Gabriel Byrne's 6 favorite books with memorable characters
The screen and stage actor recommends works by Robert Louis Stevenson, Howard Zinn, and more

Gabriel Byrne, the celebrated Irish-born screen and stage actor, will be appearing on Broadway this month in Walking With Ghosts, an acclaimed one-man show based on his recent memoir of the same name.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
A classic that depicts an ordered universe — despite the threat of the weasels in the Wild Wood. Love, home, and community are what matter most, and Mr. Toad, one of the book's numerous nonhuman characters, learns that the pursuit of material things is a hollow ambition. Buy it here.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
A young man begins a life of adventure in the world of adults on the sea, and is befriended by one of the most charismatic characters in all literature, the pirate Long John Silver — a villain drawn with humor and humanity by Robert Louis Stevenson. Jim Hawkins is the hero in all of us. Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1615)
My introduction to Spanish literature at university. Don Quixote is full of pathos, wit, and comedy, and anticipates the language of cinema: the road journey, the mismatched duo, flashbacks, and a sympathetic hero overcoming obstacles in pursuit of a dream. Buy it here.
Strumpet City by James Plunkett (1969)
Set in Dublin in 1913, when the city's trade unionist workers demanded better working conditions and were locked out by its biggest employers, Plunkett's sweeping historical novel is written with compassion and a restrained rage, bringing together a broad cast of characters while illuminating a deeply unjust economic system. Buy it here.
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn (1980)
What passes for history is often mythology, in which complexities are reduced to a simplistic narrative of heroes and villains. A truthful rendering of the past is essential for an understanding of the present, and this volume tells the story of America from the point of view of its people. Buy it here.
At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien (1939)
This metafictional novel, widely considered O'Brien's masterpiece, brilliantly mixes philosophy and surrealism, delighting in the subversion of language into hilarious narrative. With James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, O'Brien forms the holy trinity of great Irish writers. Buy it here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Thomas Mallon's 6 favorite books from the 80's and early 90's
Feature The author recommends works by James Merrill, Calvin Trillin, and more
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Andrea Long Chu's 6 favorite books for people who crave new ideas
Feature The book critic recommends works by Rachel Cusk, Sigmund Freud, and more
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more