouble in Muslim countries. If diagnosis is the first step to healing, this book should help to cure Anglo-American arrogance. The scholarship is serious and solid, but the writing is never turgid, and there are plenty of surprises along the way.

Any book with such an ambitious scope is bound to be imperfect, and flubs are easy enough to find in this one. The better you know any of the numerous specialized areas Longley touches on, the more likely you are to find some bone to pick. It is to Longley's credit, however, that he took on a task specialists would be too prudent to tackle, and that he succeeded in contributing valuable insights into the "chosen-people syndrome," in which a powerful myth sustains exceptionalist thinking and behavior, even in defiance of experience and logic.