Irish girl here, I love Leonard and Hungry Paul! It was chosen for "one dublin one book" which meant everyone in Dublin was encouraged to read this during a particular month and there was lots of great book clubs and events surrounding it
Studying Irish literature is such a pleasure. I only did in briefly as part of a performing arts course, but it was so impactful to trace the long history of storytelling that is uniquely Irish. When your history is made up of being disallowed from speaking your own language, and having to pass stories on through letter writing and other means because of mass immigration, you really learn appreciate the small stories from seemingly insignificant people that make up human history. I think that's really reflected in contemporary Irish literature. Lovely to see your appreciation for our lovely little island full of strange and soft stories
Hey Jack! Just wondering if we're ever gonna get the content we've been paying for for nearly 4 months? Or if you're ever going to interact with us on discord like you promised? We tried nicely, you apologised and thanked us for holding you accountable, said you would be with us after you got home from Dublin, and then you've ignored the subscription since then (nearly a month). We feel so incredibly frustrated and like we've been scammed.
@@user-qu8zs7vs1x most of us have been paying for the membership since it started 3/4 months ago. We have not gotten a single piece of content, no Q and As, no reading livestreams, we've also had no daily questions for over a month. I cancelled my subscription but the fact that he's still offering it knowing that he hasn't uploaded a single members only video is disappointing to say the least. He said he was gonna upload a super long QandA to make up for it when he got home from dublin... still nothing.
Deirdre Purcell is an Irish author who passed away suddenly last week. Her books were especially well known among the older generation and one of Collin Farrells first ever films was based on one of her works. Writers like her and Maeve Binchy (and obviously Roddy Doyle) were really iconic in terms of 80s and 90s Irish fiction (if you were interested)
Here's another Irish book rec: "'Out of Love" by Hazel Hayes is a love story told in reverse. It touches on some heavy themes and is quite sad at times, but I also found it beautiful and complex.
@@peakae44 That's true! I still enjoy her content on Instagram! Oh, and for those who didn't know- she's currently writing another book, and organising a writing retreat in Spain (for anyone interested, not just professional authors)! :)
I like how you try to diversify your reading. Along with Irish books from Ireland, it would be cool to also read Irish Literature from Northern Ireland like Milkman by Anna Burns or Cal by Bernard MacLaverty.
I also recently noticed I love Irish authors too! I loved Foster - Claire Keegan is so good at just conveying powerful messages without bashing you over the head with them. The Colony by Audrey Magee is also a great read, and is not only by an Irish author but very much set in the context of Ireland and Irish history, with a strong theme of Irish national identity and language too.
Catholic Facts: “Ordinary Time” in the Catholic Church is all the non-holiday time in the calendar, when there’s no special observances like Lent, Advent, Easter etc. During this time the vestments that priests wear and banners in the church are green all over the world. Thus why the In Ordinary Time cover is green!
Love you giving recognition to some amazing Irish literary voices! Irish literature speaks to me so strongly, but I always assumed that was because I’m from Ireland, but it’s lovely to see you feeling the same way! Leonard and Hungry Paul is fantastic, I hope you love it. PS another Irish lit rec: The Colony by Audrey Magee. A fantastic portrayal of the colonisation of Ireland - also nominated for the Booker last year!
Hi Jack! We're running The Irish Readathon in March which is a month dedicated to reading more Irish literature. So it's really exciting to see this haul drop just before the readathon starts! Mr Salary is SUCH a good little book. I think you're right about how Irish fiction often focuses on a character study! Hope you enjoy all of these amazing Irish books.
Love that you enjoyed Dublin! You should come to northern ireland for a literary tourism trip too! I think literature and its perception is interesting up here, when considered in connection to, & when it looks at, our contested history. Seamus Heaney, CS Lewis, the Brontës, Anna Burns, Wendy Erskine, Sinéad Morrissey; lots of greats :)
I need reviews of all of these! Foster has been made into a movie that’s been nominated for an Oscar! It’s called An Cailín Ciúin or The Quiet Girl in Irish :)
I love Irish writers. I have 2 shelves in by bookcase for Irish and Northern Irish writers. However...I am not a Sally Rooney fan 🙈 Nice to find authors that are new to me.
