This Place on Third Avenue: The New York Stories of John McNulty

This wonderful collection of stories was published in 2001;but the stories themselves date back to the 40's in and around an Irish bar at Third Ave and 44th Street in New York.There is an excellent memoir written by his wife,Faith,that runs 30 pages and gives insights into her husband John. John was a writer of renown who wrote for newspapers, magazines and a well known writer for "The New Yorker".He died in 1956 at 64. The stories,twenty-eight in all, took place in and around a bar ,and those who frequented it for a number of years. In this world,everyone is a character,and every character has a story or trait that is there to see and write about,if one only has the powers of observation.There ar zillions of similar bars,not unlike this one,where these sorts of people and things are going on all the time,;and the people probably think there is nothing unusual about it at all.Well,maybe there isn't, it's just life around a bar ,pub,or whatever you want to call a local watering hole. What is unusual is the skill of someone like McNulty to observe and write about it. Though a different cultural background or time period;I am reminded of a couple of New York expressions; " Nobody goes there anymore.It's too crowded." and " "You can see a lot by looking" If you ever wondered what the expression "They're more Irish than the Irish";this little book will explain it to you. Also if you thought "A Made Man " was an Italian expression,well think again.Maybe they got it from the Iris. Then there are words like "gosson" and "omadhaun" sprinkled around;that I've never heard,are not in my Webster's;maybe what I need is an "Irish Street Dictionary". The book is written is the simplest,descriptive language the Irish are so good at.This isn't the stuff of Joyce,Shaw,Beckett,or even Wilde;but more akin to Roddy Doyle,Frank McCourt and Brendan O'carroll so is relaxing reading. The thing that surprises me most about this book is--Although McNulty was before my time and I had not heard of him before;I'm really surprised that I am the first to post a review on this book. If you enjoy the way the Irish have with language,you'll find terrific lines like this throughout. "Those fellers would spend thousands of dollars if it wasn't for they haven't even a quarter.Only two nickles.Never mind why I done it." "A guy like Grady,how you going to understand him without knowing him first?" and "Nobody's going to tell me take it easy,I know what I'm doing,I know what I'm doing." I certainly plan to read more of McNulty's great stories. PS I forgot to mention that John's wife Faith,was also a well known writer. As I read this book,little did I realize that I had read one of her books many years ago.She wrote mainly nature things for children and youth;but I have "The Whooping Crane" A fight against extintion,published in 1967 and it was a very important look at the Whooping Crane and very astute as well as ahead of its time in deali