Edna O’Brien’s acclaimed new novel, her first in a decade, is reviewed. ℘℘℘ Celts have always believed in an invisible spirit world running parallel to our visible world, a mystical universe that has given Irish storytellers a rich folklore of the supernatural. From this tradition comes the oft-told story (undoubtedly a cautionary tale for impressionable girls) of a handsome … [Read more...] about The Little Red Chairs: A New Novel by Edna O’Brien
Edna O'Brien
An Excerpt from ‘Country Girl’, Edna O’Brien’s Memoir
In an excerpt from her memoir, Edna O’Brien returns to Ireland to build a house in which she hopes to avail of the “peace that passeth understanding,” only to find that even the best laid plans can go awry. Donegal It was to Donegal, in the most northwestern tip of Ireland, that in the 1990s I headed, in order to build a house. The very placenames so rough and musical, … [Read more...] about An Excerpt from ‘Country Girl’, Edna O’Brien’s Memoir
Country Girl – Edna O’Brien’s New Memoir
Edna O’Brien has published the memoir she swore she’d never write. Readers will be very glad she did. "You can write and I will never forgive you,” said Ernest Gébler, Edna O’Brien’s then husband, after reading her manuscript for The Country Girls. Published in 1960, O’Brien’s honest and intimate portrayal of two young women in the Ireland she had left behind was a … [Read more...] about Country Girl – Edna O’Brien’s New Memoir
Roots: The Bold O’Briens
The O’Briens are an illustrious and prominent clan that has shaped the history of Ireland. The name, also spelled O’Bryan or O’Brian, means “of Brian” indicating descendance from Brian Borumha mac Cennetig, or Brian Boru, the celebrated High King of Ireland. Brian Boru (925-1014) received the throne of Thomond (an area which covers much of modern day County Clare as well as … [Read more...] about Roots: The Bold O’Briens
Quote Unquote
A selection of quotes – some poignant, some hilarious – from Ireland and Irish America. “The brilliant thing about Edna is that she was never embittered by the terrible experience she had of being rejected, of being castigated and spoken down to from the pulpit. She was always somebody with this extraordinary dignity about her, and that was really attractive, and she remains … [Read more...] about Quote Unquote