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The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers
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The Long Gaze Back, edited by Sinéad Gleeson, is an exhilarating anthology of thirty short stories by some of the most gifted women writers this island has ever produced.
Niamh Boyce, Elizabeth Bowen, Maeve Brennan, Mary Costello, June Caldwell, Lucy Caldwell, Evelyn Conlon, Anne Devlin, Maria Edgeworth, Anne Enright, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Norah Hoult, Mary Lavin, Eimear ...more
Niamh Boyce, Elizabeth Bowen, Maeve Brennan, Mary Costello, June Caldwell, Lucy Caldwell, Evelyn Conlon, Anne Devlin, Maria Edgeworth, Anne Enright, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Norah Hoult, Mary Lavin, Eimear ...more
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A collection of short stories from talented women Irish writers who's collective work spans four centuries.
I hadn't listened to any of the stories before and it was fascinating listening to the vast array of talent that was portrayed.
Each and every story leaves a lasting impression and the stories cover many different topics.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and the narration was absolutely wonderful.
Fully deserves five stars as I enjoyed this audiobook immensely. ...more
I hadn't listened to any of the stories before and it was fascinating listening to the vast array of talent that was portrayed.
Each and every story leaves a lasting impression and the stories cover many different topics.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and the narration was absolutely wonderful.
Fully deserves five stars as I enjoyed this audiobook immensely. ...more
This anthology came about because of the general neglect of women writers in Ireland and the failure to represent women's voices in such anthologies. Gleeson undertook the task to represent Irish women writers going back two centuries. The classic stories selected come from writers known for their work in the short story genre, as well as novels. The contemporary stories were both selected from collections and stories already published by living writers as well as written for this volume.
Some re ...more
Some re ...more
Very interesting anthology and conveniently it’s the Dublin One City One Book this year.
Good anthology.. particularly liked Eimear Ryan, Lisa McInerny, Eimear McBride, Molly McCloskey, Mary Costello, Susan Stairs, Mary Lavin and Somerville & Ross.
A revealation to me of the variety of Irish writing which encapsulates the full range of emotions from humour to heartbreak. A real discovery for me as this collection introduced to many talented Irish women writers.
Gleeson collects stories by Irish women writers from the 18th century to the 21st. All of the tales represent the multiplicity of Irish women's voices, which have sometimes been overshadowed by the famous male writers of Irish literature.
Gleeson's collection spans decades and centuries, and highlights names that are more familiar as well as newer Irish women writers. It's an impressive collection, though not, of course comprehensive.
There are some lovely stories here too. It's difficult to find ...more
Gleeson's collection spans decades and centuries, and highlights names that are more familiar as well as newer Irish women writers. It's an impressive collection, though not, of course comprehensive.
There are some lovely stories here too. It's difficult to find ...more
The Long Gaze Back is an anthology of short stories written by Irish women whose collective work spans four centuries. They are presented in chronological order, thereby offering the reader the chance to observe how much, and how little, has changed in women’s lives.
The editor, Sinead Gleeson, comments in her introduction that, with a few notable exceptions, it is only in the past few decades that women writers, particularly Irish women writers, have been selected for inclusion in anthologies. I ...more
The editor, Sinead Gleeson, comments in her introduction that, with a few notable exceptions, it is only in the past few decades that women writers, particularly Irish women writers, have been selected for inclusion in anthologies. I ...more
In scope the anthology covers an impressive amount of work the work of Irish women writers from the 19th century (some stories) to the present (2016 at the time). However, I found myself only appreciating and enjoying only a handful stories. While there isn't a common theme running through, many stories touch upon grief, pregnancy, childbirth, trauma, difficult relationships, misogyny to name a few. It's was an interesting read but not a page-turned.
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3.5 stars.
The problem with reviewing a collection of short stories by different authors is the quality can vary hugely. I really enjoyed some of these stories, but others less so. Some did not feel like a complete short story. Nice idea though to have a collection of all female Irish writers.
The problem with reviewing a collection of short stories by different authors is the quality can vary hugely. I really enjoyed some of these stories, but others less so. Some did not feel like a complete short story. Nice idea though to have a collection of all female Irish writers.
