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John Millington Synge, an Irish poet and playwright, presents an excellent collection of 3 different travelogues from the early 1900s, covering 3 distinct regions of Ireland. His work on the Aran Islands is more renowned and widely read. However, I found this particular collection even more captivating. The diversity in his travels, the various locales he visited, and the communities he interacted with add a rich dimension to the book. Synge has an extraordinary ability to notice details that bring vivid and specific scenes to life. His ear for capturing conversations and the uniquely Irish turns of phrases is unrivaled. He appears as a "character" in the book, yet he remains unobtrusive, curious, respectful, and great company. The best aspect of this book is Synge's clear and respectful portrayal of traditional life on the rural West Coast in Gaeltacht Ireland before modernity encroached. It's almost like anthropology, written with a poet's敏锐 eye and a playwright's sense of scene-building. I purchased this book at the oldest bookstore in Galway and I'm truly glad to have discovered it.
