Sunday, June 01, 2008

June book draw

My Virago Modern Classic give-away this month is Good Behaviour by Molly Keane.

Molly Keane was born in County Kildare in 1904, into the crumbling Anglo-Irish aristocracy. She started to write for publication at the age of 17, to supplement her dress allowance but she used the pseudonym M. J. Farrell "to hide my literary side from my sporting friends". She published ten novels under this name between 1928 and 1961 then stopped abruptly when her husband died.

Then in 1981, Good Behaviour was published under her own name. It was an instant success and short-listed for the Man Booker prize. She continued writing until her death in 1996.
Her books are dark satires of the life of the Anglo-Irish circle that she inhabited: hunting, fast cars, balls, crumbling country houses and impoverished estates. Good Behaviour is all about keeping up appearances in this fast disappearing world of privilege. Whatever happens, appearances must be preserved, no-one must betray any signs of fear, affection or grief even within the family.

The story opens with a murder. The narrator, Aroon St Charles, feeds her frail mother a rabbit mousse, knowing that it will kill her. The rest of the book is devoted to showing us why she did it.

I first read Good Behaviour in 1982 and I can recall sitting up late into the night to finish it, despite having to be up early next morning for my two young children. All of Molly Keane's books are shocking and funny; the Virago Press website compares her to Evelyn Waugh. If you would like to own the 2004 edition pictured above, which has an excellent foreword by Marian Keyes, leave a comment on this post or any other in the next week or so, indicating that you want to enter the book draw.

11 comments:

  1. I love Molly Keane's wicked and wonderful satires on a way of life that has more or less disappeared (although not here on Exmoor, where it's still all hunting, shooting and fishing - and very feudal . . . )

    No need to include me, M, as I have Good Behaviour; just wanted the excuse to rave about Molly K.

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  2. I have enjoyed all of her books. I wonder if anyone has thought of hosting a Mollyfest?

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  3. A wonderful book which I've read three or four times (and have two copies so no need to add my name to the hat). I'd certainly join in a Mollyfest! Maybe we could charter a coach for a bloggers' tour of crumbling Anglo-Irish country houses? We could dine on rabbit mousse (which would be 100%bound to make me chuck up in authentic fashion, if not actually expire, but it could add some atmospher to the occasion!) Do you remember the rather good TV adaptation many moons ago?

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  4. Yes please...I'd love to be included in the draw...Sue

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  5. Please include me in the draw. I don't think I've read any Molly Keane! Thanks.

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  6. J: I'd forgotten about the TV adaptation, I think 'Good Behaviour' and 'Time after Time' were dramatised. Wouldn't it be good to see them again, instead of yet another version of 'Pride and Prejudice'? I'd love to go on that tour of the Irish country houses!

    Sue: Happy to enter your name. Yours too, Lizzie. Good luck!

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  7. Never read any Molly Keane so I'd love to be included. Thank you!

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  8. Be assure D; huntin', fishin' & shootin' is still very much alive in the Surrey Hills, sustained by successful entrepreneurs who are the new Feudal Lords.
    I would like to be in the Draw M. Thanks.

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  9. Delighted to add your name, Cath. Good luck!

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  10. You're in, Crinny. I'm surprised you don't have all the Molly Keane's with your Anglo-Irish connections!

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  11. A Mollyfest? Crumbling Anglo-Irish ruins? Count me in. I do like a good fest. But, please, no toffs and no forelock-tugging; I can't be doing with the forelock tugging.

    Talking of crumbling Anglo-Irish ruins, one of my friends was foolish enough to marry one, and a penniless one at that, the properties in Ireland long since sold to pay off tax and maintenance bills, drinking and gambling debts and the like. I told her it would end in tears and it did. When he died, the Telegraph obituary included these memorable lines:"towards the end of his life he was living in a dilapidated four-bedroom flat in a 1930s mansion block in north London; he would often take his meals at a cafe in Willesden. Last year he was to be found judging a pole-dancing competition at a night club in Ealing." Still, at least he had his title . . .

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