Maurice Walsh (1) (1879–1964)

Another wonderful book by Maurice Walsh. Told in first-person by (presumably) the author himself, it's a cycle of short stories centered around the misadventures of his ne'er-do-well man-of-no-work and putative gardener Thomasheen James O'Doran. O'Doran is a master of misadventure, easily led astray by drink, gambling and low companions -- but he always manages to extricate himself from his sometimes-employer's well deserved wrath with logical (if highly suspicious) explanations for his show more behavior. A wry comedic tour de force that unexpectedly ends up having the story arc of a novel. show less

This slim little 50 page book was part of a series printed by Macarthur Press in Parramatta in 1947. It is inscribed a merry Christmas and a happy new (you) year from Sister Janie. So I read it as something a Catholic nun would deem gift-worthy. It's more of a short story than a novel but beautifully written in the sense that it's Irish brogue permeates almost every sentence. The quiet man is Shawn Kelvin and the way his story is told is no profound but entirely satisfying. Quite lovely and show more unpretentious. show less

This is a truly great book, beautifully told. The John Ford movie of The Quiet Man is one of my all-time favorites -- but the stories are like meeting old friends and finding them deeper and richer than you ever knew. The characters are very different, but very much the same. It's fascinating to see how Ford changed them for the cinema, to make a wonderful story of his own. I've already ordered another book by Maurice Walsh; I may read several more by this spellbinding author. I can't show more recommend this highly enough! show less

Walsh's first book is not quite as accomplished as his later work - the plot veers a little into the realm of potboiler romance - but it's still filled with lyrical descriptions of the settings and deeply insightful character studies. A fine and rewarding book that strongly hints of the masterful works to come.