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The Purple Jar - Maria Edgeworth 2/5
Frank's Resolve - Charlotte Riddell 2.5/5
Poisson d'Avril - Somerville and Ross 1/5
A Bus from Tivoli -Kate O'Brien 3.5/5
When Miss Coles Made the Tea - Norah Hoult 3/5
The Demon Lover - Elizabeth Bowen 4/5
In the Middle of the Fields -Mary Lavin 4/5
The Eldest Child - Maeve Brennan 3/5
Winter Journey (The Apparitions) - Anne Devlin 3.5/5
The Meaning of Missing - Evelyn Conlon 4/5
The Coast of Wales - Éilís Ní Dhuibhne 3/5
The Crossing - Lia Mills 4.5/5
The Cat and the M ...more
Frank's Resolve - Charlotte Riddell 2.5/5
Poisson d'Avril - Somerville and Ross 1/5
A Bus from Tivoli -Kate O'Brien 3.5/5
When Miss Coles Made the Tea - Norah Hoult 3/5
The Demon Lover - Elizabeth Bowen 4/5
In the Middle of the Fields -Mary Lavin 4/5
The Eldest Child - Maeve Brennan 3/5
Winter Journey (The Apparitions) - Anne Devlin 3.5/5
The Meaning of Missing - Evelyn Conlon 4/5
The Coast of Wales - Éilís Ní Dhuibhne 3/5
The Crossing - Lia Mills 4.5/5
The Cat and the M ...more
Enjoyable, well-selected anthology by a wide selection of female writers manages to reflect the various complexities of life as an Irish woman. I could not find fault with it and as collections go I found it quite page turning. Tragic themes such as widowhood, still birth, infidelity and divorce are treated sensitively in subtle stories with just the right amount of Irish wit and humour to get you through the collection. A few stories were a little avant garden for my tastes but remained excelle
...more
I loved this book. I read it in under a week - and for someone who doesn't read much, that's very quick!
The stories focus a lot around death/grieving, unhappy lives and coping techniques. It shows a number of characters dealing with loss or with the fact that their life is different than they had hoped. There are also a couple of fantasy-type stories, and a few comedic ones. I found it easy to pick up the book at lunch or in the evenings and pop a story in. Each were interesting and left a last ...more
The stories focus a lot around death/grieving, unhappy lives and coping techniques. It shows a number of characters dealing with loss or with the fact that their life is different than they had hoped. There are also a couple of fantasy-type stories, and a few comedic ones. I found it easy to pick up the book at lunch or in the evenings and pop a story in. Each were interesting and left a last ...more
I initially read the authors I liked in this short story collection and then tailed off reading any more. I finally finished the others months after starting which probably shows that short stories are not my books of choice. However I did come across a few new authors and really liked the fact that this book will be an introduction for many to the fine female writers we have and have had in Ireland. Overall a treat to read.
Wonderful anthology. Especially enjoyed the terrific Mary Lavin Story. Oh of course Somerville and Ross are always like a blast of bright sunshine. The Coast of Wales by Eillis Ni Dhuibhne was my fav though....this was written the best...a simple story which transports you to the place instantly and says what it has to say plainly....no hidden meanings...no is this what they mean ...is that what they mean and you are left wondering.
Finally finished this!
Was sent it by a very close friend shortly after I had my second child on the other side of the world.
It's a rich collection of beautiful storytelling. Short stories are a great way for a tired new mum to get back into reading. This is full of different tales and styles all from Irish authors, but relatable to the global female narrative. ...more
Was sent it by a very close friend shortly after I had my second child on the other side of the world.
It's a rich collection of beautiful storytelling. Short stories are a great way for a tired new mum to get back into reading. This is full of different tales and styles all from Irish authors, but relatable to the global female narrative. ...more
Book of short stories by Irish writers, some of whom I've never heard of but would like to read in the future. I realise I'm not too keen on short stories....a bit like having one sweet only from the box...nice but you want more.
...more
Sinead Gleeson’s collection of short stories by Irish women writers contains some precious and often unexpected jewels. A book for dipping in and out of, rather than reading from start to finish as I tried to do - too much good stuff for one go.
