<p>The most generous one-volume collection ever published of short stories, autobiographical writings,poetry, and essays by the writer Yeats called &#8220;Ireland&#8217;s Chekhov.&#8221;<br><br>Selected and arranged thematically by Julian Barnes, the rich mix of writings in <i>The Best of Frank O&#8217;Connor </i>starts off with his most famous short story, &#8220;Guests of the Nation,&#8221; set during the Irish War of Independence; chronicles his childhood with an alcoholic father and protective mother; and traces his literary influences in brilliant essays on Joyce and Yeats. O&#8217;Connor&#8217;s wonderfully polyphonic tales of family, friendship, and rivalry are set beside those that bring to life forgotten souls on the fringes of society. O&#8217;Connor&#8217;s writings about Ireland vividly evoke the land he called home, while other stories probe the hardships and rewards of Irish emigration. Finally, we see O&#8217;Connor grappling, in both fiction and memoir, with the largest questions of religion and belief.<br><br><i>The Best of Frank O&#8217;Connor </i>is a literary monument to a truly great writer.</p>