September 26th, 2006
“In South Africa, she’s as famous as De Valera”
Over the weekend, I’ve had my head stuck in Edna O’Brien’s new novel The Light of Evening.
As usual with her work, it’s beautifully written, but there’s something else; a vibrancy and warmth, that’s not as close to the surface in her other novels, In the Forest and Down by The River. I read The Country Girls trilogy in my twenties, even three decades later marvelling at the frank manner O’Brien addressed women’s lives and sexuality. The pages of her new book pulse with life, possibly because it could nearly have been a memoir, as so much of it is based on her mother’s experience as a domestic servant in Brooklyn. O’Brien’s work has always delved into relationships, particularly those between women, and there is none more complex than the one between mother and daughter (in the book the daughter, Eleanora, is a writer, mother of two children and in a troubled marriage; the mother, dying in a Dublin hospital).
Time permitting, a review will be forthcoming here, but in the meantime, Edna was a guest on Pat Kenny this morning. She spoke about the book, and by extension, at length about her mother, in a moving interview. Despite a small book burning of The Country Girls outside a local Clare Chapel in 1960, her mother still defended her daughter against her detractors. Asked if her mother was proud of her, O’Brien tells a wonderful story of when, in later life, Mrs O’Brien Snr ran a B&B, a South African gentleman inquired as to who the photo of the flame-haired woman on the wall was. Her mother replied that it was her daughter Edna, who was a writer. Realising at once who she was, the guest replied;
“In South Africa, she’s as famous as De Valera”.
To listen to the interview, click here and forward on to 1 hour, 8 minutes, 50ish seconds.
Edna also mentioned that she’s doing various book signings (Waterstones, Eason’s) but I couldn’t find the details online. If anyone knows of any, feel free to post them in the comments section.
September 26th, 2006 at 6:33 pm
” I read The Country Girls trilogy in my twenties, even three decades later marvelling at the frank manner O’Brien addressed women’s lives and sexuality”
Are you in your 50s? I ask this even though I think I know you’re not.
But you’d be the coolest middle aged Irish woman alive if you were.
September 26th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Somewhere in that word fuddle, I meant to infer that I read it in the 1990s - when I was in my twenties - three decades after it was published. That’s what working like a lunatic since early morning and dashing out to the hospital every evening does to a girl.
Actually that could probably your life too, eh? You’re not by any chance based in St. James’ are you?
And if fiftysomething women liked Viva Voce and DJ Shadow the world would certainly be a better place.
September 26th, 2006 at 7:14 pm
And auds, if you get out of junior doctor hell, don’t forget that Kelley Stoltz is playing tomorrow night in Crawdaddy.
September 27th, 2006 at 7:58 am
I’ve only ever read her In The Forest, which I didn’t like. But I have heard many good reviews of her other works, so at some stage I’m sure I’ll try again.
September 27th, 2006 at 8:40 am
Hi Sinead, I heard that the book was launched around 2 weeks ago in the writers centre but she may be referring to casual signings where the author tours the city centre bookshops and signs whatever is on hand in the shops, I know she was due into Waterstones yesterday, Tuesday, so there may be signes copies there. Thinking of you, Dx.
September 27th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Fence, I struggled a bit with In the Forest. I was also talking to a friend at the weekend who’s a big reader and she said that she didn’t like either In The Forest or Down by the River (can’t remember which). While it has probably dated, Country Girls was considered quite seminal at the time. O’Brien’s short stories are fantastic, the most recent one I read was in Cutting the Night in Two, an anthology of short stories by Irish women. She writes the odd article for the Guardian Review section that are always worth a read. I mentioned the one on Beckett earlier this year, which I’d recommend.
September 30th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Wasn’t at Kelley Stoltz because I was, well, in the other place you mention.