Ireland's Women: Writings Past and Present

i ordered this book to supplement studies on gender issues in modern and contemporary irish literature... the book includes a variety of excerpts from some of the best authors (both male and female), none of which are taken out of the context in which they were originally intended. taking an interest in both the irish woman's self-image as represented by numerous female authors and poets, as well as the male conception of the female in the context of irish fiction, the collection is comprehensive and enjoyable to read outside of scholarly research and observation. the only lingering question in my mind remains the editors' abilities to discern some image of womanhood outside of the context of manhood, which they seem to take for granted, thus further dichotemizing the issue they seem to desire to shed light on... that said, i really enjoyed the collection, and the variety and openmindedness with which they gathered the excerpts.