A Great Night of Reading

Yeah, so, my back is aching now, isn't it? Stayed up until 2:00 in the morning reading 1921: The Great Novel of the Irish Civil War by Morgan Llywelyn. Title's a bit cheeky, but it was a fascinating read. I'm familiar with the story of the founding of the Republic, but this was a more-than-worthy successor to 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion, Llywelyn's first novel of the "Irish Century." I know it's a fictionalized history, and I also know that Morgan Llywelyn is an Irish sympathizer (actually, she's now an Irish citizen and lives in Dublin), but still, it's a tragic story that seems nearly impossible to the modern understanding.

Anyway, my back is aching because I usually read for 30 minutes or so lying on my stomach in bed before turning out the booklight, rolling over, and falling instantly into sleep. Didn't happen last night: waiting to hear how the book told the story of Mick Collins and the end of stage one of the war for the Republic was just gripping. I should've gotten up, gone downstairs and curled up in the easy chair to finish it. Regardless, it was a great night - stories like this are what keep me reading. If you're at all interested in modern Irish history, I'd suggest this book - it's quite the page-turner.

Pax,
Scott