Books like The love object by Edna O’Brien
The volume brings together thirty‑one stories that together sketch a cumulative portrait of Ireland from both inside and outside. Themes of coming of age, class influence, familial and romantic love, and the instinct to escape paired with nostalgia for home recur throughout. The stories vary in tone, with some linked and others distinct, but each carries O’Brien’s unmistakable sense of the comical. Notable tales include "The Love Object," which recounts a passionate affair; "Lantern Slides," a Dublin dinner party that reveals the lives and loves of its guests; and newer pieces such as "Shovel Kings" and "Old Wounds," which trace the rise and fall of the friendship between two elderly cousins.
First publish date: 1968
Genre: General Fiction/Short Stories
Authors: Edna O’Brien
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