In an article for The Irish Times, McCann says his book asks, "What does it mean to love someone today? To be a gay person? To be Irish?" He goes on tIn an article for The Irish Times, McCann says his book asks, "What does it mean to love someone today? To be a gay person? To be Irish?" He goes on to say, "The visual settings of many of the poems are domestic, and render portraits of a queer domestic space (in Ireland) as a space of interest." These concerns are evident in a collection of poems marked by its lyricism, empathy, and tenderness. McCann revitalises the tradition of the lyric love poem, reflecting not just on romantic love, but on parental love, friendship, and love for non-human animals. McCann's poems are meticulously structured, which gives them energy and power. 'Devotion' also contains a response to the famous "Keen for Art Uí Laoghaire" by Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill -- in this case, reimagined in a modern Irish setting, and describing a relationship between two men. By repositioning Ní Chonaill's poem, McCann gives the reader a sense of the universality of love and grief, while also exploring the particularly of a relationship that ended due to a violent crime. McCann's poems are marked by his fierce attention to everyday spaces, and by his sinuous, agile language. His is clearly an important voice in Irish poetry. ...more
Annemarie Ní Churreáin writes with such empathy and tenderness in this pamphlet of poems about the Stranorlar mother-and-baby home. The poems are inteAnnemarie Ní Churreáin writes with such empathy and tenderness in this pamphlet of poems about the Stranorlar mother-and-baby home. The poems are intercut with reports on the home, and quotations from people who lived there. This grounds the poems in the day-to-day reality of the home, and gives Ní Churreáin space to write about the women who were there in lush, expansive and imaginative poems. An important and memorable work. ...more
A brilliant follow-up to Kennefick's unforgettable first collection, Eat or We Both Starve. Kennefick's poetry is expansive and energetic, and alive wA brilliant follow-up to Kennefick's unforgettable first collection, Eat or We Both Starve. Kennefick's poetry is expansive and energetic, and alive with surprising images. This whole book is a virtuoso performance, full of long sinuous poems and astute, taut observations. The first half of the collection, 'Egg,' looks at motherhood and secondary infertility, examining miscarriage, heartbreak, and the expectations we have for ourselves and that others have for us. The 'egg', both a hen's egg and a human's egg, is an important image throughout this section, as Kennefick uses a study of swans, incubation and details of eggs as objects, food, and life, to explore infertility and the sense of being trapped and locked in due to grief and unfulfilled hopes. The second half of the collection, 'shell,' explores a partner's transition and a subsequent marriage break-up. Kennefick writes about her former partner's experiences with tenderness and empathy, as well as a wry humour. In a world where trans people are treated with hostility, Kennefick's poems give a much-needed account of empathy, love and acceptance. Kennefick writes of the loss she feels about the end of her marriage, but also writes with clarity and generosity, such as in her poem, 'To The Swan That Has Fallen in Love With a Pedalboat':
I wintered with a man-shape, beautiful girl hidden inside, steering away, screaming, and I didn't hear a thing. ...more
A quick read, very competently written stories, and all of a good length. However, none of these stories really moved me emotionally, or engaged me: IA quick read, very competently written stories, and all of a good length. However, none of these stories really moved me emotionally, or engaged me: I did not feel anything for any of the characters. It's one of those times when I wonder if it's the author's fault, or if I'm not the right reader. ...more
Katherine O'Dell comes from a family of actors, and appears on the stage from a young age. Her first major role lands her a part on Broadway, and she Katherine O'Dell comes from a family of actors, and appears on the stage from a young age. Her first major role lands her a part on Broadway, and she seems primed for stardom, but she ends up returning to Ireland of the 1950s with an illegitimate daughter and a sense of disappointment and betrayal. Actress is written from the perspective of her daughter, Norah, decades after Katherine's death. It is an engaging account of stage life, of Dublin in the 60s and 70s, and of a relationship between a mother and daughter. ...more
Enright's voice is remarkable: compelling, wry, it flows off the page, and makes this book irresistible. The Wren, The Wren explores an intense motherEnright's voice is remarkable: compelling, wry, it flows off the page, and makes this book irresistible. The Wren, The Wren explores an intense mother-daughter relationship, which occurs in the shadow of an absent patriarch: Phil, a poet, Carmel's father, who left Carmel's life when she was still a child. Carmel goes on to bring up her daughter, Nell, alone, but feels Phil's presence in her life. The relationship between Carmel and Nell is brilliantly done: she captures the constant push-and-pull between mothers and daughters: the intimacy, closeness and frustration. I could see myself in both Carmel and Nell: I was frustrated by Nell when Carmel was, and frustrated by Carmel when Nell was. I found Carmel to be a particularly well-realised character, and I was really moved by her relationship with Nell, and the shadow cast by her absent father. This is a book about redemption -- it is much more positive than Enright's The Gathering, which I read early this year -- the journey of healing is slow, but it is possible for characters to change, and to find better ways of relating to other people. Carmel's journey is very well realised; I found Nell's a little less convincing, but Nell's sections contain some of the most surprising and moving observations in this novel. I also admired the poems Enright wrote from Phil's perspectives: they are precise, witty poems that show the scope of Enright's talent. ...more
