PREFACE TO A READERS GUIDE TO IRISH FICTION (1910).
The present Guide to Irish Fiction is intended by the Author as the first part of a work in which it is hoped to furnish notes on books of all kinds dealing with Irish subjects.
Before explaining the scope of this section of the work it may be well, in order to forestall wrong impressions, to say at once what it is not. In the first place, then, it does not lay claim to be a bibliography. By this I do not mean that I am content to be inaccurate or haphazard, but simply that I do not aim at exhaustive completeness. In the second place, it is not a catalogue of books by Irish writers. Lastly, it does not deal exclusively with books printed or published in Ireland.
The Author’s aim has been to get together and to print in a convenient form a classified list of novels, tales, &c. (whether by Irish or by foreign writers), bearing on Ireland—that is, depicting some phase of Irish life or some episode of Irish history—and to append to each title a short descriptive note.
Two things here call for some explanation, viz., the list of titles and the descriptive notes.
As to the former, I have, with some trifling exceptions, included everything that I have been able to discover, provided it came within the scope of the work, as indicated above. It has been thought well to do this, because a vast amount of fiction that, from an artistic or from any other point of view, is defective in itself may yet be valuable as a storehouse of suggestion, fact, and fancy for later and better writers. For was it not worthless old tales and scraps of half-mythical history that held the germs of “Hamlet” and “Macbeth,” “King Lear” and “Othello”? There remains, indeed a large class of novels and tales that, so far as one may judge, can serve no useful purpose. It may be thought that with such books the best course to pursue is to allow them to pass into merited oblivion. But it must be remembered that booksellers and publishers will naturally continue to push such books because it is their business to do so, and the public will continue to buy them because it has ordinarily no other means of knowing their contents than the publisher’s announcement, the title, or—the cover. A “Guide” would, therefore, surely shirk an important portion of its task if it excluded worthless books, and thereby failed to put readers on their guard.
Next, as regards the descriptive notes: there are three points which I should wish to make clear—the source of the information contained in these notes; their scope, that is, the nature and extent of the information with which they purpose to furnish the reader; and, thirdly, the tone aimed at throughout the work.
Information about the books has been obtained in various ways. A considerable number have been read by the Author. Indeed, there are few writers of note included in the Guide about whose works he cannot speak from first-hand knowledge. Of the books that remain the great majority have been specially read for this work by friends, and a full account of the same written by them according to a formula drawn up for the purpose. In all cases, except in a very few—and these have been indicated—the wording of the final note is mine. In the few cases referred to, printed reviews or notices of the books have been drawn upon, the source of the note being mentioned in each instance.
A word about the scope of the notes. My chief object in undertaking this work was to help the student of things Irish. This object determined the character of the notes. A few years ago there appeared in France an excellent work, entitled Romans à lire et Romans à proscrire (Cambrai: Masson), by the Abbé Bethléem, which has since passed through many editions. In this work novels are classed au point de vue moral. In the rare cases in which the books included in my list contain matter objectionable from a moral or a religious standpoint, I have not hesitated to remark the fact in the note. This was, however, but a small part of the task. It will be clear likewise, from what has been said that my object is not to attempt literary criticisms of Irish fiction. Such literary appreciations are to be found in other works already published, accounts of several of which will be found in the Appendix. True, a certain amount of criticism is often needed lest the account given of a book should be misleading, but it has been avoided wherever it did not seem to further the main purpose. This purpose, let me repeat, is, above all, to give information to intending readers. I have, therefore, endeavoured, as well as might be, in the small space available, simply to give a clear idea of the contents of the books. In a good many cases I have further attempted an appreciation, or rather a characterization, of the book in question, but this was not always possible nor, indeed, necessary.
Of the tone adopted in these notes little need be said. I did not consider that it would further my purpose to aim at that literary flavour and epigrammatic turn of phrase affected, and with reason, by reviewers in many periodicals. Moreover, to do so would have been inconsistent with brevity. Then, I must disclaim all intention of saying “clever” things at the expense of any book, however low it may deserve to be rated. I have endeavoured to avoid, too, the technicalities of criticism. Lastly, I trust the little work has not been rendered suspect to any class of Irishmen by the undue intrusion of religious or political bias.
Apology might well be made here for the defects of the work. They will, I fear, be but too evident. But it should be borne in mind that, with the exception of Mr. Baker’s works, to which I cannot sufficiently acknowledge my indebtedness, I have had no guide upon the way, since no writer, so far as I am aware, has hitherto dealt in this way with Irish fiction as a whole.
It may be asked, for whom especially this book is meant? In the first place, I hope it may be useful to the general reader who wishes to study Ireland. Next, it may help in the important and not easy task of selection those who have to buy books for any purpose, such as the giving of presents, the conferring of prizes in school or out of it, the stocking of shops and libraries—in other words, booksellers, library committees, heads of schools and colleges, librarians, pastors, and many others. Again, it may be of some service to lecturers and to popular entertainers. I have some hopes, too, that coming writers of Irish fiction, from seeing what has been done and what has not yet been done, may get from it some suggestions for future work. It may even help in a small way towards the realization of a great work not yet attempted, the writing of a history of Anglo-Irish literature.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
(Reader’s Guide, etc.)
