The stories in this hilarious collection of five short novels are told through a series of fictional letters between a wide range of colorful characters drawn from Irish life in the hill country that divides the counties of Cork and Kerry. Letters of a Love-Hungry Farmer - an account of John Bosco McLane's search for a female companion; Letters of a Matchmaker - a small farmer involved in the delicate business of finding mates for the unattached; Letters of a Successful T.D. - the career and family life of a member of the Irish Parliament climbing the political ladder; Letters of a Parish Priest - Father Martin O'Mora's quest to root out sin among his parishioners; and Letters of a Country Postman - a gossipy postman tries to discover secrets hidden within the envelopes he delivers.

Tull MacAdoo TD is kept busy procuring jobs and IRA pensions for deserving voters and keeping his spendthrift son under control. Somehow he must also contest an election and save his reputation while holding fast to his personal philosophy: "Forage between honesty and crookedness and do the best you can'. Martin O'Mora, the Parish Priest of Lochnanane dispenses justice in his own inimitable way. While battling for the souls of his parishioners, he must also deal with his nephew's shaky vocation, a sex-crazed curate and an uncontrollable outbreak of inflatable dolls. The clients of Dicky Mick Dicky O'Connor require spouses who are willing, wealthy and in perfect working order – difficult to find in the underpopulated hinterlands of Ballybarra, but anything is possible for a gifted matchmaker.

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 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 starred Richard Harris, John Hurt, Brenda Fricker and Tom Berenger.

"Saints, Scholars, and Schizophrenics, in its original form--now integrally reproduced in the new edition--is a most important seminal study of an Irish community."—Conor Cruise O'Brien

In this volume are hundreds of short pieces which represent the distillation of the experience of a funny, witty, wise and passionate observer of the bright tapestry of Irish life. All human life is here, and Keane tells its story in an astonishing procession of remarkable characters and in rare humorous glimpses of his own career. This is a collection to prize.

This reader’s guide provides uniquely organized and up-to-date information on the most important and enjoyable contemporary English-language novels. Offering critically substantiated reading recommendations, careful cross-referencing, and extensive indexing, this book is appropriate for both the weekend reader looking for the best new mystery and the full-time graduate student hoping to survey the latest in magical realism. More than 1,000 titles are included, each entry citing major reviews and giving a brief description for each book.