- Paperback: 672 pages
- Publisher: Avon; Reprint edition (Feb 9 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060563494
- ISBN-13: 978-0060563493
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.7 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 318 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #347,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
BBC reporter Delaney's fictionalized history of his native country, an Irish bestseller, is a sprawling, riveting read, a book of stories melding into a novel wrapped up in an Irish history text. In 1951, when Ronan O'Mara is nine, he meets the aging itinerant Storyteller, who emerges out a "silver veil" of Irish mist, hoping to trade a yarn for a hot meal. Welcomed inside, the Storyteller lights his pipe and begins, telling of the architect of Newgrange, who built "a marvelous, immortal structure... before Stonehenge in England, before the pyramids of Egypt," and the dentally challenged King Conor of Ulster, who tried, and failed, to outsmart his wife. The stories utterly captivate the young Ronan ("This is the best thing that ever, ever happened"), and they'll draw readers in, too, with their warriors and kings, drinkers and devils, all rendered cleanly and without undue sentimentality. When Ronan's mother banishes the Storyteller for telling a blasphemous tale, Ronan vows to find him. He also becomes fascinated by Irish myth and legend, and, as the years pass, he discovers his own gift for storytelling. Eventually, he sets off, traversing Ireland on foot to find his mentor. Past and present weave together as Delaney entwines the lives of the Storyteller and Ronan in this rich and satisfying book.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
To paraphrase a World War I song, it's a long, long way to the end of Delaney's reland--in more ways than one. In 1951, Alison O'Mara cast out the "last" seanachi, a wandering storyteller who told stories from Irish history and myth to the household and neighbors in exchange for housing and food. The old man left, taking with him the family's peace, stirring up family tensions and secrets. By alternating folklore and historical stories with the story of the O'Mara family, Delaney paints a vivid portrait of the country and fits both storyteller and family into it. There's something for everyone in this book: newcomers to Irish history will relish the rich stories based on real and imagined characters, while readers familiar with tales of the old sod will plow through the stories to find out what happens with the O'Maras. Heavy publicity will ensure demand for this novel, which recalls the work of James Michener and will appeal to readers of family sagas and popular historical fiction. Ellen Loughran
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
Wonderfully, it was the boy who saw him first. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Wonderfully, it was the boy who saw him first. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Book by Frank Delaney,
By
This review is from: Ireland (Paperback)
Frank Delaney's writing is simple enough for the casual reader, but by no means lacking to the advanced reader. It is a tale about the history and the myths of Ireland told to the reader through the magic of an old traveling storyteller. The reader is left feeling a short twang at the thought of putting down this book. Like kids, we want one more story. This need, however, reaches deep within the reader and soon enough you're looking for more on Ireland. It is a good book to spark an interest on Ireland's folklore, but since it generally relates the most well-known stories, someone already knowledgeable about Ireland may not find the book as enthralling. For someone who knows practically nothing about Ireland except leprechauns, it is a very enchanting read. Something worth noting is that the stories told throughout the book may seem to interrupt the flow of the main tale, but they are always interesting to read and when the book is over, one is left with the feeling of having not only entertained one self, but having learnt along the way.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
gripping yet lovely,
By Genevieve L. "bibitte" (Québec, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ireland (Paperback)
Very easy read, yet at the same time it is gripping, there is a back story along with the various shorter stories in the book. It talks of love, history, adventure, courage, poetry, everything. Simply lovely, I enjoyed reading every word
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Magical Journey,
By A Customer
This review is from: Ireland (Hardcover)
A wonderful poem of a book, weaving Irish legends, tales and descriptions into a quest. Beautifully written, it literally transported me to another world, and I put it down with regret. I can't recommend this book highly enough for anyone who loves literature, story and legend.
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