"First Confession" Part 1 of 2, by Frank O'Connor (story reading)

I wasn't going to put this up but I was persuaded by my wife and a couple of friends. If you read it or listen you'll never forget it.

If you want to learn how to write a short story, you could do worse than use this as a model. However hard you try, you'll probably never do as well. I find the lesson in human empathy of more value than that in storytelling.

"Caffler" is slang from Cork in Ireland where Frank was born and raised. It means according to www.corkslang.com - and I'm not a man to be pulling your leg, there is indeed a site with that name - "a young rogue, an impish, saucy young fellow, an impertinent boy."

If you go to www.corkslang.com you can learn what "feck" means and how to play it, and it seems easy enough if you're not an "ownshuck" and have the "spondulicks".

The first time I read this story a long time ago I'm sure there were more gory details about the murder but they seem to have vanished. I think that it might have been in the third person, too. Anyway it made a great impression on me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_O'Connor

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• First
• Confession
• Frank
• O'Connor

[McDonnellWrite]

This is so great. O'Connor is so good at characterization.

[boindeas]

Love!!

[thallassocracy]

Thank you - I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Frank O'Connor.

Overall I slightly prefer the darker imagination of (say) Caradoc Evans, but it is wonderful to see how O'Connor can describe gratuitous meanspiritedness while never losing his own genial vision.

I'm glad you let yourself be talked into posting this. I'd be even gladder if you posted more short proseworks.

[bellrope]

Hurry up and give us the rest please. So far it has me spellbound...