Irish Books

This is by far the best book on the subject of 'Beauty and the Beast' ever written. Betsy Hearne takes an insightful look at the fairy tale and its many versions throughout the centuries. Unfortunately its time span is only from the 1700's to the early 1980's, thus excluding any discussion of the Ron Koslow television series or the 1991 Disney animated film. But even with this, the book is well worth several readings if you are at all interested in studying this 'tale as old as time.'

I found this book serveral years ago, and bought it becuae, well, I love Beauty and the Beast (with the possible exception of the Disney verson....) and this was reccomended as one of the better basic resources. It was originally writen as a thesis , so basically it's all that research available without the bother of looking it up yourself. She discusses the shift of the story from the folktales to the novels and other adaptations of today. Unfortunately it was written BEFORE Disney, but I found a review she did of the movie later. It was pretty funny. It has a copy of one of the oldest printed versions (Mme Le Prince du Beaumont) and a transcription of a French folk version as resources at the end. (I wish I could read French.)

This book could be read as its own text, or as a companion to the author's previous book, The Irish for No. This volume takes on many of the same places, people, and themes, and uses the same groundbreaking poetic line sprawling across the page to recreate the eight-bar rhythm of traditional music. But this book is also distinct: its short discursive essays give it the narrative feel of somebody letting you in on the secrets of his own life, and the darker tone reminds you that you have traveled to the other side of the poet's mind.

The extensions from the previous volume begin very explicitly, with the title, which comes from a poem in TIFN. The Exiles' Club, who were the center of a poem in the last book, now come up as the subject of an essay in this book. But the book reads like the aftermath of a car bomb, with body parts strewn throughout the titles (Hairline Crack, Bloody Hand) and memorials to notable acts of violence ("The stopped clock of The Belfast Telegraph seems to indicate the time / of the explosion -- or was that last week's?").

This book could easily have a wider audience than most books of poetry. For students of history, lovers of literature, Celtophiles, and those curious about the mind of the victim of violence, Belfast Confetti can be both an education and a very grim pleasure to read. Be warned, you can't read it too quickly, or the darkness will tear you down in a hurry; this is a book to be consumed in sips, not huge gulps. But it is a book to be consumed nevertheless, and enjoyed for as long as it lasts.

"Belfast Confetti", along with Carson's 1987 "The Irish For No", are the most impressive volumes of poetry I have read in recent years. I could (and do, as an English student) pour over the poems for hour. He is wonderfully skilled at interconnecting his work and setting a real sense of place. Carson explores Belfast and the way the city and its people have changed in the last four decades or so since his youth. He is concerned not with judging the changes, but in examining the ways in which the Troubles, the English presence, and modernization have affected Belfast/Northern irish culture and the way his own memory betrays the truth as it falters. These are rich books, they keep you looking over & over for more layers. I also reccommend, if you can find it, his 1997 prose work, "The Star Factory". Its themes and subjects tie right back in with BC and TIFN.

There is no point (or space) for any explanation of Beowulf without being highly redundant. Rather I would like to say that this is by far the best Beowulf edition I have ever come across. The original Anglo-Saxon (Old English) runs along side the translated version of Modern English, page by page. The Old English however is in plain form (no long marks over certain vowels).

With a fantastic 32 page introduction (map and all), Explanatory Notes, Peoples and Genealogies Table of the Royal Houses (Danes, Geats and Swedes) and a glossary of proper names...this is a must for any one who is seriously interested in studying Beowulf at level of scholarship.
On the other hand, it is also a fantastic edition for the beginner, because of all of the explanation that the book provides. It does not however, simplify the text (like Cliffnotes for Beowulf).

Here is the first paragraph of the introduction:
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Introduction

Beowulf is to English what the Odyssey and the Iliad are to Greek language and literature. The oldest piece of vernacular literature of any substance not only in England but the whole of Europe, it breathes the true spirit of the northern Heroic Age. We cannot tell how it might have compared with similar epics composed at this time, since not others have survived. The various vicissitudes through which the medieval libraries passed meant that the preservation of the Beowulf-manuscript itself was a matter of mere chance. Because of changes in language, spelling and handwriting conventions, it would probably have ceased to be intelligible, or even legible, a mere two hundred years after it was written. But the poem was already several centuries old when this sole surviving copy was made, and close examination of the text suggests that it had a complex history of transmission, being copied several times in different parts of the country . Beowulf may have been very popular; certainly it was familiar enough for the name `Grendel's pit' or `pool' to have been used, presumably for fun, to describe boggy places in several parts of the country. And that the poem was highly regarded in literary circles is suggested by the fact that it seems to have been imitated in parts by certain writers of both poetry and prose.