A novel that works with on a small canvas but creates a story that feels huge and timeless. Veronica Hegarty is one of eleven siblings, and her brotheA novel that works with on a small canvas but creates a story that feels huge and timeless. Veronica Hegarty is one of eleven siblings, and her brother Liam, the one closest to her in age, has just committed suicide. Veronica must travel to Brighton to identify his body, and help to arrange the wake and funeral at home in Dublin. Though Veronica feels her life is comfortable and stable, she discovers that it all unravels easily when she allows herself to feel grief for Liam, and through that grief, discovers that she can no longer allow herself the lies and self deception that have made her life possible. Veronica's story encapsulates the hypocrisies and secret shames of middle-class Ireland: the guilt, secrets and trauma that lie within ordinary households. The story also reverberates outwards, as Enright asks how we can live with suffering, and how to cope with the losses we must live with every day. It is an intelligent, nuanced novel, and while its themes are weighty, it is often very witty, and extremely readable. ...more
A loose sequel to Evans' 2012 poetry-novel, Petrol, this is a series 75 furious and engaging 14-line poems, which are highly original and full of enerA loose sequel to Evans' 2012 poetry-novel, Petrol, this is a series 75 furious and engaging 14-line poems, which are highly original and full of energy. Imelda, the narrator, has just started college, and is living in Cork with Dora. It's the early eighties, and Evans gives us a broad, vivid view, from the punks on the street corners to the packets of tinned soup brought from home, from discussions of nihilism to the difficulties of accessing contraception. It is wonderfully rooted in place and time, and Evans has an amazing ear for voice and dialogue, but it's also very expansive, dealing with themes that are constantly relevant. It is an insightful treatment of abortion, and the difficulties Irish women went through to secure an abortion. A fantastic poetic achievement. ...more
Daisy's mother made her be a child psychic. Daisy predicted others' futures, and was preyed on by mysterious creatures who put her in danger. But afteDaisy's mother made her be a child psychic. Daisy predicted others' futures, and was preyed on by mysterious creatures who put her in danger. But after Daisy's mother dies, Daisy lives with her aunt Susan, and cousin Nina, and begins to discover a real home. She thinks she has left her past as a psychic behind her. But things begin to fall apart when Nina starts to experience a haunting. Drawing on horror themes and ghosts, this is a chilling novel. Sullivan, as always, creates believable characters and has a very distinctive narrative voice, which makes this book into something special. I found it very immersive, and enjoyed the way she wrote about teenagers, families, and the pervasive nature of trauma. ...more
In the summer of 1988, four girls on a small street in Belfast play, escape, tell stories, and reimagine their world. They live in a place where violeIn the summer of 1988, four girls on a small street in Belfast play, escape, tell stories, and reimagine their world. They live in a place where violence is ever-present, both within and without the walls of their homes, where even starlings were "holding / their breath and wondering why help doesn't come / to small things." Dawn Watson's voice is startlingly memorable, capturing the cadence of the Belfast accent, the rhythms of ordinary speech, while creating poems that are mutable and alive, and capture the strangeness, clarity, and horror of a child's world. After a man hits his wife, "There was blood on her brow / in the shape of a tired giraffe." On a cold day, "The stern sky was a jawbone." When shocked, "My chest might fall open, / I thought. Then it did. I fixed it back six times in a row / by pinching my sternum." Each girl has her own way of speaking, and her own unique observations, and together the four voices create a portrait of a particular moment in time and in the lives of these children. Watson's writing is never sentimental, and never directly offers comfort, but creates a sense of hope due to the strength of each child's voice, and her indefatigable connection to the world around her. It's an expansive, generous and memorable piece, remarkable for the skill and assurance of each line. Watson establishes herself as an unforgettable writer, with a unique way of looking at the world....more
