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.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sfBNEqxcTz6YPgMADc46x3-415-80.jpg)
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.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - September 7, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - football widows, meddling kids, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Smoking ban: the return of the nanny state?
Talking Point Starmer's plan to revive Sunak-era war on tobacco has struck an unsettling chord even with some non-smokers
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: September 7, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Peter Godfrey-Smith's 6 favorite books for expanding your mind
Feature The philosopher recommends works by Annie Proulx, Douglas Hofstadter, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Chelsea Bieker's 6 favorite books dramatizing domestic violence's impact
Feature The novelist recommends works by Anna Quindlen, Anita Shreve, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Helen Phillips' 6 favorite books about robotic companions
Feature The novelist recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Jessamine Chan, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Todd May's 6 favorite books that offer philosophical insight
Feature The philosopher recommends works by Virginia Woolf, William Shakespeare, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Lev Grossman's 6 favorite books that explore the Middle Ages
Feature The author recommends works by Dan Jones, T.H. White, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Amy Stewart's 6 favorite books for plant enthusiasts
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Naoko Abe, Ann Patchett, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Peng Shepherd's 6 favorite works with themes of magical realism
Feature The author recommends works by Susanna Clarke, George Saunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Laura van den Berg's 6 favorite books with hidden secrets
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Lockwood, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published