Beside the Fire

Name: Beside the Fire
ISBN: 9787521214994

道格拉斯·海德 / 龚璇Writers Publishing House · ChinaMar 2026

3.9

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 23
ISBN: 9787521214994

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Summary

This book collects a selection of Irish Gaelic folktales. As the editor remarks, "only the language spoken by those of simple mind can weave the most fitting garment for a folktale; they are so simple that they joyfully preserve the stories that everyone of complex mind has, without exception, forgotten" and "mythological tales such as these deserve to be properly preserved, for they embody the last visible link between civilized people and prehistoric people. The value of these stories as monuments of antiquity can be matched only by the occasional perforated stone or flint arrowhead." This collection of Irish Gaelic folktales is a living national heritage and a witness to human civilization and culture.

Editor's review

Beside the Hearth is an Irish Gaelic folktale collection worth reading slowly. Its value lies not only in the stories themselves but in the editor's devotion to folk language and oral tradition: that seemingly simple language preserves precisely the imagination and beliefs that the complex mind has already forgotten. In the hearth-like rhythm of the narration, readers can feel a living national heritage rather than specimens displayed in a museum. The stories have the texture of myth and legend; they suit quiet evening reading in installments, and also suit reading aloud and retelling with children or friends. Gong Xuan's translation brings Chinese readers close to the tone and warmth of the Gaelic oral tradition. For readers concerned with folk literature, Irish culture, oral narrative, and cultural memory, this book offers a secluded path back to the early spiritual world of humankind, and reminds us that to protect stories is to protect the thin, unbroken thread between civilized people and prehistoric people.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Irish culture, Celtic mythology, and the Gaelic tradition
General readers who enjoy folktales, legends, and oral literature
Students and teachers in folk literature, anthropology, or cultural studies
Parents who want to tell old stories to their children and value oral tradition

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced modern fiction
Researchers expecting systematic scholarly annotation and full historical verification

Reading tips

Read one or two stories a day, pausing afterward to feel the rhythm and the white space of oral narrative.
You may read the editor's preface first, then dip into the stories at random; there is no need to read from beginning to end in order.
After reading, try retelling a story in your own words to sense how oral literature grows in the telling.
When reading with children, choose short stories and, afterward, draw together the image that left the deepest impression.

About the publisher

Writers Publishing House China · Founded in 1953

Writers Publishing House is a Chinese publisher focused mainly on literary publishing. Its output covers classical literature, foreign literature, folk literature and Eastern philosophy, with some extension into popular reading such as social fiction and parenting books. Its catalogue contains more than 900 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber and its edited editions, Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and foreign literary classics such as The Brothers Karamazov and Lost Illusions. In terms of authors, it includes classical writers such as Cao Xueqin and Gao E, foreign masters such as William Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and Balzac, and translations by translators such as Zhu Shenghao, Geng Jizhi and Fu Lei. Overall, its publishing profile balances Chinese and foreign literary classics, emphasizes quality translations, and serves both academic and general readers; publicly available information on its specific publishing plans is limited.

版权信息
编委会
代序
题献
前言
裁缝和三只野兽
布兰
爱尔兰国王的儿子
馋虫精灵
波丁·奥凯利和白鼬
利安姆·奥鲁尼的葬礼
黑脚丫的古力士
世界尽头的井
克里诺庄园
尼尔·奥卡利
没有脑袋的身体
长牙齿的老女人们
威廉树
老乌鸦和小乌鸦
谜语
故事的来源
注释
补遗

FAQ

What kind of stories does this book collect?

The book collects some Irish Gaelic folktales, myths and legends from the oral tradition. The editor stresses that these stories are a "living" national heritage, embodying the last visible link between civilized people and prehistoric people; they are best read as folk literature and cultural memory.

Can I understand it without a background in Irish culture?

Yes. The stories themselves are driven mainly by narrative and imagination and do not depend on specialized knowledge. To read more deeply, pay attention to the editor's remarks on language and oral tradition, and treat the book as a window onto Gaelic folk imagination rather than an academic text requiring prior coursework.

Is it better to read in one sitting or slowly?

Slowly is better. A folktale collection does not depend on continuous plot the way a novel does; reading in installments preserves each story's independent atmosphere and makes it easier to savor, retell, or share with family after each one.

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About the author

道格拉斯·海德 Author

Douglas Hyde is an author of foreign literature about whom relatively limited information is available. What can be confirmed at present is only that one work, By the Fireside, appears under his name and is classified as foreign literature. Because public materials are limited, his nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, and writing career cannot be verified, so it would be inappropriate to speculate about his life. Based on the available information, readers may focus on the work itself. Judging from its title, By the Fireside carries an everyday atmosphere of sitting around a fire and telling stories, suggesting a work close to life and attentive to mood and emotional detail. Such writing often relies not on grand plots but on delicate narration that reveals characters' circumstances and inner feelings. Readers new to this author may regard him as a writer who depicts everyday experience in plain and understated prose.

龚璇 Author

Gong Xuan is an author for whom only limited public information is currently available; details of their background, dates of birth and death, and nationality have not been clearly recorded. One work is known under their name, By the Fire, which is generally classified as foreign literature. From the available information, this work is the main window into Gong Xuan's writing, though the scarcity of material makes it difficult to form a complete picture of their creative development and overall style. The title By the Fire carries a strong sense of scene and warmth, suggesting that the work may center on emotional experience in everyday life or incorporate delicate environmental description into its narrative. The classification as foreign literature hints that the author's literary resources and outlook may draw on works from outside China. For readers interested in this author, By the Fire can serve as an introduction, while a fuller understanding must await further disclosures.