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A portrait of Irish author J. M. Synge covers his youth under the influences of evangelical Protestantism, interest in the occult, musical inclinations, and literary achievements, including such plays as Riders to the Sea and The Playboy of the Western World. ... Read more

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The life and works of the 20th century playwright. Bibliography of his works, translations and unpublished manuscripts._"The book is an excellent corrective of all the personal stories and memoirs, autobiographies and impressions of those who themselves were actors in the tale. Here we get perspective into the story and justice. His book will be the starting place for all who write hereafter of Synge and desire a solid base on which to build their conception. But the book is more thant that. It is itself full of good criticism and alive with understanding." SATURDAY REVIEWILLUS.

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY:Books for College Libraries; Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. ... Read more

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A brief but probing critical essay on Synge's life and major works, one of the earliest to appear after his death.

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY:Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. ... Read more

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This book is an overlooked masterpiece by one of Ireland's best-loved writers. In it Synge captured the idiosyncracies of everyday speech better, perhaps, than any other Irish writer, while his eye caught the details of a way of life that has long since disappeared. First published in 1910, it is now available as a paperback for the first time, complete with the evocative illustrations by Jack B. Yeats-universally regarded as twentieth-century Ireland's greatest painter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent social history guide of early 1900s Ireland
This is a well-balanced and interesting book on the state of life in rural Ireland in the early 1900s.Mr. Synge and his illustrator, Mr. Jack B. Yeats travel through 3 counties, living off the hospitality of local residents.Mr. Synge seems to be great at eliciting views from everyone he meets.He has much knowledge of the governmental agencies that attempt to alleviate some of the worst hardships of the poorest counties in Ireland.He presents a very balanced view of the results of these efforts.In the process, he relates some great stories given him by his hosts.You can get a glimpse of some of the archaic speech patterns of the the times.I highly recommend this to anyone interested in social history.The artwork is also great. ... Read more

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J.M. Synge paints a very moving picture of the reality of life in the west of Ireland. He admires the simplicity of the people's character, their skill in many and varied crafts and their readiness to face risks and danger without any show of bravado. Synge's sympathy and delight with whatever was traditional enriches every page of this book. As we visit the Aran Islands, Spiddal, Carraroe, Ballina, Belmullet, and the inner lands of Mayo we frequently hear beautiful and striking phrases as we meet fiery peasants in their cottages. ... Read more

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This edition includes "The Shadow of the Glen", "Riders to the Sea" and four other plays, in addition to the "Playboy of the Western World". Also included are "Poems and Translations" and the complete text of "The Aran Islands", Synge's account of life off the Western coast of Ireland. ... Read more

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Synge was one of the key dramatists in the flourishing world of Irish literature at the turn of the century. This volume offers every one of his plays, which range from racy comedy to stark tragedy, all sharing a memorable lyricism.The introduction to this new, definitive edition sets the plays in the context of the Irish literary movement, with special attention to Synge's role as one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre and his work alongside W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory. ... Read more

