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Irish Literature

With their dark wit, undeniable music, and insights into the sacred and profane, Irish texts have their own distinctive place in the canon of world literature. This collection of study guides pays homage to classic and contemporary Irish writers, from Samuel Beckett, Jonathan Swift, George Bernard Shaw, and Oscar Wilde to John Boyne.

Publication year 2000Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Poverty, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Irish Literature, Biography

All Souls: A Family Story From Southie is a 1999 memoir by Michael MacDonald. It examines his experiences growing up in the Old Colony neighborhood of South Boston, also known as Southie. The memoir examines themes of family, racism, xenophobia, police corruption, and justice, all set against the backdrop of one family’s tragedy.When the book begins, an adult Michael is returning to Southie in order to give a tour of the neighborhood to a reporter... Read All Souls: A Family Story from Southie Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Short Story, FictionTags Satire, Irish Literature, Education, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, Humor, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick is a satirical essay published anonymously in 1729 by Irish author Jonathan Swift. Using irony and hyperbole, the essay mocks heartless attitudes toward the poor among English and Irish elites by proposing that impoverished families sell their infant children to be killed and eaten by the rich. One... Read A Modest Proposal Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Society: NationTags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

Amongst Women by John McGahern is a contemporary Irish novel published in 1990. This novel explores themes of The Individual in a Changing World, The Individual Versus the Collective, and The Importance of Women. Amongst Women is also specific to Irish history and culture, as it portrays a rapidly modernizing Ireland that threatens the protagonist Moran’s sense of self. Considered McGahern’s greatest work, Amongst Women is the fifth of his six published novels. It was... Read Amongst Women Summary


Publication year 1913Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Identity: Race, Society: CommunityTags Education, Education, British Literature, Irish Literature, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2005Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FamilyTags Poverty, Irish Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Angela’s Ashes is a 1996 memoir written by Frank McCourt. It recounts his challenging upbringing in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. At the heart of the memoir is McCourt’s account of the people and events of his childhood, and how he tried to make sense of the world around him. McCourt narrates in the present tense and follows a generally chronological order, with his time in America as a young child and then later as... Read Angela’s Ashes Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: LanguageTags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Irish Literature, Modernism, Education, Education, History: World

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is the 1916 debut novel by Irish author James Joyce. The novel tells the story of Stephen Dedalus, a thinly-veiled alter ego for Joyce, who embarks on a journey of artistic awakening. As a landmark novel in the history of literary modernism, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has been hailed as one of the most important works of the 20th century and... Read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Classic Fiction, Irish Literature, Education, Education

“Araby” is a short story by Irish writer James Joyce. The story is a part of Joyce’s renowned Dubliners collection, first published in 1914, which portrays daily life in the Irish city of Dublin in the early 20th century. In “Araby,” a young boy falls in love with his friend’s sister and attempts to purchase her a gift from the Araby Bazaar. The short story has been adapted as a song and a short film... Read Araby Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Irish Literature, History: World

Written in 2002 by Mary Jane Auch, Ashes of Roses is a historical fiction novel that follows a young Irish immigrant named Rose Nolan as she comes to New York City with her family. Seeking a better life in America, Rose finds work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The novel chronicles her experiences as an immigrant and a factory worker and examines the events up to the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. Through... Read Ashes of Roses Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World

