Elizabeth Boyle (2)

Even a couple of hours after finishing this book, I honestly can't decide if I think Elizabeth Boyle is brave or foolhardy. It's one thing to write a set of essays which are deeply personal reflections on your life intertwined with observations on the history and literature of early medieval Ireland, and another to publish them knowing that you've got another few decades ahead of you of teaching at the university level and that inevitably some of your students will read what you've written. I wouldn't be keen on standing in front of a lecture hall and looking out at a sea of faces, knowing that they know about the threesomes I've had, or the colour of my pubic hair, or that I'm actively (and it seems unrepentantly?) an alcoholic.

Boyle clearly does academia very differently from me, and truth be told I don't think we'd click should we ever meet. I did, however, find myself admiring the passion that she brings to her scholarship, and the evident deep affection that she has for her subjects. She makes some incisive observations about history, and the past, and memory, and her prose is finely turned without being precious about it. This should appeal to a wide range of readers, and even if you're not overly interested in the Ireland of the Early Middle Ages, you might find yourself enjoying this.

(Minor note: I understand why the publishers probably felt like a cover with late medieval European art/motifs was the way to go in selling this book, but it does feel out of place with a book that largely focuses on the history of Ireland pre-1100.)… (plus d'informations)