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In 1907 J. M. Synge achieved both notoriety and lasting fame with "The Playboy of the Western World". "The Aran Islands", published in the same year, records his visits to the islands in 1898-1901, when he was gathering the folklore and anecdotes out of which he forged "The Playboy" and his other major dramas. Yet this book is much more than a stage in the evolution of Synge the dramatist. As Tim Robinson explains in his introduction, 'If Ireland is intriguing as being an island off the west of Europe, then Aran, as an island off the west of Ireland, is still more so; it is Ireland raised to the power of two'. Towards the end of the last century Irish nationalists came to identify the area as the country's uncorrupted heart, the repository of its ancient language, culture and spiritual values. It was for these reasons that Yeats suggested Synge visit the islands to record their way of life.The result is a passionate exploration of a triangle of contradictory relationships - between an island community still embedded in its ancestral ways but solicited by modernism, a physical environment of ascetic loveliness and savagely unpredictable moods, and Synge himself, formed by modern European thought but in love with the primitive.Amazon.com Review
Nothing much happens on the Aran Islands--at least, not muchwent on there in the late 19th century, when John Synge sailed out tothese mist-shrouded, salt-sprayed, and wave-battered chunks of rockssouth of Ireland.Therein lies the charm of the setting and of thislovely book, which captures the saltiness of both the marine air andthe time-lost characters, who deeply believe in the magical "weepeople." In cottages where nets and fishing tackle hang from beams,the women (who always wear red dresses and petticoats, as do some ofthe boys) sit at their spinning wheels or sew cow-skin sandals, whilethe fishermen spin yarns about fairies, sunken vessels, and bags ofgold gained from adulterous wives. The big happening of the year iswhen roofs are rethatched--an event that blossoms into a festival withtwisted rope stretching from kitchen table through lane to nearbyfield. Synge seems an ambassador from a different world: addressed as"noble person," he brings tokens of modernity--be they clocks orsimple magic tricks that beguile the locals. First published in 1907,this re-released travelogue gives a poignant peek into another timeand begs a visit to the Aran Islands to see how, or if, they havechanged. --Melissa Rossi ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Another world
Not only does this book describe a time long past but Synge has a deeper sense of the psychology of the inhabitants of the Aran Islands and how it differs with that of "civilized" people of the time. Anyone who is interested in this topic and enjoys this book would do well to read Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O'Sullivan, which is a personal account by Mr. O'Sullivan of his life on Ireland's Great Blasket Island and is a wonderful, lyrical read that shows alot of humor as well as love for the natural world around him.

Stories in another tongue
This book describes the adventures of J. M. Synge on the Aran Islands around the turn of the Twentieth Century.William Butler Yeats suggested that Synge visit the island in order to learn Irish and become acquainted with traditional Irish culture as it had been preserved on the islands.Synge followed his suggestion, and made four lengthy trips to the islands.In this book, he recounts his experiences on the islands, together with some of the stories and poems that were recited to him there.

The book is a unique collection of travelogue, journal, and research notebook.Synge describes his relationships with individuals on the islands, as well as some of the common traits and customs observable there.He tells us about harrowing sea passages that he took from island to island in small rowed boats, and records a number of folk-tales that were shared with him by island residents.Synge was to draw on all of this material in his later writing career, making the book quite interesting for those who enjoy his plays.The book also provides informative details of what daily life was like in this remote region at the time.

Lively Reading
The search for authentic experiences is regarded as an important theme in postmodernism.John Millington Synge's book demonstrates that this quest for authenticity has been an important part of cultural inquiry for a long time.This wonderful book was written almost one hundred years ago, but it reads like a contemporary ethnographic inquiry.He provides vivid descriptions of daily life and wonderful presentations of the folklore of the Aran Islands.The book is primarily descriptive, but there are interesting textures and conclusions throughout Synge's writing.I would recommend reading this book and then watching Flaherty's film "Man of Aran."Follow up that visual feast with Stoney's "The Making of the Myth."To complete your excursion, top things off with a reading of Synge's "Playboy of the Western World" and "Riders to the Sea," two fine plays that he set on the Aran Islands.The stories, descriptions, and textures within Synge's book will become very clear when you're finished.

An Insight Into The Irish Soul
"The Aran Islands" is a delightful rendition of the experiences of J. M. Synge during his visits to the Aran Islands just over a century ago.Synge's journey had been encouraged by William Butler Yeats. "Go to the Aran Islands.Live there as one of the people themselves; express a life that has never found expression."Here Synge gained an insight into the Irish character which would enrich his later works.

The Aran Islands are a chain of islands off the coasts of Connemara and Clare.Isolated by the sea, the Arans, like the Galapagos in the natural world, preserve the language and customs of traditional Ireland.

The book is a narrative of what Synge saw and the stories he heard during his stays in the Arans, told by a master storyteller in the finest Irish tradition.The language is delightful, the stories are entertaining and the insight into the Irish soul is profound.A must read for any lover of the Irish.

I was named after the island
My dad was born there in the 1950's and i was named after it.not a bad place, not much to do but nice to visit.the book is informal but informative. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1904.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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I'll give you a riddle, Deirdre: Why isn't my father as ugly and old as Conchubor? You've no answer? . . . . It's because Naisi killed him. ... Read more