Cadhain's dark comedy unfolds in a graveyard, where the newly arrived dead bring news to those already in their coffins. This brilliant translation of a masterwork of modern Irish literature affirms the author's literary genius and keen understanding of the absurdities of human nature.
A brilliant new translation of Cadhain's modern Irish literature masterpiece, meant to spark debate and comparison with Alan Titley's Dirty Dust, now with bonus materials on its history, reception, interpretations, adaptations, and more
"Gloriously attuned to the energy, copiousness, invective and ribaldry of the original Cre na Cille."--Patricia Craig, Times Literary Supplement "Corrosively satirical and darkly comic. . . . A tour de force of a gabfest."--Mark Harman, Los Angeles Review of Books
In critical opinion and popular polls, M irt n Cadhain's Graveyard Clay is invariably ranked the most important prose work in modern Irish. This bold new translation of his radically original Cr na Cille is the shared project of two fluent speakers of the Irish of Cadhain's native region, Liam Mac Con Iomaire and Tim Robinson. They have achieved a lofty goal: to convey Cadhain's meaning accurately and to meet his towering literary standards. Graveyard Clay is a novel of black humor, reminiscent of the work of Synge and Beckett. The story unfolds entirely in dialogue as the newly dead arrive in the graveyard, bringing news of recent local happenings to those already confined in their coffins. Avalanches of gossip, backbiting, flirting, feuds, and scandal-mongering ensue, while the absurdity of human nature becomes ever clearer. This edition of Cadhain's masterpiece is enriched with footnotes, bibliography, publication and reception history, and other materials that invite further study and deeper enjoyment of his most engaging and challenging work.
A brilliant new translation of Cadhain's modern Irish literature masterpiece, meant to spark debate and comparison with Alan Titley's Dirty Dust, now with bonus materials on its history, reception, interpretations, adaptations, and more
"Gloriously attuned to the energy, copiousness, invective and ribaldry of the original Cre na Cille."--Patricia Craig, Times Literary Supplement "Corrosively satirical and darkly comic. . . . A tour de force of a gabfest."--Mark Harman, Los Angeles Review of Books
In critical opinion and popular polls, M irt n Cadhain's Graveyard Clay is invariably ranked the mos