Irish novelist and screenwriter Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin in 1958. His work is renowned both for its treatment of Irish working-class life and its deployment of Dublin dialect. His 1993 masterpiece, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, won the Booker Prize.A Star Called Henry (1999) is the first in The Last Round Up trilogy, which follows the life of Henry, a working-class Dublin boy born at the turn of the 20th century. Henry’s life... Read A Star Called Henry Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: SiblingsTags Satire, Irish Literature, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Humor, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Jonathan Swift wrote A Tale of a Tub (published in 1704) not only to expound upon the hypocrisy of religion in early 18th century England, but to explore ideas about critics, oration, ancient and modern philosophies, digressions, and the nature of writing itself. These themes are all underscored with a satirical tone that takes religion, authors, and critics to task. The title refers to the tub that sailors used to toss out to distract whales... Read A Tale of a Tub Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Philosophy, Metaphysical, Irish Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Irish philosopher and Anglican Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753) wrote A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge in 1710. The short work expounds Berkeley’s philosophy of immaterialism, a form of empiricism asserting that nothing exists outside of a mind’s perception of it. Objects, therefore, are not things, but ideas. Berkeley’s philosophy critiques that of contemporary empiricists John Locke and David Hume, who contended that the mind can perceive the material world in abstract and that... Read A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Irish Literature, Humor, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Satire, Arts / Culture, Class, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1966Genre Poem, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Irish Literature

Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Romance, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: FriendshipTags Class, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Irish Literature

Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, History: World, Irish Literature, Religion / Spirituality

Black Robe is a 1985 historical fiction novel written by Brian Moore. It is set in the 17th century and tracks the journey of two Europeans—one of whom is a Jesuit priest—in New France. The two men find themselves caught between the two cultures shortly after the time of the first contact. Plot SummaryFather Laforgue awaits his orders from the Commandant of the new settlement of Québec, a small village that is home to around 100... Read Black Robe Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: WarTags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Breakfast on Pluto is a novel by the distinguished Irish writer Patrick McCabe, who is known for his experimental style and controversial themes. First published in 1998, the book contains elements of fantasy and historical fiction. It presents the narrative of “the life and times” of Patrick Braden, a transgender person growing up in Ireland and London during the 1960s and 1970s. Through Braden’s journey of self-discovery, McCabe portrays a country amid turbulent political, national... Read Breakfast on Pluto Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: FamilyTags Romance, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, American Literature, History: World

Brooklyn is a 2009 historical fiction novel written by Colm Tóibín. The book follows Eilis Lacey as she emigrates from Ireland to Brooklyn in the 1950s, finding a job in a department store and falling in love with a young Italian man named Tony. Despite her new life in Brooklyn, Eilis makes a return to Enniscorthy, the same town Colm Tóibín was born and raised in, when her older sister Rose dies. While there, she... Read Brooklyn Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: War, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Historical Fiction, Romance, Politics / Government, Play: Drama, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: SiblingsTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, History: World, Irish Literature

Anglo-Irish writer Maria Edgeworth’s novel, Castle Rackrent ,first published in 1800, tells of the decline of a family from her own aristocratic class. Seeking to present an authentic picture of these corrupt, inefficient estate owners, Edgeworth invents narrator Thady Quirk, a faithful steward who recounts the fate of four Rackrent estate owners in unsparing details. He begins with relating how his grandfather was a driver for Patrick O’Shaughlin, who was descended from the Kings of... Read Castle Rackrent Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Irish Literature, Classic Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: FriendshipTags Romance, LGBTQ, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Conversations with Friends is Irish writer Sally Rooney’s debut novel, published in 2017. Rooney wrote the novel when she was 25 and followed it up quickly with Normal People in 2018 and Beautiful World, Where Are You in 2021. All three works have garnered award nominations and the first two have been adapted into television series. Conversations with Friends tells the story of Frances and Bobbi— college students, best friends, and former girlfriends—and Nick and... Read Conversations with Friends Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Education, Education, History: World, Irish Literature, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1998Genre Play, FictionTags Irish Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Dancing at Lughnasa is a two-act play by Irish dramatist Brian Friel. The play debuted in 1990 and received many accolades, including several Tony Awards. It was also adapted into a 1998 feature film directed by Pat O’Connor.Dancing at Lughnasa is set during the summer of 1936 in the Irish town of Ballybeg. Though a fictional town, Ballybeg contains many similarities to Glenties, in County Donegal, where Friel lived until he was ten years old. In... Read Dancing at Lughnasa Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FamilyTags Western, Historical Fiction, Military / War, LGBTQ, American Civil War, Race / Racism, History: World, Irish Literature