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I hope this is of some worth. This is a good book by Michael Swanton.
Enjoy!

Beowulf is the greatest surviving Old English poem; a poem predominantly based upon Nordic-Germanic folklore, heroic legends, historical traditions and biblical sources all united. Laced throughout the entirety of Beowulf one can find many elements of Christianity and Christian philosophy - whether it be superficial metaphor, inter-textuality or allegory - man lives only through the grace of God, all earthly things stem from God, or Mans bearing is to be humble and unselfish. Nevertheless intertwined into these Christian elements there is also a strong sense of heroic pride redolent of pagan influence. Thus, Beowulf presents one with a dichotomous relationship between Christian and pagan values.Beowulf is a mix of two ideals; the heroic warrior of the Pagans and the humble selfless servant of the Christians. It is a poem written in a time when Christianity and Paganism existed simultaneously, where many of the newer moral values of the Christians were consistent with Pagan values. Therefore any assessment of Beowulf must deal with both Pagan and Christian themes. Together, the Christian and the Pagan, form an integral part of the poem, in both the social content of the era and in the digressions. They are all a part of the poem, in which no part can be ignored without compromising the poet's desired effect

the title says it all, in this volume i ran across almost all my favorite poems, plus plenty that were new to me, and i thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.

What an ABSOLUTE gem of a book! I just got it today and I can't believe I haven't come across it before!

Beautifully illustrated with gold trimmed pages, and arranged into nine thematic sections that cover many subjects including war, youth, love and life etc.

I sat with my mom and read out poems she had read to me when I was a child, along with ones she remembered from her childhood in the 1940s.

Who can forget such first lines as "Tyger, Tyger, burning bright in the forest of the night" (Blake) or "She walks in beauty like the night," (Lord Byron) and this is just a tiny taster of what is hidden in these wonderful glossy pages that make up this much understated book.

You have a cacophony of poets to choose from such as G.K.Chesterton, Rudyard Kipling, Christina Rossetti, Leigh Hunt, Rupert Brookes, Percy Shelley, and even sonnets from Shakespeare himself!

Don't miss the Philip Larkin's satirical ode to family relationships and Dorothy Parker's caustic ditty about life and death.

This is a book of poetry for all tastes, and all ages and if you can find a copy grab it and horde it away for those nights when there is nothing on TV and all you want to do is sit by the fire and read a jolly good book of verse.

J. D. Fleeman has left us a hefty 2-volume set of incredible value to some people, but perhaps not to many. It's an extremely comprehensive listing of various editions of Johnson's works, both as sets and isolated volumes. The date range is from original editions when Johnson lived (18th C), up to recent times. Some of what is here is surprising - - such listings of Johnson's Dictionary in foreign languages, which initially caused me surprise (but were understandable with more thought).

I have used it on occasion in placing bids on eBay (it has helped me understand editions such as a 1970's facsimile reprint of the 1st edition of Johnson's Dictionary), as well as when buying 19th C editions of his books over the Internet, and helped take some of the guesswork out of what I was purchasing. It's told me more about some of the editions I already own. It has also helped me anser questions from visitors to my Johnson website.

I imagine that this set is very valuable to the specialist, but I imagine that even the specialists would prefer to borrow it from their local library than to buy it. While this is a monumental achievement, and deserves all five of the stars I've given it, at $460 for the 2 volumes together, I think most people's uses for this would be limited.

Scholarly books have become absurdly and prohibitively expensive. This volume, and its companion, vol. 2, covering the years 1760 to 1816, exemplify this unfortunate trend. However, occasionally, a book comes along that warrants, if not justifies, the expense. Such is the case here. Johnson studies has been blessed with excellent scholars and editors, commencing in its modern phase with the efforts of the Victorian GB Hill (whose 1905 edition of the Lives of the Poets still holds sway), and continuing majestically through he 20th century with the excellent Yale Johnson, the Yale treatment of the Boswell papers, Redford's splendid edition of Johnson's letters, and so on. Fleeman's magnificent contribution, however, stands forth even from this rich tradition.

The meticulous care that Fleeman has introduced into each entry is matched only by the monumental largeness of his his scope. These 2 volumes, which Fleeman's premature death unfortunately prevented his seeing through to publication, exemplify textual scholarship--an art undervalued in modern literary studies--at its Olympian height, and will remain a mainstay of reference for Johnson scholars for a very long time. Yes, they are absurdly and prohibitively expensive, but they are a must-have for the serious Johnson scholar.

This book has to be seen to believed - it's so meticulous that what isn't included here really isn't worth knowing!

