Customer Reviews

An Irish Christmas Feast: The Best of John B. Keane (Keane, John B.)

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Over the last year I've considered myself truly fortunate to have discovered the work of John Keane. In September of 2004 I stopped by the Dublin Writer's Museum and saw his books prominently featured. Much harder to spot in America and not fiction that I had previously run across. On a whim I took a chance and bought one of his books: it was one of the best gambles I've made.

This magnificent and long book of short stories absolutely sparkles with carefully drawn, always engaging and focused tales of characters that command the page with energy and wit that is wholly and mysteriously their own. John Keane rolls out the welcome mat for the reader - he is absolutely honest and at the same time conspiratorial as he pulls you into the world of his characters. Ireland telegraphs through very strongly in these tales, however, the characters, the intrigue and the resounding integrity of these stories is absolutely universal and timeless. It would be misleading to simply categorize Keane as an Irish author. I've read many of these stories multiple times and they only get better with each reading. An Irish Christmas Feast is one of the very few books I've bought and given as a gift. Not a book to borrow, An Irish Christmas Feast is a book to own.

This is a compilation of Keane's previous three Christmas short story collections, along with four or five other pieces that weren't in those collections. It was published shortly after his death, and a fitting tribute to Keane's literary genius and talent.

Keane presents Ireland as it is, none of the "top o' the mornin'" "faith and begorah" for him. The Ireland he presents is real, vibrant, amazing. If you have ever seen the movie Waking Ned Devine, that is the best comparison I can make to Keane. The same type of people, simple farmers, day-laborers, drunks, pig farmers. But full of life in equal parts of humor and good nature and tragedy.

The people here are fully human, full of humor, nastiness, kindness, intrigues, wants, desires, hopes and dreams. Keane shows you this world in suprisingly simplicity. But never confuse simplicity with lack of depth. In fact it's that simplicity of his story telling that gives this collection it's amazing depth. There are just too many stories to name that I love--but I'll mention a few of them. Voice of an Angel, Raid of the Black and Tans, Groodles, High Fielding and those aren't even scratching the surface.

Put this collection on your must read Christmas bookshelf, right next to A Christmas Carol.