Days Without End (2016) is a novel by Irish author Sebastian Barry. Days Without End is Barry’s ninth novel and received considerable critical acclaim. The novel won the 2017 Walter Scott Prize, was listed at number 74 on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century (2019 edition), and made BBC News’s 2019 list of the 100 most influential novels. The novel also won the 2016 Costa Book Award, making Barry... Read Days Without End Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Education, Education, History: World

Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories by Irish writer James Joyce. Originally published in 1914, the collection met resistance from publishers and critics due to its controversial themes and unusual portrayal of the everyday. Dubliners follows a range of people living in the titular city, often seeking some form of social or emotional transcendence without ever truly achieving it. This study guide is for the 1965 paperback edition from Penguin Modern Classics. Content... Read Dubliners Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: RegretTags Play: Tragedy, Play: Comedy / Satire, Irish Literature, Absurdism, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, French Literature, Classic Fiction

Endgame is a one-act, absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, first performed in 1957. The post-apocalyptic play portrays the farcical, tragic existence of four character who are caught in an unfulfilling routine. Beckett regarded the play as one of his greatest achievements. It has been adapted as an opera and as a short film.This guide uses the 2009 Faber and Faber edition. Plot SummaryThe curtain rises on a nearly bare stage: a room in Hamm’s home... Read Endgame Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: ColonialismTags Irish Literature, Modernism, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

“Eveline” is the fourth short story in James Joyce’s Dubliners collection, completed in 1907 and published in London in 1914. This story, like the others in Dubliners, reveals Joyce’s view of Ireland, then a British colony, as existing in a state of paralysis. Alongside this broader theme, “Eveline” also explores topics like duty versus freedom, English imperialism, and individual autonomy. Nearly a story of a young woman escaping the confines of her abusive and lonely... Read Eveline Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Language, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags History: World, Classic Fiction, Irish Literature, Fairy Tale / Folklore

Finnegans Wake is a 1939 novel by James Joyce. The experimental style of the novel has given Finnegans Wake a reputation for being one of the most challenging texts in the English language. Joyce’s use of idiosyncratic language and phrasing, his structural innovations, and his ambitious themes attempt to explore the boundaries between sleep, dreams, and waking life. Though Finnegans Wake has not been adapted into other media in its totality, its influence and legacy... Read Finnegans Wake Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Classic Fiction, Irish Literature, Education, Education, British Literature, Religion / Spirituality

Drawing on the author’s hardscrabble childhood in early-20th-century Ireland, Frank O’Connor’s “First Confession” chronicles the experience of seven-year-old Jackie, who must ready himself for the emotional and spiritual challenge of his first confession in the Catholic Church. The story was first published as “Repentance” in 1935 but heavily revised in later editions. This guide follows the version most reprinted today from O’Connor’s 1951 collection Traveller's Samples: Stories and Tales. O’Connor (1903-1966), who published more than... Read First Confession Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

Publication year 1996Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: EducationTags History: European, Irish Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World

How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe is a popular history by Irish American author Thomas Cahill, published in 1995. The book argues that Ireland’s conversion to Christianity was instrumental in preserving the remnants of classical culture that survived in Western Europe after the Roman Empire’s demise. The book was on The New York Times Best Seller list for... Read How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe  Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature

In the Woods by Irish author Tana French is the story of two Dublin police detectives assigned to the Murder Squad. Published in 2007, this is the first book in the Dublin Murder Squad mystery-thriller series. The novel debuted to much critical praise for its intelligent plot and clever pacing. The novel’s main protagonist and narrators is Detective Adam Robert Ryan, who experienced a horrific ordeal as a child.At age 12, Adam loses his best... Read In the Woods Summary


Publication year 1914Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Politics / Government, Irish Literature, Modernism

