The Quiet Man and Other Stories [Paperback]

Maurice Walsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

In the 1930s, Irish novelist Maurice Walsh placed the moors and mountains of Ireland firmly on the literary map with this celebrated collection of stories. Since then, readers have continued to be charmed by these accounts of the simple and common activities of the characters in 1920s rural Ireland. The lives of Hugh Forbes, Paddy Bawn Enright, Archibald MacDonald, Joan Hyland, and Nuala Kierley intermingle as the themes of nationalism, human dignity, honor, and love are given full play. Made famous by John Ford's Oscar-winning film The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, these remain humorous and poignant tales set against a backdrop of intrigue and Irish civil unrest.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Maurice Walsh was born in 1879 and served in the Irish civil service until 1933. He is the author of The Key above the Door, While Rivers Run, The Small Dark Man, And No Quarter, and The Road to Nowhere. He died in 1964.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Appletree Press (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0862813077
• ISBN-13: 978-0862813079
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #615,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely stories of Ireland in the 1920's, August 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Quiet Man and Other Stories (Paperback)

These tales are told in a manner Irish tales are meant to be told. The lyrical manner and quiet truth of its telling are a rich and delicious read. From the drama of the Black and Tan War to the romance of an Irish summers evening, Maurice Walsh gets straight into your head. Irish wit never underestimates your intelligence, and this book never does either. Hints and fleeting references always come back to haunt you, and the way each of these short stories seamlessly integrate, you will find yourself smiling in admiration. The Quiet Man really captures the flavor of the time, the idealism of the Irish Republic, the heroism of its defense and the realism of hard choices made for that idealism. This is storytelling at its Celtic best, you will not be dissapointed...

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories of the Irish/English conflict, circa 1920 ring true, November 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quiet Man and Other Stories (Paperback)

I was happy to find this book republished after years of searching for out-of-print copies. Every story is connected; every story gives a different point of view. Pick up this book and you will become enthralled with the stories of the men and women who lived, loved, and fought during the early years of Ireland's fight for independence. While I realize the book is a work of fiction, I found myself, nevertheless, rooting for each person as he or she struggled with the problems the author put before each of them: alcohol, honesty, familial obligations, moral conscience, the love of country. If you like to read of adventure with your romance(or vice versa), these stories are for you. The cover doesn't do the book justice. The stories are so much more than just John Wayne as "The Quiet Man". At the end of the book I found myself wishing that the author had written another collection of stories continuing the saga of this era and these people.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars aka Green Rushes, October 31, 2004

By 

R. Rowan (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quiet Man and Other Stories (Paperback)

"The Quiet Man" story first appeared in the 11 February 1933 Saturday Evening Post. John Ford read it that year, and obtained the film rights in 1936.

Author Maurice Walsh had finished four interconnected stories (tentatively titled "Green Rushes") about the IRA and the Black & Tans in 1920s Ireland. He changed names and made minor additions to The Quiet Man to fit it into Green Rushes (Shawn Kelvin became Paddy Bawn Enright, Big Liam O'Grady became Red Will O'Danaher). The current book (minus the Prologue) mirrors Green Rushes, originally published in 1936.

I love the movie, but the book reveals more of the REAL Ireland. Maurice Walsh captures the spirit of the country and her rural folk. His writing transports the reader to Erin with poetic language and unforgettable characters.

For additional history, see "The Complete Guide to the Quiet Man" by Des MacHale. Walsh wrote more about Hugh Forbes in "The Small Dark Man", available used.