A Flutter Of Wings

by Mervyn Wall, Val Mulkerns (Introduction), Clare Brennan (Illustrator)

"Strange," he said to himself. "I had an idea that Pat's Tommy was dead."
First collected in 1974, the stories in A Flutter of Wings span Mervyn Wall's entire writing career, dating back as far as the 1940s. Told in an easy style, tales such as "They Also Serve . . . " and "Adventure" offer the same satirical sensibilities found in Wall's classic novel The Unfortunate Fursey ; while darker tales such as "Cloonaturk" and "The Demon Angler" are not without a hint of the grimly sardonic. In addition to an introduction by Val Mulkerns and illustrations by Clare Brennan, this new edition boasts the uncollected Jamesian fragment "Extract from an Abandoned Novel", and Wall's early play, Alarm Among the Clerks , a savagely hilarious and ultimately brutal depiction of office life.

222 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Mervyn Wall was born in Dublin in 1908. He attended Belvedere College, a Jesuit school for boys in Dublin, and obtained his B.A. from the National University of Ireland in 1928. He worked in the Irish civil service from 1934-1948 and later for Radio Éireann as Programme Officer. In 1957 he became Secretary of the Arts Council of Ireland, a post he held until his retirement in 1975. Though he published a number of novels, short stories, and plays, Wall is best remembered for his two comic fantasies centering on the medieval monk Fursey, which have been republished several times and praised by critics such as E. F. Bleiler and Darrell Schweitzer. Wall died in 1997.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

First collected in 1974, the stories in A Flutter of Wings span Mervyn Wall's entire writing career, dating back as far as the 1940s. Told in an easy style, tales such as "They Also Serve . . . " and "Adventure" offer the same satirical sensibilities found in Wall's classic novel The Unfortunate Fursey; while darker tales such as "Cloonaturk" and "The Demon Angler" are not without a hint of the grimly sardonic. In addition to an introduction by Val Mulkerns and illustrations by Clare Brennan, this new edition boasts the uncollected Jamesian fragment "Extract from an Abandoned Novel", and Wall's early play, Alarm Among the Clerks, a savagely hilarious and ultimately brutal depiction of office life.

Contents
vii - "Remembering Mervyn" by Val Mulkerns
003 - "They Also Serve . . . "
013 - "Adventure"
026 -"The Hogskin Gloves"
038 - "The Demon Angler"
051 - "Cloonaturk"
067 - "Age Cannot Wither"
076 - "Leo the Lion"
093 - "The Men Who Could Outstare Cobras"
108 - "The Metamorphosis of a Licensed Vintner"
120 - "Extract from an Abandoned Novel"
139 - "Alarm Among the Clerks"
221 - Acknowledgments

Mervyn Wall (1908-1997) was born in Dublin. He was educated in both Ireland and Germany, and obtained his B.A. from the National University of Ireland in 1928. After fourteen years in the Civil Service, he joined Radio Éireann as Programme Officer. In 1957 he became Secretary of the Arts Council of Ireland, retiring in 1975. Known during his lifetime as a broadcaster and critic, he is best remembered for his two satirical fantasies set in medieval Ireland, The Unfortunate Fursey (1946) and The Return of Fursey (1948). His book Leaves for the Burning won Denmark's Best European Novel award in 1952.

This hardcover edition is copy 15 of 100 numbered editions from a total of 300 printed. The book arrived with an envelope containing a numbered postcard of a photograph of Mervyn Wall.

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

такая бодрая, а местами даже потешная Кафка с легкой примесью Фланна О Брайена и толики Чехова. Уолл великолепный, прозрачнейший стилист, даже когда пишет только о конторщиках. ...ну и до чего же приятно знать все те места в Дублине, где происходит действие этих рассказов. а в одном, в сельской глуши возникает неназванный столичный вечно пьяный журналист, и мы даже знаем, кто это.