The Penguin Book Of Irish Short Stories

by Benedict Kiely

'Do the Irish have, in relation to anybody else, any special capacity for the short story?' In this collection of thirty-eight short stories covering many generations and moods of Irish writing, this question is emphatically answered in the affirmative. These mercurial, intoxicating, witty and sometimes sad stories range from Lady Gregory's moving retelling of an ancient love story through to the extraordinary and prolific William Trevor.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Ireland, Irish Literature, Anthologies, 20th Century

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Michael Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest, this collection changed who and what I read forever.

[Nikolas Toner · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite stories were A Memory by Mary Lavin and Such Good Friends

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read bits and pieces but it's fun to see the older stories.

[Glynis O'halloran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very varied stories. Some amusing but others difficult to read

[Doodles McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child I liked this collection of Irish short stories, including the Dogs in the great Glen.

[Simon Slidders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had actually given up on this after being unable to engage with the first few stories, but have now returned to it after a trip to Ireland, and am working my way more or less backwards. Enjoying them much more !

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can appreciate the culturual value, but this didn't strike a chord with me.

[Jordan Phizacklea-Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any such collection, the quality of the selections varies, but a very thorough and well-selected overview from the pre-1981 Irish short story world.

[Snuffles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read this partly.