Product Description
Emerald Spirit - David Stang
Subtitled “A Journey into the Irish Heart and Soul”, David Stang gives us an outsider’s view of the Irish and the way in which they interact with the world. An Irish-American who now spends part of each year in Kerry, Stang has spent some years observing our attitudes to authority, to religion, to the world of fairies, ghosts and other unworldly creatures. He defines the monocosmic world in which those who have gone before us remain part of our lives and account for many of the stories of hauntings, of old houses being left standing, of the careful avoidance of “fairy forts” in a farmer’s field. Stang also comments on the Irish trait, so confusing to visitors, of always telling them what he believes they want to hear, regardless of the truth. This is contained in one of the more interesting chapters which touches on blow-ins, derogatory terms and the tenet that “In Ireland a humble request is far more powerful than a direct command”. He is particularly good on the tribunals, and on the way in which James Gogarty became a cult figure because “he took on the legal and judicial establishments and made them look like they weren’t as smart as they thought”. It is always interesting, though not always pleasant, to see ourselves as others see us; while we may not agree with all of David Stang’s observations, he has couched them in a conciliatory and friendly fashion at which it would be churlish to take offence.
All of our books are second hand, and while you may not get the exact copy shown in the picture, all of our books are in very good condition. Removing stickers from a book may damage it, so we refrain from doing so. If you see a price sticker on a book, please ignore it.