The Books That Define Ireland

A new book entitled The Books That Define Ireland, by academics Tom Garvin and Bryan Fanning is bound to provoke much discussion and debate. The authors look at the key books that capture the development of Irish social and political thought from the 17th Century to the present day. Ranging from history and social issues to the fictional worlds of Flann O’Brien and Edna O’Brien, the authors believe that these books have had "a transformative effect on the course of Irish history and society". The twenty-nine chapters each deal with one or two books in detail while mentioning other works that address the same issue and in all, over 50 books scattered over three centuries are touched on or discussed at length. To see the list see http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/what-books-define-ireland-for-you-1.1738964