Stories of Ireland by Brian Friel review – a solid gold treat
Before he became known as one of the greatest playwrights of the last century, Brian Friel wrote short stories, mainly for the New Yorker. Two collections published in the 1960s were filleted by Friel himself for a Selected Stories in 1979, which is now retitled and reissued – and it is a solid gold treat from top to tail.
Friel as a story writer is funnier than John McGahern, livelier than William Trevor. The model perhaps is Frank O'Connor: witty, short tales of country folk sufficiently larger-than-life to be interesting, but keeping one foot firmly on the ground. The stories take place in Friel's stamping ground of north-west Ireland – including in the fictional town of Ballybeg, where many of his plays would be set – and filled with people eager to make a mark.
In The Widowhood System, a recently widowed man determines to breed a champion racing pigeon ('With the old woman out of the road and the place to myself there's nothing to stop me now!'); in Ginger Hero, a boy who's taken up cock fighting wants to pit his bird against the local ace. 'Are you mad?' asks his friend. 'That's not a cock – that's an ostrich!'
Naturally, the dialogue is spot-on, but Friel captures people expertly in description too. In Foundry House, perhaps the best story here, an old man listens in fearful awe to a tape recording of his daughter's voice that she's sent from Rhodesia. 'Mr Bernard could not move himself to face the recorder but his eyes were on it, the large, startled eyes of a horse.'
Friel can switch between modes – tender, surprising – in his characterisation, but the overall tone is comic. In Mr Sing My Heart's Delight, a boy's granny who lives in remote County Donegal asks him: 'Were you in a bus ever? Was it bad on the stomach, was it?' In The Illusionists, argumentative one-upmanship between a teacher and a travelling magician reaches manic heights.
The only downside of reading these stories is knowing that Friel stopped writing them to concentrate on his stage work. We wouldn't want to be without his plays, but his prose fiction is just as tremendous.
Stories of Ireland by Brian Friel is published by Penguin (£12.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Who founded Pride Month and when did the first celebration take place
While former U.S. President Bill Clinton was the first to declare a Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in June 1999, the history of Pride dates back decades earlier to the Stonewall riots. Sunday, June 1 marks the beginning of Pride Month in the UK, with marches and events occurring throughout the country all month long. Pride Month is a time to both commemorate the history of the Stonewall riots as well as to celebrate the activism and contributions of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community. To better understand the significance of the month, here is a brief breakdown of the history of Pride Month, including its notable patrons and dates. Who started Pride Month? New Yorker Brenda Howard is considered the 'Mother of Pride' for coordinating a rally followed by the Christopher Street Liberation Day March to mark the first anniversary of Stonewall Riot. She came up with the idea for a week-long series of events around Pride Day which eventually grew into the large-scale annual Pride celebrations held globally today. Who is Brenda Howard? Brenda Howard was a long-time champion of bi-inclusion and was a fixture in New York City's LGBTQ+ community. Howard was also active in the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which supported New York City's LGBT rights law in 1986. In 1987, she helped found the New York Area Bisexual Network to coordinate services to the bisexual community. She was also an active member of the early bisexual political activist group BiPAC, a Regional Organizer for BiNet USA, a co-facilitator of the Bisexual S/M Discussion Group, and a founder of the nation's first Alcoholics Anonymous chapter for Bisexuals. Who is Marsha P. Johnson? Gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson is an icon of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) who is often cited as the architect of the Stonewall riots. Johnson is also known as the "Saint of Christopher Street" - the street where Stonewall Inn was based - for her devotion to the LGBTQ+ youth. From the foundations of the GLF, Marsha joined friend and fellow activist Sylvia Rivera in founding Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, which offered shelter and care for young transgender people. Throughout the 1970s and prior to her tragic death, Johnson became more widely known for advocating for the liberation of gay people from prisons and equal rights in the United States. When was the first Pride Month in the UK? The UK's first Pride march was held in London on July 1, 1972. This date was specifically chosen as it was the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in the U.S. which saw LGBT+ patrons targeted by the New York Police Department. After the first Pride march in London, marches were held across the UK - though not consistently - during the 1970s and 1980s. For years, London hosted the UK's main Pride event, with people travelling from around the UK to attend. Today, regional celebrations and marches occur across the country every June. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you! When is Pride Month? Pride Month in the United Kingdom runs throughout the month of June each year. This year it will run from Sunday, June 1 to Monday, June 30.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Billionaire owner's brutal put-down of racing sheikh in ongoing public feud