Publication year 2006Genre Play, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Play: Drama, Class, Irish Literature, Realism, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Irish-born playwright Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock was first produced in 1924 at the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, in Dublin. This Realistic play is one of three plays (known as the “Dublin Trilogy”) that O’Casey wrote for the Abbey Theatre. Juno and the Paycock is anthologized in various collections, including Masters of Modern Drama by Haskell Block and Robert Shedd in 1962 (which this guide references).The play is set entirely in a two-room... Read Juno And the Paycock Summary


Publication year 1958Genre Play, FictionTags Irish Literature

Krapp’s Last Tape is a one-act, one-man play by Irish avant-garde writer Samuel Beckett. It was first performed in 1958. Krapp is elderly and emotionally depressed. It is his 69th birthday. To mark the occasion, Krapp first listens to a tape he made on his thirty-ninth birthday to record important events and thoughts of the past year. Krapp sits at his desk but is facing away from it. Atop the desk are boxes containing reels... Read Krapp's Last Tape Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: ImmigrationTags History: World, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

Publication year 1903Genre Play, FictionThemes Relationships: MarriageTags Satire, Irish Literature

In an epistolary preface to Man and Superman (1903), Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw writes a letter to Arthur Bingham Walkley, his friend and a theatre critic for The Times, who had inspired the play by asking Shaw why he had never written a play based on Don Juan, the legendary fictional Spanish lothario. This presented a particular challenge for Shaw, who had been writing works that challenged the popular romanticism that dominated theatre at... Read Man And Superman Summary


Publication year 1966Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Irish Literature

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

Milkman is author Anna Burns’ third novel, as well as the winner of the 2018 Man Booker Prize in Fiction (widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in literature). Burns was the first Northern Irish writer ever to receive the award, and Milkman’s subject matter is inseparable from its author’s nationality. Like Burns herself, the novel’s protagonist grows up in 1970s Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles: a 30-year political, ethnic... Read Milkman Summary


Publication year 1986Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Irish Literature, British Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionTags Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature

Normal People is a novel by Sally Rooney, published by Faber & Faber in 2018. Rooney is also the author of the novel Conversations With Friends, and the winner of the 2017 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Normal People is set in the author’s native Ireland. The two main characters are Connell Waldron, a boy from a lower-middle-class background, and Marianne Sheridan, who comes from a wealthy family. As disparate as their socioeconomic... Read Normal People Summary


Publication year 1985Genre Poem, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: WarTags Lyric Poem, Irish Literature, History: European, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Irish Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Irish Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1975Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Free verse, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Irish Literature

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Education, Education, History: World, Irish Literature

Seamus Deane’s 1996 novel, Reading in the Dark, was named a New York Times Notable Book and won the Irish Times International Fiction Prize. It follows an unnamed narrator living in Derry, Northern Ireland, from the 1940s until the 1970s. Each of the book’s six chapters is divided into several short fragments, which provide snapshots of a character, event, or aspect of the narrator’s world. Throughout the novel, the dominant narrative is the mystery surrounding Uncle... Read Reading in the Dark Summary


Publication year 1904Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: NationTags Play: Tragedy, Irish Literature

Riders to the Sea (1904) is a one-act Irish play by John Millington Synge, originally performed in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The play portrays the events of one day in the cottage of a low-income family living on Inishmaan, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, as they cope with the loss of male relatives to the rough waters between the islands and mainland Ireland. This short play incorporates themes... Read Riders to the Sea Summary


Publication year 1923Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental HealthTags Play: Drama, Play: Tragedy, Play: Historical, Irish Literature, Post-War Era

Saint Joan is a play by playwright George Bernard Shaw that premiered in 1923. The play tells the story of the 15th-century French historical figure Joan of Arc, who was formally canonized as a catholic saint in 1920. The play was a critical success, and, shortly after its premiere, Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. Shaw includes a lengthy preface before the script of the play where he compares the medieval... Read Saint Joan Summary