Weaver's Grave

By Seumas O'Kelly

Book Overview

Not only is The Weaver's Grave one of the best pieces of fiction in Irish literature, it is also one of the best-loved. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0900372494
• ISBN13: 9780900372490
• Release Date: January 1965
• Publisher: Allen Figgis
• Length: 88 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Perhaps the greatest Irish short story ever written.

O'Kelly's greatest achievement is "The Weaver's Grave," and it is perhaps the greatest Irish short story ever written, with Joyce's "The Dead" a close second. The narration is beautiful while the dialogue is unique, real, and very funny. The Weaver's young widow must see that her aged husband's body is buried in a specific location in "the meadow of the dead" according to his wishes, wishes that were never specified to her. O'Kelly masterfully renders the subtle nature of her transformation from servant/wife to liberated woman as she sets about this task under the seemingly watchful and guiding light of Venus, the evening star. The conclusion, though somewhat surprising given the main plot, should not be totally unexpected, since it is the climax to another -- almost hidden -- plot that is ultimately more meaningful. This story is a slice of Irish life at the turn of the twentieth century but it is also universal in its artistry.