1800s
2 books
- You get a sly, wonderfully odd history of an Irish estate from Thady Quirk, whose loyal, half-understood commentary says more than he realizes. The footnotes and old legal language make it feel like a story being handed down at the kitchen table, funny until the damage underneath shows.
- Honestly, this is one for the curious more than the pleasure reader: Columbus in prison, shown visions of America's future by the spirit Hesper, in endless stately couplets. If you like watching a young country strain for its own Homer, it's a fascinating slog.