Publication date:
01 December 2016Publisher
Anthem PressDimensions:
229x153mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781783085880
Irish author (Eleanor) Norah Hoult (1898–1984) travelled in prominent literary circles and corresponded actively with some of the leading Irish authors of the early twentieth century, including James Stephens, Brigid Brophy, Sean O’Casey and Sean O’Faolain. Despite her reputation and a forty-four year publishing career, Hoult’s oeuvre remains surprisingly neglected. This edition seeks to rectify that critical oversight by introducing Hoult’s short story collection ‘Poor Women!’ to a new generation of readers. Hoult is often compared to writers such as Kate O’Brien and Edna O’Brien for her representations of the oppressive facets of Catholicism. Less explored is her engagement with emotional paralysis and her detailed representations of widowhood and urban settings, inviting comparison to literary giants James Joyce and Mary Lavin. These similarities offer venues for further study.
‘This long overdue critical edition of Hoult's Poor Women!, meticulously edited and thoughtfully contextualized, gives scholars of Irish and modern literature a go-to edition of an increasingly important text. The introduction, which situates Hoult's work relative to more established figures in the Irish canon, will be especially helpful for both students and scholars.’ –Dr Nels Pearson, Professor of English and Director of Irish Studies, Fairfield University, USA