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2006 short story collection by Colm Tóibín From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mothers and Sons is a 2006 collection of short stories written by Irish writer Colm Tóibín and published in 2006. The book was published in hardback by Picador, and each of its stories explores an aspect of the mother-son relationship. All take place in contemporary Ireland, except that the last and longest, "A Long Winter", takes place in Catalonia perhaps twenty years after the Spanish Civil War. The stories are as follows:
![]() First edition cover | |
Author | Colm Tóibín |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Novel |
Publisher | Picador |
Publication date | 2006 |
Publication place | Ireland |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
Pages | 256 |
ISBN | 0-330-44182-5 |
OCLC | 75964519 |
823/.914 22 | |
LC Class | PR6070.O455 M68 2006 |
"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"
Some of the stories in Mothers and Sons, like other Tóibín fiction, explore 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 stories appeared in print prior to the book's publication in popular literary periodicals such as The Guardian, The London Review of Books, and The Dublin Review.
Tóibín has spoken about the economic disparity between short story collections and novels, the former being unlikely to fetch as much popular interest, or, therefore, money, which is the reason (or so he says) he writes in the first place.[1]
Upon release, Mothers and Sons was generally well-received. On Bookmarks March/April 2007 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (3.5 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary saying, "In his first short-fiction collection, Colm Tóibín takes a compelling look at the ties that bind".[2]
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