EndPage

This collection of short stories by John B. Keane, Kerry’s famous playwright and literary master, provides much enjoyment for the reader, who can dip in and out of Keane’s world as they wish. Most of the ’stories’ are anecdotes mingled with Keane’s own philosophising about everyday events and ordinary people.

Keane ran a pub for many years in Listowel, Co. Kerry, now managed by his son, Billy. It was from this haven that many of his short stories sprung, thanks in part to the comments and tales of the locals who drank there. A good example is one man’s account of the demise of his greyhound pup:

“He was killed,” said his agrieved owner, “by a blackguard of a hare that led him up hill and down dale and finally into a quarry hole filled with slime. That hare killed him as sure as Jack and Jill went up the hill.”

As humorous as this tale, and many others are, I have no doubt that without Keane’s narrative and story-telling talent, the humour could have been lost. He knows when to tow the line on a tale, never milking it in the way that some comic writers do. Having seen Keane on television once, I could imagine his voice recounting the story. These tales are made for the fireside, and possibly would work well if read aloud.

Short stories also provide variety and here Keane discusses everything from umbrellas to dogs and black eyes, and always relating it to his favoured topic: people, their behaviour and their humorous habits. As good an introduction as any to the world of John B. Keane, this book is a good source of light reading that you can come back to again and again.