When a writer is moving between the perspectives of various different characters, it can make the narrative feel cluttered or incoherent. The Happy CoWhen a writer is moving between the perspectives of various different characters, it can make the narrative feel cluttered or incoherent. The Happy Couple enters the heads of five different characters, those of the couple, Celine and Luke, at the centre of the story, and then their friends and former lovers. I found the story initially very gripping: Celine's voice is really interesting, and I was curious about how the engagement would unfold. I also enjoyed reading Luke's perspective, which comes around half-way through the book, and acts as an interesting counterpoint to Celine's. However, I failed to be convinced by the other characters, and, particularly towards the end, the narrative seemed to lose control and I lose interest in it. It was hard for me to care about these people and their struggles to communicate with one another. That being said, Dolan's dialogue and descriptions can be very funny. I keep seeing her compared to Sally Rooney, but to me she's more like an early Roddy Doyle: stories are pacey and rely heavily on dialogue and humour, and sometimes have more style than substance. ...more
Reading Martina Evans' work is just so pleasurable. When many poetry collections can be a slog, Evans' work is just so playful and witty, and it makesReading Martina Evans' work is just so pleasurable. When many poetry collections can be a slog, Evans' work is just so playful and witty, and it makes her work a joy to read. Always recommended. ...more
Published in the US as Against Love Poetry this is an intelligent and considered series of poems. The first section is about Boland's thirty years' maPublished in the US as Against Love Poetry this is an intelligent and considered series of poems. The first section is about Boland's thirty years' marriage, and celebrates love as something ordinary, every day, and mundane, rather than traditional poems of courtly love. They range from being detached to being very moving, such as the famous poem, "Quarantine," about the Irish famine. The second half includes poems about violence writing itself onto the landscape, history, the experience of being an Irish immigrant, and the title poem, "Code", which is a surprising, thought-provoking and beautiful poem about the American computer-programmer, Grace Murray Hopper. A strong collection from a poet at the height of her powers. ...more
As one of eleven siblings, Séamas understandably feels like he's not getting enough attention. But his mother dies when he's only five years old, leavAs one of eleven siblings, Séamas understandably feels like he's not getting enough attention. But his mother dies when he's only five years old, leaving him as one of many grief-stricken children, being brought up by a devoted but understandably distracted father. Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?, is, in many ways, a celebration of this father, a man who is endlessly kind and affectionate, despite the many demands on his time and love. Séamas O'Reilly initially became internet famous when he tweeted a story about accidentally taking ketamine before he had to work as a waiter for the then-president of Ireland, Mary McAleese. The humour and timing that made this anecdote so popular is definitely present in this book: I read this in bed, and laughed so much I woke up my wife. The jokes are tempered by both thoughts on grief and explorations of Derry during and immediately after The Troubles. While I might say that this book doesn't always hang together as a narrative, or that I wished O'Reilly probed some areas of the story more deeply, this is a hugely enjoyable read, with real affection and wit. ...more
I'm uncertain about this book. I read it for my book club, and I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. But I'm glad that I did: it's intelligent and iI'm uncertain about this book. I read it for my book club, and I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. But I'm glad that I did: it's intelligent and interesting even though, as a novel, I think it's very flawed. We begin in Argentina just before the Falklands War. Richard is living with his English mother, and teaching English in a small school. He is increasingly isolated from the people around him, and, following the death of his mother, he becomes very detached from both large and small things: wide-scale political events within Argentina to individual people in his life. But because Argentina is at a time of great change, the country attempting to become democratic, and to privatise industry, Richard's language skills make him very useful to the Americans entering the country, and this is a catalyst for Richard becoming more present to the world. Richard's sexuality also runs as a back-drop through everything: is his isolation due to the homophobia around him? Or is it because of his English mother, and his sense of difference? There are a lot of factors in this story, and Tóibín is in careful control of them, dealing with politics, Richard's inner life, and the conflicts around him. However, I found this book, especially in the first half, oddly colourless. Argentina felt unreal, without substance, and even when Richard travels, everywhere he visits seems to be the same, and he falls into the same routine of visiting bars, drinking beer and coffee and reading newspapers. A lot is suggested about Argentina and politics, and as a reader I expected this to turn into a political thriller. But the final third is a completely different kind of story -- and a much more emotionally successful one -- and I wondered why there was so much build-up that ultimately didn't go anywhere.
