Irish Wonders [Hardcover]

D.R. McAnally Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 1996

Celtic lore holds a wealth of colorful characters beyond the famed leprechaun. And this gathering of late 19th century traditional folk tales brings together the best of the Emerald Isle's fabled denizens. The Banshee, Satan's Cloven Hoof, The Henpecked Giant, and—of course—The Leprechaun, all weave their spellbinding magic in the classic tradition of Irish storytelling in the pages of enchanting treasury. Illustrated throughout with 65 beautiful pen-and-ink drawings. 240 pages.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Celtic lore holds a wealth of colorful characters beyond the famed leprechaun. And this gathering of late 19th century traditional folk tales brings together the best of the Emerald Isle's fabled denizens. The Banshee, Satan's Cloven Hoof, The Henpecked Giant, and?of course?The Leprechaun, all weave their spellbinding magic in the classic tradition of Irish storytelling in the pages of enchanting treasury. Illustrated throughout with 65 beautiful pen-and-ink drawings. 240 pages.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Gramercy (November 6, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517123967
• ISBN-13: 978-0517123966
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,015,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Stories... But... Hard To Follow, August 12, 2000

By 

"ladykimberlyn" (Salem) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irish Wonders (Hardcover)

I gave this book 4 stars because I enjoyed reading it.. but the language was something I hadn't expected.. It is written exactly like Irishmen talk.. for an example: Tipperary, whos father was a farmer there, an' had a shmart bit av land wid no end av shape grazin' on it, an' the Tipperary boy was n't bad at all, only as shtupid as a donkey. This was taken from the story "The Rock of Cashel.. So if you buy this book.. be prepared to over look the obvious spelling/language problems but the stories are just as interesting. (I feel this pook should be given 3 and a half stars but I will go up a number instead of down. The book is interesting)

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Charming folktales from old Ireland., February 9, 2000

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irish Wonders: The Ghosts, Giants, Pookas, Demons, Leprechawns, Banshees, Fairies, Witches, Widows, Old Maids & Other Marvels of Emerald Isle (Paperback)

(The book I read was a 1977 reprint of the original 1888 edition, and some of the things I mention here might not apply to later editions.)

This charming book contains many folktales collected around Ireland before the close of the Nineteenth Century. As the title says, there are tales about ghosts, giants, pookas, the devil, etc. A distinctive feature of this book is that the author records not just the tale, but records it in the dialect of the teller!

However, I use the word "charming" because the stories are humorous, but rarely terribly interesting. Also, the author's use of the vernacular, while an interesting feature, requires the reader to pay particular attention when reading, and to be familiar with certain Irish words (e.g. shebeen, poteen, omadhawn, etc.).

As such, I would not call this a great book, but it is a good one - a charming one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Charming folktales from old Ireland., February 24, 2000

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irish Wonders: The Ghosts, Giants, Pookas, Demons, Leprechawns, Banshees, Fairies, Witches, Widows, Old Maids & Other Marvels of Emerald Isle (Paperback)

(The book I read was a 1977 reprint of the original 1888 edition, and some of the things I mention here might not apply to later editions.)

This charming book contains many folktales collected around Ireland before the close of the Nineteenth Century. As the title says, there are tales about ghosts, giants, pookas, the devil, etc. A distinctive feature of this book is that the author records not just the tale, but records it in the dialect of the teller!

However, I use the word "charming" because the stories are humorous, but rarely terribly interesting. Also, the author's use of the vernacular, while an interesting feature, requires the reader to pay particular attention when reading, and to be familiar with certain Irish words (e.g. shebeen, poteen, omadhawn, etc.).

As such, I would not call this a great book, but it is a good one - a charming one.