Product Description

This book surveys Irish writing in English over the last two centuries, from Maria Edgeworth to Seamus Heaney, to give the literary student and the general reader an up-to-date sense of its variety and vitality and to indicate some of the ways in which it has been described and discussed.

It begins with a brief outline of Irish history, of Irish writing in Irish and Latin, and of writing in English before 1800. Later chapters consider Irish romanticism, Victorian Ireland, W.B.Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival, new directions in Irish writing after Joyce and the literature of contemporary Ireland, north and south, from 1960 to the present.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #724734 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 301 pages

Review

'..the broadening of intellectual influences to extend to European and Atlantic contexts is an especially welcome contribution.'

Nessa Cronin, Da Yeh University, Taiwan, Irish Studies Review, Vol 11, No 2, 2003.

From the Back Cover
Irish Literature Since 1800 surveys Irish writing in English over the last two centuries, from Maria Edgeworth to Seamus Heaney. It provides students and the general reader with an up-to-date sense of the variety and vitality of Irish literature and indicates some of the ways in which it has been described and discussed. The author begins with a brief outline of Irish history, of Irish writing in Irish and Latin, and of writing in English before 1800. Later chapters consider: * Irish romanticism* Victorian Ireland* W.B. Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival* new directions in Irish writing after Joyce* the literature of contemporary Ireland, north and south, from 1960 to the present Irish writers have had to come to terms with their country's violent and difficult history, from a controversial Act of Union with Britain in 1800 to the Ulster Troubles and the prolonged and precarious peace process. Heated cultural debates and changing political, social and religious contexts are therefore also identified and discussed. There is also some discussion of the significance for Irish writing of music, painting and film, and the connections with English, American, classical and European literary culture and with stereotypes of Irishness are explored.  Norman Vance is Professor of English, University of Sussex, and Co-Director, Graduate Research Centre in the Humanities, University of Sussex.

About the Author

N Vance is Professor of English at theUniversity of Sussex and is Co-Director for the Graduate Research Centre in Humanities, also at the University of Sussex.