Your summing up of the Irish short story reminds me of one of my favorites, "The Short Stories of John B. Keane." It's not a new book but each story is a quiet gem. As an American whose maternal grandmother was born in Kerry, I can't resist.
I picked up small things like these at a books shop in a train station in Munich last winter by surprise and I was astonished how beautiful it's written. So I will definitely read Foster soon ✌🏼
Foster was one of the books my class was assigned to study for our leaving cert in 2015. So strange that you're picking it up, makes me think of it differently now
Jack you need to read something by Donal Ryan!! A great Irish author who explores questions of mental health in rural Ireland. The Spinning Heart (a story told through multiple POVs, very character driven) or The Thing About December may be a good place to start with his work. Deep dives into the self conscious rural Irish minds and the age-old beliefs that govern them...
“The Hearts Invisible Furies” by John Boyne is also Irish and one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s set Ireland for a lot of it and talks about things such as the Catholic influence on Ireland and the affect it has on the attitudes of society and it’s just a really good heartbreaking book
Hi Jack! So happy you enjoyed your trip to Dublin. I recently read an Irish book called Milkman by Anna Burns. It's about northern Ireland during The Troubles and the prose is so unique. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
Jack I highly recommend May the Road Rise Up to Meet you by Peter Troy if you like Irish fiction. Here's the book description: Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Civil War, May the Road Rise Up to Meet You is a story of four unforgettable characters who, together, illuminate the quintessential American experience. Ethan McOwen survived the worst of the Irish Famine and made the treacherous crossing to America, but his endurance is tested by the rough neighborhoods of New York until he discovers a passion for photography; Marcella Arroyo arrives from Spain a high-spirited society girl but defies her father to become a devoted abolitionist; and slaves Mary and Micah plot a clandestine escape on a cold Christmas Eve in the hopes of finding a better future. When war brings them all together, it will dramatically change the course of their individual lives.
oh my gosh i had a mock english exam yesterday for junior cert (gcses basically) and the thumbnail of one of your booktok videos came up as part of a question😭😭 wish i was in dublin when you visited tho lol🥲🥲🥲
My most favorite writers are Irish. Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. These two are actually extraordinary writers. Their books are very interesting to read.
please PLEASE read some of Colm Tóibín's books-- absolute legend in Irish literature, and he's the master of intimate character studies. Brooklyn is probably his best-known book, but The Blackwater Lightship and The Master are sublime
Read The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh! Quite different from this bunch. It’s a play about an author being interrogated about why his horrible stories are so similar to actual murders in his town. Very dark and very meta!
I'm curious what you'd think of Graham Norton's novels! All of his books are set in Ireland (half of the events of Home Stretch happen in New York, iirc), and he narrates all of his books himself. I think he's a great storyteller, Holding and A Keeper are my favourite books of his! They're more on the mystery side, not literary fiction, but I still highly recommend them!
The name jack in the books is apt. You must constantly have your head in a book. Even in terms of the classic novels, a significant minority were written by either Irish authors (Joyce, Wilde, Swift, Beckett) or english speaking authors of Irish descent (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Conan Doyle etc).
Another amazing Irish author is Louise O’ Neill! I would definitely look up trigger warnings before reading though, she deals with some incredibly heavy topics❤
@@aisling8092 Asking For It is an amazing piece of literature! Only Ever Yours was also great and so different! Almost Love was heart wrenching! After The Silence was gripping!!❤️
Foster was on my leaving cert syllabus in 2017, so weird to see someone read it outside of that context 😅😅 you should watch the quiet girl if you like it, it was nominated for an oscar!!!
Was waiting for you to pull a book by Niall Williams out of that bag. I've read 2 of his and have 3 more on my tbr shelf, on of which is Four Letters of Love which is being made into a movie. His writing is beautiful. Check him out :)
