By Karlie Shoffner
March 17 is Saint Patrick’s Day, a holiday whose roots go back to Ireland. To celebrate, here are four classic Irish authors you should read to get into the spirit of the holiday.
Bram Stoker
Though he wrote several other novels in his lifetime, Stoker is best known for writing Dracula. One of the most well-known horror novels, Dracula is the story of a Transylvanian vampire named Count Dracula who tries to move to England so that he may have fresh blood and take over the land. His plans are put to an end by a group of heroic friends who have all been affected by Dracula. The popularity of Dracula still remains strong today and is considered a must-read for horror lovers.
Oscar Wilde
Though Wilde mainly wrote dramas and poetry, he is widely known for his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The story focuses on a man who physically does not age, and instead, his changing features are placed on a portrait. The novel features Gothic elements and provides commentary on the consequences of living a decadent life.
James Joyce
Joyce wrote a variety of novels known for their experimentalist style. His best-known work is Ulysses, a novel that is known for being quite difficult to read. Much of the novel is written in the stream-of-consciousness style where thoughts are written as the character thinks them, sometimes causing sentences to be only half of a thought or interrupted by other new thoughts. The novel is considered a modern-day counterpart to The Odyssey.
W.B. Yeats
Yeats was best known for his works of poetry, including collections like The Wind Among the Reeds. His work is centralized around his own thoughts and dreams, and also includes elements of Irish folklore. Often his work is said to have a dreamlike quality to it. He also wrote drama and prose, but it is his poetry that is best known. In 1923, he received the Nobel Prize, and he is often cited as being one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.
These four writers each stand out in their own way. Each has left their own mark on the rich history of Irish literature.
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