Reading order#
| # |
Title |
Published |
Author |
Buy on Amazon |
| 1 |
Shovel Kings |
2009 |
Edna O’Brien |
Buy |
| 2 |
Joyce’s Women |
2022 |
Edna O’Brien |
Buy |
These individual novellas and short stories represent standalone publications outside O’Brien’s collected volumes. Shovel Kings (2009) examines the lives of Irish laborers in London, a community O’Brien observed firsthand during her decades living in England.
Joyce’s Women (2022), one of her final publications, returns to a lifelong preoccupation — the work of James Joyce and the women who orbited his life. O’Brien had already written a biography of Joyce for the Penguin Lives series, and this late novella brought a more personal, fictional lens to the subject.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the Edna O’Brien Short Stories/Novellas series?
There are two books in the Edna O’Brien Short Stories/Novellas series, published between 2009 and 2022.
What is the first book in the Edna O’Brien Short Stories/Novellas series?
The first book in the Edna O’Brien Short Stories/Novellas series is Shovel Kings, published in 2009.
What is Joyce's Women about?
Joyce’s Women (2022) is one of O’Brien’s final works, exploring the women in James Joyce’s life and fiction. Given O’Brien’s lifelong engagement with Joyce’s work — she wrote a biography of him for the Penguin Lives series — this novella brings a personal and literary perspective to the women who shaped and were shaped by Joyce.