The Crock of Gold
“Gerry O’Brien brings a pleasant, slightly scratchy voice and a soft Irish accent to Stephens’s fantasy…The tone and mood vary greatly in this disjointed work, but O’Brien matches and expresses them throughout. He takes advantage of the opportunities to act, adding emphasis, even passion where the story calls for it, without exaggeration or showiness. He also heightens slightly the Irish accents of the dialogue as compared to the narrative. As important as his acting skill is, his good-natured, thoughtful, and amiable manner makes him a fine companion for Stephens’s comically philosophical musing, and amusing, ramble.”
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One of the great novels in the Irish comic tradition
The Crock of Gold, first published in 1912, consists of six parts. Bringing together pagan gods, policemen, prisoners, leprechauns, and animals, the narrative concerns a philosopher and his quest to find the most beautiful woman in the world, Cáitilin Ni Murrachu, who has been abducted by the god Pan.
His journey takes him from dark forests to the spectacular heights of pagan gods, as he experiences encounters that will change him forever.
With its unique combination of philosophy and Irish folklore, The Crock of Gold is full of humor, its central themes including the battle of the sexes and the difference between men and women.
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