(view spoiler)[To me, it seemed like Tóibín's work came alive when he was writing about Pedro and the AIDS crisis, and that the story became engaging and emotionally moving at that point. The romance between Richard and Pedro is subtle and believable: Tóibín shows how hard it is for them to trust one another, and explores the emotional devastation following Pedro's experience of a lover drying from AIDS. I was incredibly gripped by Richard's final journey, and although it began to feel that his diagnosis with AIDS was inevitable, I was still moved and shocked and couldn't stop reading. But I struggle to understand the point of the first half of the book: why include so much detail about oil and politics? Why write in such a cold, dry way, when you can write something so moving? I wondered if Tóibín didn't feel like he was allowed to write about the AIDS crisis without spinning it from a different angle. And maybe he didn't think he could publish a book purely about living with AIDS in 1996 with a mainstream publisher -- but if that's the case, it still results in an odd, disjointed narrative, that is both very good and surrprisingly mediocre. (hide spoiler)]...more
Discovered in an archive, this novella was first published long after Maeve Brennan's death. It may have been one of the first stories she completed, Discovered in an archive, this novella was first published long after Maeve Brennan's death. It may have been one of the first stories she completed, but, if this is the case, it is extraordinarily assured and subtle. It is some time in the 1930s, and Anastasia King has been living with her mother in Paris, but when her mother dies, she returns to Dublin, with the expectation of living with her grandmother. Rootless, uneducated, and without friends, Anastasia is at the mercy of a bitter, revengeful grandmother, who wanted to keep her son all to herself, and resents Anastasia's mother for marrying, and Anastasia by extension. This grandmother is the only connection to family that remains in Anastasia's life, and she clings to her desperately despite her coldness. This novella is full of women whose lives are marked by bitterness and loneliness, and is set in a frost-encased Dublin. Even faith in God gives women no hope for solace. It is an astonishingly immersive and moving story, as well as a deeply pessimistic one. I was consistently impressed by it, but I cannot say I enjoyed reading it. ...more
This rich and complex collection of short stories comprises the majority of Maeve Brennan's literary work. The stories span decades and look at a rangThis rich and complex collection of short stories comprises the majority of Maeve Brennan's literary work. The stories span decades and look at a range of characters, but all refer in some way to a small house in Ranelagh. This house in the now-affluent suburb was the place Brennan grew up, and though she lived in the US from the age of 17, she consistently returns in her thoughts to Ranelagh. The stories are divided into the three sections: the first section is a series of short vignettes that seem roughly autobiographical, and centre on a bookish child call Maeve. While engaging and likeable, they are probably the least accomplished of stories here. The centre section focuses on Rose and Hubert Derdon: they have one son who is a priest, and are trapped in a marriage that has become full of hatred. The stories are movingly told, showing the couple's initial attraction for one another, and poignant details of Rose's childhood. Both characters, Rose and Hubert, are viewed with nuance, and though neither is demonised, the reader can see why their initial affection has turned into intense dislike. The third section explores another unhappy marriage -- one that is unhappy in a different way. Delia and Martin Bagot live in the same tiny house, but have entirely different lives, and while Delia focuses on her beloved daughters, her garden and her pets, Martin wants more from life than a small house and an atmosphere of domesticity, and he believes there is "nothing" to Delia. Yet despite these couples' antipathy for one another, there are also moments of kindness between them, and attempts to reconcile. Brennan explores the complexities and difficulties of marriage, which take on a darker tone in a repressive country where divorce is not possible. The final story, from which the collection takes its name, "The Springs of Affection", is a tour-de-force, following Martin's 87-year-old sister Min, and examining the factors that have lead to a life of isolation, as well as giving a rich portrait of Wexford and rural life. These stories are very moving and very gripping, but can at times be gruelling. They mark Brennan as a subtle and important writer. ...more
I sometimes struggle with Rooney's work because I find it so hard to relate to her characters: they are very real to me, as people, but they experiencI sometimes struggle with Rooney's work because I find it so hard to relate to her characters: they are very real to me, as people, but they experience the world so differently from me. This bothers me with Rooney because her characters are white, Irish people of approximately my own age, and I wonder why I feel so fundamentally other when I read about them. Her Dublin looks and sounds like my Dublin, but it's a different place. However, as I read this, I realised that it kept reminding me of Virginia Woolf's novel, The Waves, and that when I read Woolf I certainly don't hold it against her when I don't connect with her characters. Woolf's characters feel real to me, as do Rooney's, and that's the important thing. I've never been someone who reads books exclusively to see themselves. All that being said, I enjoyed this novel very much. I sometimes forget why Rooney is so popular, and then when I read her work I remember that it's because she has a uniquely memorable voice, she writes with wit and vitality, and her work is emotional and considered while also being highly enjoyable and entertaining. This is a thought-provoking and tender novel, and I'm really glad I read it (several years late to the party).
