Bird Alone

by Seán Ó Faoláin, Benedict Kiely (Introduction)

This novel is set in late 19th-century Ireland, where Corney Crone grows up in a family marked by poverty, pride, and spoiled aspiration. The recurring theme in Corney's life is one of solitude, a note which becomes more dominant in his old age. Corney is a "bird alone," reliving the
experiences of his youth and the secret love for his childhood sweetheart.

Genres: Fiction, Irish Literature, Ireland, Novels

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1936

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bird Alone is a hauntingly sad novel, which touches on the harsh realities that has been life in Ireland for many of its citizens.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully told and beautiful in a way that sad, impoverished, painful Irish novels can be and nothing else can.

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Irish, very Catholic. The characters' religion gives them few options. My great-grandmother (Bavarian Catholic) just told the priest to go to hell. James Joyce is a better writer with more believable characters.