Mothers and Sons
Encyclopedia
Mothers and Sons is a collection of short stories written by Irish
writer Colm Tóibín
and published in 2006. The book was published in hardback by Picador
, and features nine stories, each of which explores an aspect of the mother-son relationship. The nine stories are as follows:
Mothers and Sons, like other Tóibín fiction, explores homosexuality in Ireland. In addition to mother-son relationships, Tóibín considers gayness alongside Catholicism, and how the two can be compatible in an Irish context.
Most of the nine stories appeared in print elsewhere prior to the book's publication in popular literary periodicals like The Guardian, The London Review of Books, and The Dublin Review.
Tóibín has spoken out about the economic disparity between short story collections and novels, the former being not likely to fetch as much popular interest, or, therefore, money, which is the reason (or so he says) he writes in the first place.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
writer Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín
Colm Tóibín is a multi-award-winning Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet.Tóibín is Leonard Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University in New Jersey and succeeded Martin Amis as professor of creative writing at the...
and published in 2006. The book was published in hardback by Picador
Picador (imprint)
Picador is an imprint of Pan Macmillan in the United Kingdom and Australia and of Macmillan Publishing in the United States. Both companies are owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group....
, and features nine stories, each of which explores an aspect of the mother-son relationship. The nine stories are as follows:
- The Use of Reason
- A Song
- The Name of the Game
- Famous Blue Raincoat
- A Priest in the Family
- A Journey
- Three Friends
- A Summer Job
- A Long Winter
Mothers and Sons, like other Tóibín fiction, explores homosexuality in Ireland. In addition to mother-son relationships, Tóibín considers gayness alongside Catholicism, and how the two can be compatible in an Irish context.
Most of the nine stories appeared in print elsewhere prior to the book's publication in popular literary periodicals like The Guardian, The London Review of Books, and The Dublin Review.
Tóibín has spoken out about the economic disparity between short story collections and novels, the former being not likely to fetch as much popular interest, or, therefore, money, which is the reason (or so he says) he writes in the first place.