A lonely farmer in the hill country of rural Ireland writes to his lawyer, his aunt, and an old classmate

Letters of a Love-Hungry Farmer

Humor & Entertainment

Keane, John B.

Humor

St Martins Pr

Big Maggie: A drama in two acts

Literature & Fiction

Literary

French

From one of Ireland's favorite writers and most popular storytellers, a stockingful of Christmas surprises for any season. In this winning collection of seventeen original tales, John B. Keane plumbs the rich folk culture of Ireland as he portrays the holiday dreams and everyday shortcomings of ordinary country people during the Christmas season. Delightfully, and frequently sardonic, he casts his knowing eye on the foibles of Irish humanity and reveals the intelligences behind them with shrewdness and compassion. The skillfully related stories in Keane's congenial volume introduce the reader to the amusing particulars of the Christmases celebrated by characters like Dotie Tupper and Johnny Naile and the doughty Canon Doyle who, in one tale, routs the scoundrels intent on detaching the collection box from its place on the church wall and, in another, employs modern electronics to rehabilitate a fellow parish priest. In the process, Doyle comes to some surprising revelations about himself, as does a seasonal traveler named Masterman, whose festive lust goes so wildly awry that his dishonorable designs lead him to a moral light. Throughout this volume, whether visiting "The Greatest Wake of All" or illuminating "The Seven Year Trance" or telling the tales of "The Hermit of Scartnabrock" and "Awlingal Princess of Cunnackeenamadra," Keane bears benevolent testimony to the inhabitants and folk traditions of his colorful County Kerry.

An Irish Christmas: Stories (Keane, John B.)

Carroll&Graf

An Irish Christmas (Keane, John B.)

Keane, John

Humor & Satire

Running Press

This bountiful, first-time-ever omnibus collection of more than fifty tales by one of Ireland's liveliest and most popular story writers offers holiday charm, human idiosyncrasy, and Gaelic humor by the Christmas stockingful. Drawing on the rich folk culture of County Kerry, John B. Keane brings new life to old custom in his portrayals of the special holiday dreams and everyday shortcomings of not-so-ordinary country people during the Christmas season. At the same time that he revels in the charms and eccentricities of the Irish, Keane also exposes the fallible souls that lie behind them. With enough good cheer to warm the heart throughout the holiday season and the long nights of winter, Keane's congenial volume revisits the Christmases celebrated by characters like Dotie Tupper and Johnny Naile, the doughty Canon Doyle and deaf Canon Cornelius Coodle, the amiable spendthrift Aenias Mackson and Hiccups O'Reilly, who disappears one Christmas Eve for seven years. Whether recounting "The Miracle of Ballybradawn," "The Great Christmas Raid at Balleybooley," or "The Order of MacMoolamawn," whether telling the tales of "The Magic Stoolin," "A Tasmanian Backhander," "The Fourth Wise Man," or the "Last Christmas Eve of the Twentieth Century," Keane bears delightful witness to the strengths and failings, the trials and triumphs, of the inhabitants in his eccentric corner of County Kerry, Ireland.

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

Drawing on the rich folk culture of Ireland, John B. Keane’s collection of seventeen original tales humorously presents the holiday dreams and everyday shortcomings of ordinary country people during the Christmas season. Not only do Keane’s stories delightfully, and often sardonically, explore the foibles of Irish humanity, they also discover the intelligences behind them with shrewdness and compassion. Throughout this winning collection, whether visiting “The Greatest Wake of All” or illuminating “The Seven Year Trance” or telling the tales of “The Hermit of Scartnabrock” and “Awlingal Princess of Cunnackeenamadra,” Ireland's favorite storyteller bears benevolent testimony to the inhabitants and Christmas traditions of his colorful County Kerry. “Creates a charming emotional map of a fictitious but authentic-seeming place.”—Boston Globe “A sage, sardonic voice.... Handle[s] sentiment in a way that respects both the story and the audience.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune “.... if a body likes Irish humor and tales, this ... will be a fine bit to place under the tree.”—Publishers Weekly

A fitting tribute to John B. Keane, for decades Ireland's favorite storyteller, this winning short story collection typifies the late author's folkloric imagination and storytelling arts. These are congenial tales, too, as this literary legend views the foibles and fallibilities of Irish country folk with abundant compassion as well as a shrewd, sometimes sardonic eye. Add to that Keane's glorious sense of fun and roguery that will make readers relish all the more how and why, in "Fred Rimble," Jim Conlon kills the best friend he ever had. Or how Willie Ramley determines that his future wife will be "Guaranteed Pure." Or how, to tragic as well as comic effect, a gasp, garlic, and gossip undo Denny Bruder in "The Hanging." In all, Keane uncovers the folly in the romantic pangs, exalted aspirations, misguided mischief, and everyday shortcomings of the characters in the village of his storyteller's mind-and beyond the folly finds their humanity.

The Teapots Are Out and Other Eccentric Tales from Ireland

Running Press Adult

The bodhrán makers

Vanguard Press

Self Portrait

The Mercier Press

The Field is John B. Keane's fierce and tender study of the love a man can have for land and the ruthless lengths he will go to in order to obtain the object of his desire. It is dominated by the Bull McCabe, one of the most famous characters in Irish writing today. An Oscar-nominated adaptation of The Field proved highly successful and popular worldwide,and stared Richard Harris, John Hurt, Brenda Fricker and Tom Berenger.

The Field

Dramas & Plays

Irish Books & Medi

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Books by Keane, John B.