Contains: “The Death of a Devotee;” “The Priest’s Funeral;” “Lachlin Murray and the Blessed Candle;” “Neal Malone;” “The Dream of a Broken Heart,” &c. This last has been described as one of the purest and noblest stories in our literature; but the remainder are among Carleton’s feeblest efforts, and are full of rank bigotry.
⸺ FARDOROUGHA THE MISER. Pp. 280. (Downey). [1839]. n.d. (N.Y.: Haverty). 0.50.
Prefaces by the Author and by D. J. O’Donoghue. A powerful novel, full of strong character study, and of deep and tragic pathos, relieved by humorous scenes. Carleton tells us that all the characters save one are drawn from originals well known to himself. The original of the miser’s wife, a perfect type of the Catholic Irish mother, was his own mother. Una O’Brien is one of the loveliest of Carleton’s heroines. Honor O’Donovan is scarcely less admirable. The mental struggles of the miser, torn between the love of his son and the love of his money, are finely depicted.
⸺ THE FAWN OF SPRINGVALE; THE CLARIONET, AND OTHER TALES. Two Vols. 1841.
⸺ PADDY GO EASY AND HIS WIFE NANCY. (Duffy), 1s. [1845]. Still reprinted.
Racy sketch of humorous and good-natured but lazy, thriftless, good-for-nothing Irishman, drawn with much humour and with the faithfulness of a keen observer. But the book leaves on the reader the absurd impression that this character is typical of the average peasant. The story is a prototype of the famous Adventures of Mick M’Quaid. The first title of this book was originally Parra Sastha.
⸺ VALENTINE M’CLUTCHY. (Duffy). 2s. [1845]. Numerous editions since. Still reprinted. (N.Y.: Sadleir). 1.50.
A detailed study of the character and career of an Irish land agent of the worst type. It puts the reader on intimate terms with the prejudices, feelings, aims, and manners of the Orangemen of the day, and bitterly satirizes them. It gives vivid pictures of both Anglican and Dissenting proselytizing efforts. Written from a strongly national and even Catholic standpoint. Contains several remarkable character studies. There is Solomon M’Slime, “the religious attorney,” sanctimonious, canting, hypocritical; Darby O’Drive, M’Clutchy’s ruffianly bailiff, a converted Papist; the Rev. Mr. Lucre, a very superior absentee clergyman of the Establishment, and an ardent proselytizer; the old priest, Father Roche, very sympathetically drawn. The bias throughout is very strong and undisguised. There are some grotesquely and irresistibly comic scenes, but there are also fine scenes of tragic interest. “Nothing in literature,” says Mr. O’Donoghue, “could be more terrible than some of the scenes in this book.” He calls it “one of Carleton’s most amazing efforts.” Of the book as a whole, Mr. Krans says: “It is one of the most daring pictures of Irish country life ever executed.” And Mr. G. Barnett Smith speaks of the eviction scene as “unexampled for its sadness and pathos.”
⸺ RODY THE ROVER. (Duffy). 1s. [1845]. Still in print.