Eileen O'Faolain (1900–1988)

Summary: A collection of stories from the Irish oral tradition, presented as they have been told by Irish storytellers for generations; passed down to American literature and press for public consumption, enjoyment, and education.

Personal reaction: Irish folktales are uniquely visceral to the collective human experience. Their ability to couple drama with life-experience is nearly unparalleled; thus allowing for a distinct flavor of education provided for the reader. Personally speaking, shreds of Tolkien seem to shine through in Irish literature, even though they're nearly totally unrelated. Elements of adventure, fantasy, magic, drama, and emotion spill through the pages of O'Faolain's Irish Sagas and Folk-Tales.

Classroom extension: Perhaps the most notable method for this book to be incorporated into a classroom would be for ethnic and cultural educational purpose. I would even encourage students to act out some of their favorite folktales in front of the class for those who may prefer visual learning.… (més)

'Human nature' is a controversial concept. Suggesting something mystical, beyond quantification and comprehension, social scientists of almost all stripes steer clear of it now. The result is that they see nothing immutable in the nature of men and women; nothing, in other words, that cannot be changed. In the last century or so this desire to create a 'new' person or humanity has been the cause of some of the most woeful episodes in the history of our species.

Stories such as these should be an antidote to the idea that we can forge people as we please with an anvil and hammer. From as far back as human memory goes we see recognisable people pushed by forces we can comprehend pursuing goals we can identify and experiencing emotions we share. The story of Oisín's desire to visit his friends after a long time away only to find that life has moved on and left him without a place is a story, beautifully told by Eileen O'Faolain, we could tell today.

So I don't know what human nature is. But I'm pretty sure it is.… (més)

I liked this chapter book for a few reasons. The first reason I liked it is because of the development of different characters throughout. In the first story the Sons of Turenn killed the father of a very powerful man. They were sorry for their murderous actions and agreed to pay back the debt of the father's life. They went to different lands and got the items that the powerful man demanded. The three brothers of Turenn developed throughout the story to become better people and actually paid their debt instead of escaping. The second reason I liked this book is because of the plots of each of the stories that were presented. The stories presented, gods, magic, war, kings, druids, and love. Each and every story had an unexpected twist which was very interesting. Many of the stories ended in a happy way but some of them ended with the death of important characters but it was always in a peaceful way. The third reason I like this book is because of the point of view. The book is written in third person from a narrative's perspective. I like this because the reader is able to see what each and every person is doing in the story and they can see how everyone is feeling. During many of the chapters there are twists and turns and it is interesting to see what the characters, like Cuchullin and Maeve, are feeling. During their battles against each other it is very interesting and entertaining to get both sides. The big idea of this book was to present folktales that were told throughout the past in the Ireland.… (més)