The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer

by Charles Lever

1840

This story involves a dashing young British Army officer, who is transferred to Cork with his regiment. While there, he undergoes what Lever calls "a mass of incongruous adventures"; or, to put it in the words of the hero of the story: "Such was our life in Cork-dining, drinking, dancing, riding steeplechases, pigeon shooting, and tandem driving-filling up any little interval that was found to exist between a late breakfast, and the time to dress for dinner ..." The book is filled with hilarious stories and anecdotes, and all sorts of interesting Irish characters-including some penetrating sketches of Catholic clerical life. In the later part of the book, the story ventures to Europe where the reader meet Arthur O'Leary, who becomes a main character in a later volume.--Goodreads.