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Rating: 
Summary: a middlebrow revisionist
Review: ... Ireland is a fine place to live. The major reason for Irish emigration was economic. Since the country has experienced a growth rate touching ten percent for the last ten years, people are falling over themselves to live there. It is a relatively liberal place which does not have the death penalty, does not arm its children, does not teach creationism in the classroom, and is not racially segregated. Also, unlike the United States, it is not an insular, anonymous, car-dependent, advertisement-saturated culture where one drifts from one processed, corporate-inspired ghost-experience to another. With the possible exceptions of New York and San Fransisco, there is no reason to live in the States beyond financial gain (I admit that's a pretty good reason.)
Waters is an example of Ireland's highly self-critical culture, a culture typical of successful postcolonial states (like Canada and Australia.) In Ireland to be an 'intellectual' is to be critical of the culture. After achieving independence, economic stagnation and proximity to the imperial power (Britain), encouraged feelings of provincialism and self-hatred, the idea that 'things must be better elsewhere'. During this period, one might say that "every foreigner was a distinguished foreigner." Conversely, what was local could not be good, could not measure up on the world-stage. This lack of confidence has mostly evaporated but intellectual culture changes more slowly than popular culture. As in 'Jiving At The Crossroads', Waters is sharp enough to register these shifts ... Yet, as 'Angela's Ashes' shows, there's still lots of money to be made knocking over straw leprechauns.
Rating:
Summary: a middlebrow revisionist
Review: I fled Ireland almost two decades ago. I've spent the time since then recovering from growing up there.Among other things, I've decided that Irish people are mostly driven to despair by the local weather and religion, and they self-medicate on alcohol. This book makes that point clearly and well. Other points made by the book concern the Irish media elite (they despise other Irish, but aren't honest enough to simply leave the country), the Catholic hierarchy and its hypocrisy (especially the ex-Bishop of Galway), increasing Irish dependence on other countries - especially for food. And so on. I enjoyed this book immensely. It confirmed the good sense in my decision to emigrate.
Rating: 
Summary: Alcoholic Nation
Review: I fled Ireland almost two decades ago. I've spent the time since then recovering from growing up there. Among other things, I've decided that Irish people are mostly driven to despair by the local weather and religion, and they self-medicate on alcohol. This book makes that point clearly and well. Other points made by the book concern the Irish media elite (they despise other Irish, but aren't honest enough to simply leave the country), the Catholic hierarchy and its hypocrisy (especially the ex-Bishop of Galway), increasing Irish dependence on other countries - especially for food. And so on. I enjoyed this book immensely. It confirmed the good sense in my decision to emigrate.
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