Mike Repole shared a video of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani falling off a horse in a charity race at Newmarket after he stuck up for rival owner John Stewart A billionaire racehorse owner has brutally put down a racing sheikh after he intervened in an ongoing public feud with another rival. Mike Repole is one of the most successful owners in US horse racing. The New Yorker, who sold his drinks manufacturing businesses to Coca Cola for nearly £8 billion, poured his fortune into establishing a racing stable which has produced star names such as Uncle Mo and Breeders' Cup winners Fierceness and Forte. In the last 12 months he has been engaged in increasingly spiky exchanges on social media with a relative newcomer to the sport, John Stewart. Former Toyota production line worker Stewart, who runs his own private equity business, has spent millions establishing his Resolute Racing racing and breeding operation since 2023. The vocal Repole has branded himself the 'commissioner' of horse racing in the US who is committed to unifying the factions in the sport but his banter with Stewart has become increasingly bitter. Last year, after Stewart described Repole as 'divisive', the New Yorker responded by calling his rival an 'arrogant, free spending new kid on the block' and a 'shallow rich guy'. Stewart, who last year added the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath to his string, is sponsoring races this weekend at the Belmont Stakes fixture at Saratoga. He explained he had become involved for 'for the horseplayers and the fans. Without the horseplayers and the fans the sport doesn't exist in the US.' He added: 'There are enough 'look at me' people in the horse industry that are just in it for what they can get from it. 'I believe that in order to be a true participant in horse racing you have to support the broader industry. I am not a breed to sell operation and we don't stand stallions so some may argue that we shouldn't sponsor races. 'Resolute sponsors races for the same reason we participate in stallions shares and hold free promotional events for fans and industry participants. 'I want Resolute to promote the sport and to engage with others. Of course we like winning races and we do, but we like handing out trophies to others and celebrating others success.' Repole could not resist commenting on the post, and responded: 'I have to give credit where credit is due. In the 150 year history of Thoroughbred Racing, Little John is the ONLY owner to ever sponsor more races than he has won!!!!! This is an historic and epic feat that will never be duplicated!!!!! 'I am ashamed and embarrassed to admit that Repole Stable has won over 1000 career races, over 100 stake races, Classics, Breeders Cups, won the Travers 2x, Multiple Eclipse Awards etc, etc, and NEVER sponsored a race. 'I would like to 'sincerely' apologize to my family, friends, all of Gioia's stuffed animals and the Thoroughbred industry for any embarrassment I have caused you by consistently winning races. Will you forgive me?' Rallying to Stewart's side, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, whose Qatar Racing is a partner in some of Stewart's horses and who through Qipco has been a major sponsor in Britain, remarked: 'At least someone gives back to the races. We all have to do our part not just take.' But Repole dug up a clip of Sheikh Fahad falling off his horse and crashing through the rail during the 2017 Newmarket Town Plate. The sheikh suffered minor cuts to his head and face. He said: 'Sheikh Fahad, I will take the high road on this disappointing post, because we both know this is untrue. I am just happy you and the horse were both OK after this incident.' He signed it :'Mike From Queens.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene audiobook review – Sam West captures the menace of this modern classic
We are not short of audio versions of Brighton Rock, Graham Greene's classic thriller from 1938 set in the eponymous seaside town. Past narrators have included Jacob Fortune‑Lloyd, Richard Brown and Tom O'Bedlam, and that's before you get to the various radio dramatisations. But few can match this narration from the Howards End actor Samuel West, first recorded in 2011, which captures the menace and seediness that runs through Greene's novel. It tells of 17-year-old Pinkie Brown, a razor-wielding hoodlum who is trying to cover up the murder of a journalist, Charles 'Fred' Hale, killed by his gang in revenge for a story he wrote on Pinkie's now deceased boss, Kite. Pinkie sets about wooing Rose, a naive young waitress who unwittingly saw something that could implicate him in the murder. His plan is to marry her to prevent her testifying against him. But he doesn't bargain for the doggedness of Ida Arnold, a middle-aged lounge singer who smells of 'soap and wine' and who happened to meet Hale on the day he was killed. On learning of his death, Ida refuses to believe the reports that he died of natural causes. She resolves not only to bring his killer to justice but to protect Rose from a terrible fate. Brighton Rock is one of several Greene audiobooks being rereleased this year by Penguin; others include The Quiet American (narrated by Simon Cadell), Travels With My Aunt (Tim Pigott-Smith), The Power and the Glory (Andrew Sachs) and The Heart of the Matter (Michael Kitchen). Available via Penguin Audio, 9hr 10min Normally Weird and Weirdly NormalRobin Ince, Macmillan, 9hr 7minInspired by his ADHD diagnosis, the co-presenter of Radio 4's science comedy The Infinite Monkey Cage investigates neurodiversity and asks: what does it mean to be normal? Read by the author. It's Probably NothingNaga Munchetty, HarperCollins, 11hr 33minMunchetty narrates her memoir-cum-polemic about her struggles with adenomyosis and the enduring problem of medical misogyny.
