973. In the Forest

In the Forest
Edna O'Brien
2002
Around 220 pages

Well, that was exactly what I expected. I suppose with the endless parade of novels about psychopathic men, I should have been tipped off that another one was lurking around the corner. It wasn't terrible, but I feel like we already covered this ground with The Butcher Boy.

The story is based on the 1994 murders of a woman, her son, and a Catholic priest. Mich O'Kane is on the usual trajectory of disturbed men, where all the signs are there but nobody really does anything about it. The descriptions of violence were not as graphic as they have been in other novels, although she's an effective enough writer that she sets you up to fill in the grisly details yourself.

It wasn't much of a mystery, as the character of Mich feels very inevitable. Apparently the real life family of the victims weren't too happy with O'Brien writing this so soon after the murders, so that makes it feel a little gross. 

Not the worst read, but skippable.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

O'Brien has been mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in literature.

UP NEXT: That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern

587. August is a Wicked Month

August is a Wicked Month
Edna O'Brien

1965

Around 170 pages

I hadn't yet clicked with an Edna O'Brien, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I greatly enjoyed this novel. Sees, sometimes you have to go on a few dates before you get that spark. 

Ellen is estranged from her husband, but finds joy in her seven-year-old son Mark. She decides to travel to Paris to have some sexual adventures. The reality of having sexual experiences with actual men though isn't quite as romantic as the fantasy. Apparently, Ellen's hair and eye color keeps changing...which is not great. I didn't notice that though during my read. Oh well. Flaubert couldn't get it straight either.

This is an odd book. I enjoyed the descriptions, even if the sex scenes were cloaked in strange metaphors. There's a really strange plot twist that comes out of nowhere, which I think is probably linked to O'Brien's own Catholic guilt. But I actually cared about where the story was going, and I wanted it to keep going after the end. How often does that happen?

Getting this one in under the August buzzer.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Banned in several jurisdictions in Ireland.

UP NEXT: Things: A Story of the Sixties by Georges Perec

560. Girl With Green Eyes

Girl With Green Eyes

Edna O'Brien
1962
Around 215 pages

I'm not entirely sure why I don't click with Edna O'Brien. Typically, I enjoy this genre, but I never quite connect with her female characters, who are Catholic, naive, and make terrible decisions about men. So I found this novel to be a bit of a bore.

Kate Brady is fresh out of convent school and working at a grocery shop in Dublin. She rooms with her childhood friend Baba, who is much freer than Kate. Kate meets the much older married author, Eugene, and falls for him, despite her Catholic-induced sexual repression.

This was a pretty predictable story if you have an ounce of world experience. Kate doesn't, so she doesn't have the easiest time in this novel. I didn't find any of the characters particularly charming, and O'Brien's writing isn't engaging to me. Definitely skippable.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

First published with the title The Lonely Girl.

O'Brien met and married, against her parents' wishes, the Irish writer Ernest Gébler, and the couple moved to London. Initially believing he deserved credit for helping her become an accomplished writer, Gébler came to believe he was the author of O'Brien's books. Sigh.

UP NEXT: Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges

547. The Country Girls

The Country Girls
Edna O'Brien
1960
Around 225 pages

I have failed to properly welcome in the 1960s, so I'll do it now: we made it to the 1960s! I'm excited to welcome in a new era, all this World War II and immediate post war literature was hard on the soul. Although I am sure there is plenty of depressing content ahead. Please don't take that as a challenge, Powers That Be.

Kate Brady and Bridget Brennan are two country mice from Dublin who have been friends since childhood. They both want to find love in the big city, which sounds like the premise of a 90s sitcom. They are interesting frenemies, and even though their adventures are tame by today's standards, this was still publicly burned by a priest, which obviously makes me like it more.

This is O'Brien's debut novel, and she managed to finish it in three weeks. It does end rather abruptly, but this novel is part of a series, so it makes sense that there is no satisfying conclusion. Not the most memorable or entertaining of novels, but I'm intrigued by her style and eager to see her hone her voice as an author.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Banned by the Irish censorship board.

UP NEXT: Our Ancestors by Italo Calvino