My best thanks are due, in the first place, to the authorities of Clongowes Wood College, without whose constant aid and encouragement my task would have been impossible.
Next, I wish to thank those publishers who courteously sent me copies of a number of their books, viz., the Irish publishers, Messrs. Gill; Duffy; Sealy, Bryers and Walker; Maunsel; and Blackie: and the London publishers, Messrs. Macmillan; Nelson; Methuen; Dent; Chatto and Windus; Burns and Oates; Sands; Blackwood; Nutt; Elliot Stock; and Smith, Elder. I should like to give greater prominence to the publications of these firms. The plan of this book prevents me from doing so but I may say that this little work, which will, I hope, help to make known their books, could not have appeared but for their generosity.
To those who, as already mentioned, have aided in the work by reading books, and supplying information about them, my sincerest thanks are hereby tendered. I should be glad, if it were possible, to express here my obligations to each individually, but I must, for obvious reasons, limit myself to this general acknowledgment. There are, however, some whom, on account of special obligations on my part, I shall have the pleasant task of thanking by name. To Mr. E. A. Baker, M.A., D.LITT., Librarian of the Woolwich Public Library, I am indebted both for kind permission to quote from his books and for constant advice and suggestion given with the greatest cordiality. To Dr. Conor Maguire, of Claremorris, I owe most of my notes of books on Irish Folk-lore, and to Mr. Edmund Downey, the well-known author and publisher, notes on Lever’s books, together with many useful suggestions. Mr. Francis J. Bigger, M.R.I.A., of Belfast, the always ready and enthusiastic helper of every Irish enterprise, has aided me with valuable advice and no less valuable encouragement. Mr. J. P. Whelan, Librarian of the Kevin Street Public Library, Dublin, has rendered me every assistance in his power. Dr. J. S. Crone of London, Editor of the Irish Book Lover, has on several occasions kindly opened to me the pages of his periodical. Lastly, I must acknowledge here, with sincere thanks, much help of various kinds given me by many members of my own Order, and notably, Rev. M. Russell, S.J.; Rev. M. Corbett, S.J.; Rev. P. J. Connolly, S.J., and the Rev. J. F. X. O’Brien, S.J.—the last of whom very kindly undertook the tedious labour of revising my proofs.[2]
[Additional (Present Work).]
My obligations to my various kind helpers in the present work are even greater than in the case of the former book, and I am at a loss for an adequate expression of them. My thanks have, of course, been privately conveyed, but there are some collaborators who have had so large a share in the making of this book that I cannot but place on record its indebtedness towards them.
For valuable work in the British Museum Library extending over a considerable length of time I have to thank Mrs. Pearde Beaufort, Miss C. J. Hamilton, and Miss G. B. Ryan. For much tedious labour in the rearrangement of the matter contained in the earlier book, I am indebted to the Misses Chenevix Trench (who also supplied many notes), and to Mrs. O’Neill, of Dundalk. To Dr. Crone, whose readiness to help when any Irish literary enterprise is afoot is inexhaustible, I owe many corrections, suggestions, and additions, and the laborious task of revising my MS. and correcting my proofs. Mr. Edmund Downey, of Waterford, has kindly read part of the proofs. Many books have been read for me and notes supplied by Lady Gilbert; Mrs. Concannon, of Galway; Mrs. L. M. Stacpoole Kenny, of Limerick; Miss J. F. Walsh, of Derry; Miss R. Young, of Galgorm Castle, Co. Antrim; Mrs. Macken, of the National University; Fr. MacDwyer, of Killybegs; and, perhaps most of all, Fr. J. Rabbitte, S.J., of St. Ignatius College, Galway. Mr. D. J. O’Donoghue, Librarian of the National University, has given me many suggestions, as well as some useful notes on fiction in Irish periodicals. Mr. Frank Macdonagh also has been very helpful with notes and corrections. I owe likewise a debt of gratitude to the authorities and the staff of the National Library for their courtesy and helpfulness. Nor must I omit a word of thanks to the publishers (including all the Irish publishers, and Messrs. Flynn, of Boston), who, as on a former occasion, made my task much lighter by supplying me with review copies of their books.
Lastly to all the others, and they are many, who have in various ways given me help my very sincere thanks are hereby tendered.
For the matter contained in my notes on the Authors, I am much indebted to Mr. D. J. O’Donoghue’s Poets of Ireland, and to the pages of the Irish Book Lover.
[2] Through an unfortunate oversight the earlier work contained no mention of much kind help rendered me by several students of St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, notably by Rev. J. Henaghan and Rev. J. Pinkman, at present priests on the mission. I now gratefully acknowledge this help.