From Library Journal
This three-volume collection brings together for the first time all 183 short stories by O'Flaherty (1896-1984), a master storyteller and major figure in the Irish literary renaissance. Best known for his novel The Informer, the author produced 36 novels, memoirs, and short story collections. O'Flaherty's hallmark is his depiction of nature and country life in the west of Ireland and his native Aran Islands before modern influences brought irreversible change. Editor Kelly, a leading O'Flaherty critic (Liam O'Flaherty the Storyteller), notes in her introduction that his work varies between lyrical/mystical and "brutally realistic." Novelist Thomas Flanagan has said that O'Flaherty's subject is the soul's battles against nature, society, God, and itself. Included here, in no particular order, are works previously published in seven collections, some never collected, and some previously unpublished. Eighteen stories appear in Irish, most with English translations. This important work is highly recommended for academic and public libraries.DDenise J. Stankovics, Rockville P.L., Vernon, CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
