The Street and other stories

by Gerry Adams

One of the world's best-known political figures shares stories that reveal the humanity and indomitable spirit of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. The moving accounts of the fictional characters in these eighteen short stories are set against the political turmoil of Gerry Adams' native Belfast.

'A good writer of fiction whose stories are not IRA agitprop but serious art. It is a good bet that James Joyce would read Gerry Adam's short stories to learn about the souls of Belfast as the world reads Dubliners ' James F Clarity ( New York Times ) in the Irish Independent

Genres: Ireland, Short Stories, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Gerard "Gerry" Adams, MLA, MP (Irish: Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician and abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the political party at the top of the latest North of Ireland election polls amidst a three-way split in the traditionally dominant unionist vote. Sinn Féin is the second largest party in the Northern Assembly.

From the late 1980s onwards, Adams has been an important figure in Ireland's peace process, initially following contact by the then Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader John Hume and subsequently with the Irish and British governments and then other parties. In 2005, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) indicated that its armed campaign was over and that it is now exclusively committed to democratic politics. Under Adams, Sinn Féin changed its traditional policy of abstentionism towards Oireachtas Éireann, the parliament of Ireland, in 1986 and later took seats in the power-sharing Northern Assembly. However, Sinn Féin retains a policy of abstentionism towards the Westminster Parliament.

Reviews

[Bettina · Rating 4 out of 5]

In een bundel verhalen zijn er altijd een paar die iets minder aanspreken, maar het overgrote deel in De straat vond ik mooi. Fijne inkijkjes in de levens van gewone mensen in Noord Ierland, voornamelijk in Belfast.

[Øystein Brekke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of stories, nearly all from Northern Ireland, most from Belfast. Most are written in the third person and relate the stories of various people of the city, inviting the comparison to James Joyce's "Dubliners". A few of them are written in the first person, and appear autobiographical, although since they appear in a volume of fiction, they might not be.

Would this have been published if it wasn't written by Gerry Adams? I'm not sure. The writing is not incompetent, but the quality varies a lot. Some stories are quite banal, but a couple are quite interesting. All in all, I'd say it's clearly more interesting for the insight it gives into the person Gerry Adams than as literature. As such, the stories that appear autobiographical are the most interesting, and I think also most well-written.

This was first published in 1991, when the author was still in the middle of what he calls "the struggle". Most (but not all) these stories refer to the Troubles, either in passing or very directly. I read these as the writing of a true believer justifiying his "struggle". Self-reflection is rare, self-doubt is non-existent. Considering various allegations about Adams' role in events in the 70s, the fable about a group of republican prisoners subjecting a mouse to a military tribunal - "the possible outcomes are guilty or death" - feels quite chilling.

[Sam Romilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable collection of short stories. They are each almost perfect examples of how to construct characters and a plot in a few pages of text. Obviously some touch upon the bitterness and violence of life in Northern Ireland but it is done in a way that is not overtly political and with an attempt to understand and heal.

[Denise Kruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous stories! Loved so much I had to buy a copy and send it to my sister who would appreciate all the Belfast Falls area (from which our mama came) nuance. The stories are wonderful though and stand on their own. Gerry Adams is a talented man and I hope to get my mitts on his latest volume.

[Andy Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this in The Bookshop at Queens almost 20 years ago and, along with a treasure trove of Irish fiction, I have carried it around with me until now. I really wanted this book to be a little better than it was, but though an entertaining read, I can't help feeling that any other author would have struggled to find a publisher. This is no 'Guests of the Nation' and Adams is no Frank O'Connor.

[Lisa-Jaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable collection of short stories.