Since my Irish has been very slowy improving, I have decided to take the great plunge and actually read a book in Irish.
The thing is I don't know what book to read...
So I though maybe someone here would have an idea.

couple of criteria:
- above 500p. might be a little too much
- rather not a translation of a book originally written in another language (unless the translation is very good)
- even though I can read Lughaidh's posts: rather not written in an Irish that is too far from standard (unless it is close to Cois Fhairrge Irish)

As for my taste, here is a couple of authors/books I really enjoyed in English:
- Mervyn Peake (The Gormenghast trilogy)
- Virginia Woolf
- Oscar Wilde
- Mary Renault (The king must die)
- John Fowles (The French lieutenant's woman)
- T. H. White (The once and future king)
… SciFi/Fantasy:
- Dan Simmons
- Jack Vance (Lyoness)
- Marion Zimmer Bradley
- Tolkien
- Orson Scott Card

Any suggestion?

Not easy to match!

Perhaps one of Joe Steve Ó Neachtains novels:

I enjoyed this one:
http://www.litriocht.com/shop/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=317 0

The only sci-fi I know of by Iarla Mac Aodha Bhuí
http://www.litriocht.com/shop/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=118 0

http://www.litriocht.com/shop/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=177 6

http://www.litriocht.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1264

But they are novellas, and directed more towards teenagers. I enjoyed the ones I read, though.

I like Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé's novels - but he writes Corca Dhuibhne Irish:
http://www.litriocht.com/shop/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=274 2

Thanks Aonghus!

I must confess I'm a little prejudiced against directed-towards-teenagers novel(la)s.

Shame on me, I forgot to add to the list:
- Winnie-the-Pooh (!)
- Alice (!)

Max,

Years ago I had 6 weeks to polish my French enough to pass my grad school language requirement, and I spent the summer reading Camus', "The Stranger". I did this by keeping the English translation at hand to make cross references whenever I got stuck. It worked. I passed the exam.

Today I do the same thing with English and Irish versions of the Bible.

Regarding Camus and "The Stranger," the simplicity of his French probably makes it an ideal tool if you can find it as Gaeilige.

Is cosúil gur fearr le daoine úrscéalta ná gearrscéalta, ach níl aon chaill ar ghearrscéalta mar litríocht. Is maith an lón léitheoireachta don fhoghlaimeoir cnuasach maith gearrscéalta.

Agus is maith liom dramaí a léamh. Mholfainn duit Banríon Álainn an Líonáin le Martin McDonagh, arna aistriú go Gaeilge (Gaeilge Chonamara) ag Micheál Ó Conghaile, a bhfuil an teanga ó dhúchas aige. Níl ann ach comhrá, ar ndóigh, agus tá sé blasta, nádúrtha, simplí.

Seo ceann eile: Cosa Nite le Darach Ó Scolaí, novella (61 leathanach). "Scéal dubh dorcha lán le greann agus aicsean..." a deir an clúdach. Ar ghearrscannán den teideal céanna a bunaíodh an t-úrscéal gairid seo. Agus ní do dhéagóirí ná d'fhoghlaimeoirí fásta a scríobhadh an ceann seo!

As a fellow Mary Renault fan, you might want to join me in reading “An Odaisé “ ,Aistritheoir; Monsignor Pádraig de Brún Ciarán Ó Coigligh
Brollach le Máire Mhac an tSaoi
Coiscéim


Also, wouldn’t you want the safety net of an English translation?

Micheál Ó Conaola who is printed by Cló Iar Chonnacht writes Conamara Irish with some English words.
An Fear a Phléasc or Mac an tSagairt are two of his books in print. I went to Col. Éinde, Bóthar na Trá ,Gaillimh to secondary school with him and we were in the same class for all through secondary school.Is Gaeilgeoir den scoth é agus tá sé éasca a leabhair a léamh.

>>wouldn’t you want the safety net of an English translation?

I am more of a dictionary guy. To have a translation close at hand would make it, I am afraid, too much easier on me. I don't want to read something too complicated ("An Odaisé" might be too much of a challenge here) but I know I have to toil if I want the language to impress on me.

I first started reading in English some years ago now. My first book(s) was(were) the Avalon trilogy, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I remember I used to spend twice as much time looking up the dictionary as actually reading. But the efforts have paid off, and I now need the dictionanry practically as little as I need it when I read in French. (The 1,500 first pages are the hardest, I know... then it goes smoother)


Thanks everyone for the advice. Keep advicing, I haven't settled my choice yet.