Modern Scholar the Giants of Irish Literature: Wilde, Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett

by George O'Brien

Audio book with 7 CDs and 72 page paperback book. Great Professors teaching you!

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Literature, History, Biography

Audiobook

Reviews

[Prudence]

Good insight into Yeats background and influences in his myth-like poetry. Thorough dissections of Wilde and Joyce but their personal stories were quite whitewashed. Picked up some tidbits I didn't know before

[Brenden Gallagher]

I really enjoyed this overview of the works of Wilde, Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett. I had read a few of the works mentioned and had not read many of them. I feel this gave me a great starting point for understanding and expanding my understanding of Irish Literature.

[Sam Griffin]

Really enjoyed this, great context for the lives and works of most of my favorite authors.

[Holly]

The most useful part of this hefty review was the section on Beckett. I'm extremely interested in re-reading Beckett staples after O'Brien's Beckett lectures. Samuel Beckett is one of those writers described as an absurdist who also writes in a very sparse style. Beckett is far more philisophical than I was ever educated enough to pick up on during my college Irish Lit class when I first encountered him. O'Brien's sections on Yeat's and Joyce were a bit more of a drag and as for Wilde, I can't say I didn't learn something...he touches on the effect prison had on Wilde and of course with Wilde it can't be dull if you're discussing him so altogether a good book for a discourse on modern literature and some details of the Giants themselves. A good addition to anyone requiring some academic knowledge but not really necessary to enjoy the works themselves....except the Beckett lectures. Beckett's work is so sparse and bizarre I've found it pushed my patience and its skeletal make up allows me to fly through it...but now I know, that though sparse it fairly represents the nothing, the absent, and yet the everything Beckett concentrates his works around. I was not knowledgeable enough to appreciate Beckett (besides his poetry), until now!!

[Billy Sheppard]

There is good information in this lecture series. George O'Brien is a good speaker. I learned most about Wilde and Yeats. I recommend this series for anyone who would benefit from an understanding of the political context for this series of writers.

[Laurel Hicks]

Very interesting study of Wilde, Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett.

[Jim]

Very thorough treatment of the four pillars of modern Irish lit. Very interesting and contains a ton of information. Valuable since I was only really familiar with WIlde going in.

[PF O'Friar]

The material is tons of interesting analysis and background,
but the narrator is the professor himself.
His voice made me sleepy and I kept myself dozing off thinking about something else.

[Katharina]

This was the perfect read to accompany on my trip to Dublin. Very interesting insights into Irish literature as well as history and culture.

[Richard Terrelonge]

Hi, You have to be really interested in these writers to like this book.