Christy Brown is best known for his autobiographical novel Down All the Days (1970), a work which reflects the influence of Thomas Wolfe and, closer to Brown's milieu, James Joyce. It is a powerful book, and its drama is all the more compelling because of what Brown had to accomplish to write it. He was born, and remained all of his life, almost completely paralyzed by cerebral palsy.

Brown first received notice in 1954 with the publication of My Left Foot, a straightforward, concise account of his early life and his persistent struggle to function in spite of his handicap. In addition to Down All the Days, Brown wrote two other novels, A Shadow on Summer (1974) and Wild Grow the Lilies (1976), neither of which received the critical acclaim that accompanied Down All the Days. He also had three volumes of poetry published: Come Softly to My Wake (1971), Background Music (1973), and...