May 20, 2019
DebsD
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
fiction,
animals,
family-home,
humour,
social-science,
love,
mental-health,
rating-4-stars,
ratings-4s-5s-plus,
romance
Anthologies are, I think, almost always difficult to rate/review. I loved some of the writing in this and was meh about other parts of it. I liked that there was such a range of writing - some light-hearted, some very much not, some quite modern, some from a century ago.
Fantastic
In organising her selection chronologically, Gleeson has done more than publish an anthology of Irish women writers. She has created an insightful collection of stories that informs as well as entertains when it comes to the topic of women in Irish society.
The anthology opens with Maria Edgeworth’s succinct grass-is-always-greener fable The Purple Jar. While it seems a slow start, things warm up nicely with Frank’s Resolve by Charlotte Riddle —in which the eponymous Frank has a row with himself ...more
The anthology opens with Maria Edgeworth’s succinct grass-is-always-greener fable The Purple Jar. While it seems a slow start, things warm up nicely with Frank’s Resolve by Charlotte Riddle —in which the eponymous Frank has a row with himself ...more
This is an anthology meant to celebrate Irish women's voices in a time when most Irish women haven't had much of a voice. This is a great idea in theory. But I have to say that the execution wasn't amazing. Gleeson, the editor, has a very different idea abut what makes a good story. I've been reading a lot of short stories this year, even if this isn't usually my genre of choice. But this has also taught what a good short story can be - in most cases, similar to a novel,just shorter. I still exp
...more
I was excited to read this book as it contains 30 short stories written by female authors born or based in Ireland. The stories are published chronologically from oldest to youngest and there are 218 years between the oldest and youngest writers (as obviously some of the writers are dead). I was disappointed there were not so many "older" stories as I was eager to see the difference in language etc. There were only 6 authors in the book born pre 1900. One of my favourite descriptions was in the
...more
When I was visiting Ireland in 2016, I wandered into a bookstore and saw that this anthology was Dublin’s One City One Book. After reading that The Long Gaze Back was a short story collection that compiled works by Irish women writers, I knew it would be a great memento for the trip. I really enjoyed moving through time and learning about each author before reading their work, as I had only heard of Anne Enright and Kate O’Brien before. It can be a little jarring to go from one story to the next
...more
Jun 20, 2020
Rue Baldry
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
short-story-collection
This is a good collection of some good short stories. It starts off with a brief catch-up of the history of Irish women short story writers, covering 1800 - 1975 in 8 stories. Then, the bulk of the stories come from current writers.
Unusually for a collection of this size, I didn’t think there was a single poor story. One was a little experimental for me, a couple a bit too obvious, but the rest were very enjoyable.
Of the older stories, my favourites were When Miss Coles Made the Tea and Poisson ...more
Unusually for a collection of this size, I didn’t think there was a single poor story. One was a little experimental for me, a couple a bit too obvious, but the rest were very enjoyable.
Of the older stories, my favourites were When Miss Coles Made the Tea and Poisson ...more
A really enjoyable sample of Irish women's short story writing through the ages. Particularly enjoyed some that I had never read previously. Had it to hand for almost a year, dipping in and out when I had a spare twenty minutes or so and think I have finally read them all-some more than once. A great variety of style and topics. Good to have such a collection in one book. Will probably keep it un-shelved for another while.
...more
3.5
This picked up towards the end for me, with the first few stories (oldest) not being my taste. A lot of themes of motherhood, which I wasn't expecting. Some authors I came across that I'd love to read more of from this anthology:
Maeve Brennan
Elizabeth Bowen
Mary Costello
Susan Stairs
Niamh Boyce
Siobhan Mannion
Lucy Caldwell
...more
This picked up towards the end for me, with the first few stories (oldest) not being my taste. A lot of themes of motherhood, which I wasn't expecting. Some authors I came across that I'd love to read more of from this anthology:
Maeve Brennan
Elizabeth Bowen
Mary Costello
Susan Stairs
Niamh Boyce
Siobhan Mannion
Lucy Caldwell
...more
I loved a third of the stories in this collection and plan on reading more from those authors but overall this was a very bumpy ride. Most of the short stories did not grab my attention and so I read one and put the book down to pick up at a later date, I only managed to finish it because I’m stubborn and I knew there were some precious gems in it. Overall, 3.5 stars would be fair.
Meh.
More, more, more!!!!!!!!
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