{"title":"Fintan O'Toole","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to our Fintan O'Toole collection, where you'll find an array of works by one of Ireland's most esteemed writers and cultural commentators. Whether you are a fan of literature, politics, or history, O'Toole's books offer insightful perspectives that will captivate and inform.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDelve into the world of \u003cem\u003eShakespeare\u003c\/em\u003e with O'Toole's \u003cem\u003eShakespeare is Hard, but so is Life\u003c\/em\u003e. This book explores the complexities and enduring relevance of Shakespeare's work in our modern lives. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of arts and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor those keen on understanding contemporary politics, \u003cem\u003eThree Years in Hell\u003c\/em\u003e provides a compelling analysis of the political turmoil in recent history. O'Toole's incisive observations will engage readers who are passionate about current affairs and political discourse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExplore Ireland's rich and intricate past with \u003cem\u003eWe Don't Know Ourselves\u003c\/em\u003e. This book delves into the nation's history, offering readers an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of its cultural and social evolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFintan O'Toole's works are essential for anyone who loves a deep dive into the intricate tapestry of arts, culture, and politics. Browse our selection and discover the captivating narratives and sharp commentary that O'Toole is celebrated for.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"shakespeare-is-hard-but-so-is-life-by-fintan-otoole-9781035908738","title":"Shakespeare is Hard, but so is Life","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe works of Shakespeare have become staples of literature. They are everywhere, from our early schooling to the lecture rooms of academia, from classic theatre to modern adaptations on stage and screen. But how well do we really know his plays?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this witty, iconoclastic book, the bestselling author Fintan O’Toole examines four of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedies: \u003ci\u003eHamlet\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMacbeth\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOthello\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKing Lear\u003c\/i\u003e. He shows how their tragic heroes have been over-simplified and moulded to fit restrictive, conservative values, and restores the true heart and spirit of the classics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI've never read a book like this before: it's challenging, irreverent and funny.\u003c\/i\u003e — Roddy Doyle\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45915897594092,"sku":"9781035908738","price":26.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781035908738.jpg?v=1732135819"},{"product_id":"we-dont-know-ourselves-by-fintan-otoole-9781784978341","title":"We Don't Know Ourselves","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe #1 \u003ci\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWINNER of the An Post Irish Book Awards\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A clear-eyed, myth-dispelling masterpiece' \u003cb\u003eMarian Keyes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Sweeping, authoritative and profoundly intelligent' \u003cb\u003eColm Tóibín, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'With the pace and twists of an enthralling novel' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Evocative, moving, funny and furious' \u003cb\u003eDominic Sandbrook, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'An enthralling, panoramic book' \u003cb\u003ePatrick Radden Keefe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A book that will remain important for a very long time' \u003cb\u003eAn Post Irish Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe Don't Know Ourselves\u003c\/i\u003e is a very personal vision of recent Irish history from the year of O'Toole's birth, 1958, down to the present. Ireland has changed almost out of recognition during those decades, and Fintan O'Toole's life coincides with that arc of transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is a brilliant interweaving of memories (though this is emphatically not a memoir) and engrossing social and historical narrative. This was the era of Eamon de Valera, Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey and John Charles McQuaid, of sectarian civil war in the North and the Pope's triumphant visit in 1979, but also of those who began to speak out against the ruling consensus – feminists, advocates for the rights of children, gay men and women coming out of the shadows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe Don't Know Ourselves\u003c\/i\u003e is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand modern Ireland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46835239321836,"sku":"9781784978341","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14398243482823.jpg?v=1758540618"},{"product_id":"three-years-in-hell-by-fintan-otoole-9781838935214","title":"Three Years in Hell","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThree Years in Hell\u003c\/em\u003e chronicles a tumultuous period in the British Isles, authored by the bestselling writer of \u003cem\u003eHeroic Failure\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2011, Queen Elizabeth made her first-ever state visit to the Irish Republic. It was a significant and moving occasion. By settling its relationship with Ireland, Britain also aimed to settle its relationship with the rest of the world, positioning itself as a normal, equal democracy. However, this newfound understanding was not to last.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThen came the 2016 referendum, marking the beginning of the events detailed in \u003cem\u003eThree Years in Hell\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46851740860652,"sku":"9781838935214","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/20336963482842.jpg?v=1759123159"},{"product_id":"shakespeare-is-hard-but-so-is-life-by-fintan-otoole-9781035908707","title":"Shakespeare is Hard, but so is Life","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe works of Shakespeare have become staples of literature. They are everywhere, from our early schooling to the lecture rooms of academia, from classic theatre to modern adaptations on stage and screen. But how well do we really know his plays?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this witty, iconoclastic book, the bestselling author Fintan O’Toole examines four of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedies: \u003ci\u003eHamlet\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMacbeth\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOthello\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eKing Lear\u003c\/i\u003e. He shows how their tragic heroes have been over-simplified and moulded to fit restrictive, conservative values, and restores the true heart and spirit of the classics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'I've never read a book like this before: it's challenging, irreverent and funny.'\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRoddy Doyle\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853544542444,"sku":"9781035908707","price":54.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22607833482556.jpg?v=1759208032"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/fintan-otoole.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}