Simple language that caresses your ears
Posted on: August 26, 2011
The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have been listening to Edna O’Brien read the unabridged version of this novel. It is quite short. She reads it in a state of holy awe, as if she is filled with wonder at the world. This very much suits the narrative, which tells of the unholy dramas that befall a fourteen-year-old Catholic girl in a little Irish town. It is told in unadorned, elegant English. There is a purity about it, which means you have to quieten your mind and let Edna’s voice fill up your senses in order to appreciate it. You will then realise that it is a life-changing experience to ride in a car with a well-groomed man of middle age who thinks you are lovely; and that lifelong friendship can begin with the gift of a cake placed on your pillow. If you expect any more from life, or a book, than this, then you may well be disappointed. But if you enjoy the purity of simple language that caresses your ears and sharpens your senses, then prepare to be enthralled.
September 2, 2011 at 11:54 pm
I read this as part of a college course – I loved the bit where she and her friend dye their underwear purple and a boy she brings home from a dance asks her if she’s the niece of a bishop
September 3, 2011 at 12:21 am