Last Storyteller: A Novel Of Ireland (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Part way through this book I realised that Delaney had written another book, Venetia Kelly's Travelling Show. I felt that perhaps I should have read the earlier book first, but not having done so the Last Storyteller had to stand on its own. It didn't quite, for Venetia also occupies some of these pages and I could never fathom her motives.Venetia also occupies the mind and life of Ben MacCarthy, the storyteller in this book, so it would have helped to have understood her better, but no matter, life is seldom neat and tidy; why should a novel be any different? This novel is a celebration of, a tribute to, the role of storyteller, common to every age and every race. The storyteller performs a kind of magic, a verbal sleight of hand, using myth and history in such a way that his listeners don't realise they are being told about their own lives; that they are being given opportunities for change, redemption. Venetian's husband Gentleman Jack holds up a mirror to this technique with his stage magic, his own sleight of hand.It takes a certain conceit to present such a storyteller, for Frank Delaney must be every bit as good as the storytellers in his book. He just about pulls it off, mixing Irish myths with the ugly politics of the divided Ireland in the 1950's, and drawing us into the lives of some memorable characters. I say 'just about' because I was never quite convinced by Ben's relationship with Jimmy Bermingham, nor by Venetia Kelly's actions and inactions.Delaney's message seems to be that myth and history repeat themselves in the lives of ordinary people; not only do the archetypes live on, but if we can identify our own myth we will be better able to come to terms with our past and shape our future. But in myth the beautiful princess always has to wait to be rescued from the clutches of the villain, the onus is on the hero to find her and whisk her away to a life of happiness ever after. Surely that is a poor message for the modern day. Was Ben to blame for Venetia's fate, as he seems to think, or should she have taken responsibility to extricate herself from her entrapment? Television has replaced the storyteller by the hearth, and we have lost something. But perhaps we have also gained something, freedom to try new ways of resolving our problems. A slavish reliance on the past must, ultimately, be stultifying. Perhaps that is why Ireland was slow to join the modern world. When she did so, in economic terms she became the Celtic Tiger. And that is a modern story worth telling. The Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney is not the author’s best work, but it is certainly the best book of the Ben McCarthy Trilogy, which it concludes. What holds the book back the most is how unlikeable the main characters are and how much the story stretches the imagination in terms of realistic human behavior. Whatever sympathy I may have had for the plight of Ben and Venetia after the first book was mostly erased by the second book and completely destroyed in this one. They both handled everything so poorly that I was almost disappointed by how neatly and happily their stories ended because it just sounded absurd. However, despite the ridiculousness of the characters, Delaney’s writing is so beautiful and powerful, that I cannot help but like this book. The commanding way that he portrays every aspect of Ireland and its history, the good and the bad, is captivating. His mastery of the art of storytelling is spellbinding to the point where his descriptions of the storytellers and the secrets to their performances are my favorite parts. There is so much to be learned from this book and this story about life and art that the individual characters hold little importance beyond their fairytale-like roles. On the whole, I do believe that this is another important book to read for anyone interested in the art of storytelling and its role in history and culture. It can be read by itself, without the other two books in the trilogy, because all of the most important information in terms of the plot is reiterated as necessary and there is so much discussion of storytelling that the story of Ben and Venetia is more of a byproduct.
What do You think about Last Storyteller: A Novel Of Ireland (2013)?
I liked it but am trying to still fully understand the ending...It is coming to me in pieces.
—Ash
Review coming tomorrow.. with giveaway for autographed copy!
—momofzack
I loved the blending of telling the story with the stories.
—renata
great book. learned a lot about ireland in the 1950s.
—manoor