These three volumes, over twenty years in the making, are an outstanding work of scholarship. Ronald Cohen has spared no effort to locate and describe the published works of Winston Churchill, examining literally hundreds of archives, libraries and private collections around the world. The scope of the Bibliography is impressive, including not only Churchill's own books, but also pamphlets and a wide range of articles, speeches and letters published in books and periodicals - only a fraction of which were included in the earlier Woods' bibliography. Cohen provides a full description of all works falling into Section A, and offers a wealth of information relating to the circumstances of publication. This is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Bibliography. By going into the publishers' archives and the Churchill papers, the author is able to provide new details on print runs, distribution, contract negotiations, and even such things as the selection of titles. In the process he debunks many long-standing myths. This is an essential reference work for Churchill collectors and scholars, but anyone interested in Churchill's remarkable career as a writer and journalist will find the books informative and far more entertaining than any bibliography has a right to be.

This is an excellent collection of Irish music for the beginner to intermediate piano player. Even the unfamiliar songs are easy to learn in this uncomplicated Irish folk style. You will definitely have a lot of fun learning to play piano using this book. My only complaint is that while there are plenty of songs to choose from, you can easily play through this whole book in a short time. This will leave you wanting additional Irish music in this style.

Do you have a familiar tune in your head but can't quite remember the words? Maybe it's in this book! This has over 70 Irish songs, with piano part/vocals/and guitar chords. Among the fun titles are "Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder," "I'm a Rover and Seldom Sober," and "Throw Him Down, McCloskey."

Both the tragic subject and the density of documentation, with graphs and statistics, make this a hard book to read. The Famine killed over a million people, even on the most conservative estimates. It virtually wiped out the Gaeltacht. The question that resonates today is whether fewer people would have died if Ireland in 1840 had been an independent country, with its boundaries at the salt water. You'd have to read this book at least, and maybe some others as well, to get an answer to that question.

This is a fraught subject, but O Grada handles it with both rigour and compassion.

Written by experienced playwright and scriptwriter Bill Stackhouse, Black-Irish Setter is an attention engaging mystery starring a most unlikely heroine. Caitlin O'Rourke is a former Italian professional volleyball player who prematurely retired due to a blown-out knee, is bitter, depressed, and rather unsure of her future. Caitlin rescues a damsel in distress only to have murder strikes down her charge. Caitlin burns with the determination to track down the killer and learn the motive. An unpredictable and original tale of suspense, Black-Irish Setter confirms Bill Stackhouse as a skilled and original writer -- and leave his readers waiting enthusiastically for his next Caitlin O'Rourke mystery!

Caitlin (Kate) O'Rourke is trying to decide what to do with her life. She is 6'1" and 180 pounds, in her late 20s and has dark skin, black hair, and a nose like an eagle. She was a Italian Pro Volleyball setter/middle blocker until she blew out her knee. She was also a basketball player. She has been offered a coaching job and has a week to decide.

She owns Kehough's Irish Pub in Nashville, Tennessee, with her brother Pat (a policeman), brother Seamus, and sister-in-law Mary Grace. Seamus and Mary Grace took her in when her parents died while she was still in school. She now lives in the apartment above the pub.

She witnesses Junior Lee Thigpen steal Delane Denning's purse. She agrees to go with Delane to Cove Creek, their vacation home, for a few days. Delane is too afraid to return to their home because her husband Matt will be out of town. All her keys and ID were in her purse. Junior will know where they live and they can't get the locks changed until the next day. Kate enjoys living like the rich for a few days. But she is happy to be heading home. When she stops to drop Delane at home, a terrible accident happens. Delane is killed.

Detective Ozzie Osborn is a tall black woman. Her partner Detective Sykes is a white male. They are assigned to find her killer. They put out an APB on Junior. Kate tries to assist them but ends up alienating Detective Osborn on more than one occasion.

Eventually Kate ends up doing some investigating and helps solve the case. She still has to decide on what she'll do with her life.

This is a great first book in a new series. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more books with Caitlin O'Rourke. Bill's descriptions of her and the other assorted characters in this book were terrific. I could see each of them. They were very real. This included the relationships between the characters as well.

I must say that I had a good suspicion early as to who was behind it. But I didn't see all the twists that he put in place.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next.

It is one thing to hear the words being sung, but to read them is a completely different experience! It's almost like being able to see inside Paul's head and feel his feelings and emotions, think his thoughts and touch his life and experiences. To anyone else, it would be a book of lyrics, but this is without a doubt the true essence of modern poetry. Well done!

I love this book, even though alot of the poems are songs that I've heard before, like "yesterday" and "maybe I'm amazed". I especially liked the poem he wrote for John (the title escapes me at the moment) and another called "jerk of all jerks". Overall, it's great, and I especially like the gold signature (on the normal version of the book).