Jamie O’Neill, 2001, 572 p.
I read the first chapter and quit. The book is probably pretty good, but it’s too dialectic which means too much work for me. I struggled through enough dreadful James Joycean interpretation in college.
Here are some words or phrases I found in Chapter 1 which I had to reread and think about: thoolmawn, choky, “me fond segotia,” peelers, skite, slavey, mochas.
Perhaps I can offer my services as an Irish to American English translator!
Hmmm. I was curious about this book–mainly because of the title, which I think is great. But now I think I’ll skip it. I don’t like having to work too hard at reading. And those examples you provide: yeesh! Not that I know anything, but too much of the dialect-y stuff takes away from the story, for me, anyway. I’d have to google “me fond segotia” and then get mad when I couldn’t find anything. Thanks for giving this a shot so I don’t have to!
By: JD at I Do Things on February 12, 2008
at 1:19 am
Hi JD!
I think “me fond segotia” means “my dear friend,” but don’t quote me on this.
By: chartroose on February 12, 2008
at 6:44 pm