The most generous one-volume collection ever published of short stories, autobiographical writings,poetry, and essays by the writer Yeats called Ireland s Chekhov.
Selected and arranged thematically by Julian Barnes, the rich mix of writings in The Best of Frank O Connor starts off with his most famous short story, Guests of the Nation, set during the Irish War of Independence; chronicles his childhood with an alcoholic father and protective mother; and traces his literary influences in brilliant essays on Joyce and Yeats. O Connor s wonderfully polyphonic tales of family, friendship, and rivalry are set beside those that bring to life forgotten souls on the fringes of society. O Connor s writings about Ireland vividly evoke the land he called home, while other stories probe the hardships and rewards of Irish emigration. Finally, we see O Connor grappling, in both fiction and memoir, with the largest questions of religion and belief.
The Best of Frank O Connor is a literary monument to a truly great writer.
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)