Some Irish Yesterdays

Somerville, E. Oe. (Edith Oenone), 1858-1949Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 233K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Some Irish Yesterdays by Martin Ross and E. Oe. SomervilleAuthor: Somerville, E. Oe. (Edith Oenone), 1858-1949,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Oct 22, 2016

Editor's review

Some Irish Yesterdays, written by Martin Ross and E. Oe. Somerville, is an essayistic work on Irish local life. The book centers on everyday observations, characters, and local landscapes in Ireland, with a distinct observer's perspective and a light narrative tone, blending sketches of local life with reminiscent prose. Its readability lies not in grand historical narrative but in its capture of local detail, idiom, and atmosphere, making it suitable for readers interested in Irish social culture, regional writing, and the tradition of observational prose in Anglo-Irish literature. The Project Gutenberg edition is a free English-language ebook of the original text, convenient for searching and excerpting, but lacking modern introductions and notes, so readers need to supplement Irish geographical and historical background themselves. It is best read slowly as a set of local-life sketches rather than a coherent plot-driven novel, which allows fuller appreciation of its character sketches and local atmosphere.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Irish local life and folklore details
Literary readers who enjoy essays, sketches, and reminiscent prose
Students of regional writing traditions in Anglo-Irish literature
Readers who need short texts they can pick up and put down at any time

Not a good fit for

Readers of fiction who prefer strong plots and coherent narrative
Readers expecting systematic Irish history or political analysis
Beginners who struggle with late nineteenth-century regional English expressions

Reading tips

Read by skipping between pieces, starting with the chapter whose title or opening appeals most.
Look up Irish place names and customs as you read, which significantly improves comprehension and enjoyment.
Separate character sketches from local descriptions to grasp the book's structure more easily.
There is no need to finish it in one sitting; it works well as short bedtime or commute reading.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a collection of essays?

It is closer to a collection of essays and local-life sketches, including character observations, local impressions, and reminiscent narration, rather than a long novel driven by a complete plot. It can be read as a set of related but not strictly continuous local pieces.

What is the relationship between the two authors?

Sources indicate that the book was written by Martin Ross and E. Oe. Somerville, who were long-term creative partners and jointly published several works set in Ireland. This book continues that joint attribution; specific divisions of labor can be found in relevant literary-historical sources.

Can I read it without background knowledge of Ireland?

Yes, but some place names, customs, and dialectal expressions may create barriers. It is advisable to look up basic geography and history while reading, or to try one piece first; if you only seek local atmosphere and narrative tone, skipping difficult points does not harm the overall reading.

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About the author

Somerville, E. Oe. (Edith Oenone), 1858-1949 Author

Edith Oenone Somerville (E. Oe. Somerville, 1858–1949) was an Irish writer who worked for many years with her cousin Violet Martin, and whose writing is known for its depiction of Irish rural life. Thirteen of her works are held in the collection, including the novel The Real Charlotte, Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. and its sequel, written with Martin, as well as Through Connemara in a Governess Cart, Mount Music and In Mr. Knox's Country. Her works are mostly set in the Irish countryside, portraying landlords, officials and local people with humour and restraint, and presenting local customs and social relations with both comic colour and an eye for real problems. Public information is limited, but these works alone show her distinctive place in Irish regional literature.