Edited to add that I realised I mentioned The Waves up there, but I do want to note that I see some direct parallels with the way Woolf writes about the movement of time, light and sea, and uses that to explore the journey through life, and the way Rooney closes chapters with descriptions of sea and sunrise / sunset. I also think the discussions of art / reason for being bear some relationship with To The Lighthouse. Rooney mentions a lot of writers in this book, but not Woolf -- is it a parallel she sees herself, or one I'm imposing on the work? ...more
Savage Tales is a collection much concerned with blank space, or with silence: often the page holds only a single sentence, and runs in conversation wSavage Tales is a collection much concerned with blank space, or with silence: often the page holds only a single sentence, and runs in conversation with a title at the bottom right. The title serves as a sort of footnote, giving context to the rest of the piece. There are around 180 very short poems in this book, organised into nine different sections, ranging from "The Artist and his [sic] Work" and "Campus Poems" to "Wolf Fables". I found this collection strange, compelling, readable, and both illusive and immensely illuminating. Bergin's voice has always been original, but her original thinking is particularly obvious here, as she breaks the conventions of traditional poetry books, and writes something that's challenging and imaginative. This book is also very enjoyable: Bergin has a self-deprecating humour and an easy wit. When I describe something as "challenging", it might suggest that it's very serious all the time, but a lot of this book made me laugh. Bergin deals with what it means to be a writer, with teaching writing, and with our understanding of our subconscious through fables, dreams and stories. The fragments draw me back to read again and again, their simple, clear style illuminating something surprising. Here is one of my favourites:
The bus pulls up and the doors open. On clamber the philosophers in their black eye makeup. The mothers and the toddlers wait behind. The toddlers wave goodbye to the bus's windows with padded gloves. One calls hello! by mistake. They still know nothing of separation. The bus moves off and all the mothers break apart. - The School Bus
And, a few pages later:
Out walking by the river I become irritable with everyone's chatter as if they're talking in the cinema. What's that called? -An Outing
I really enjoyed being taken on this journey through Bergin's thoughts. This is probably not a collection for people who don't read a lot of poetry because it builds on poetic conventions in order to break them, but it's irresistible for those who do. ...more
The Church of Love of the World, Grace Wells' third collection, is deeply concerned with the environmental crisis, our relationship to the natural worThe Church of Love of the World, Grace Wells' third collection, is deeply concerned with the environmental crisis, our relationship to the natural world, and Wells' relationship to herself as she ages. While it is an urgent book, reminding us of the perilous state of the planet, it is also a subtle and deeply felt one. Wells' poems are slow and sensual explorations into the conundrums of life, and some of the most memorable of these are the Wells' long, expansive poetic sequences, such as 'She Gathers the Wild Grasses' which looks at a series of individual blades of grass found on a road verge in Italy, and describes them in precise detail, demonstrating the great variety of the world. These images run in counterpoint to Wells' concerns about pollution, and the changed and often toxic countryside. The book ends with two more poetic sequences, both of which are expansive and gripping: 'An Account of that Year in Fragments', which follows two overlapping health crises, and 'Cill Ghrá an Domhain' (the Irish for the church of love of the world) which uses a journey to the Aran Islands to look at depression, grief about the natural world, and the coastal landscape. By writing these long poems, Wells creates a space to look at questions without answers, and to explore a depth of emotion and grief. These are all deeply considered poems, which capture powerful feelings, and run grief in counterpoint to beauty. They are memorable for their subtlety, tenderness, resonance, and refusal to give empty messages of hope or complacency. I was very moved by this collection. ...more
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