In this excellent collection of
More Irish Short Stories
, John B. Keane is as entertaining as ever with his humorous insights into the lives of his fellow countrymen.
Few will be able to resist a chuckle at the innocence of bachelor Willie Ramley seeking a 'Guaranteed Pure' bride in Ireland; the preoccupations of the corpse dresser Dousie O'Dea who felt that 'her life's work was complete.
For one man she had brought the dead to life. For this, in itself, she would be remembered beyond the grave'; at the concern of Timmy Binn and his friends for 'the custom to exhaust every other topic before asking the reason behind any visit'; the intriguing birth of Fred Rimble and 'the man who killed the best friend he ever had'.