What do You think about Wild Decembers (2001)?
Having enjoyed The House of Splendid Isolation, I took O'Brien's Wild Decembers (a quotation from Brontë) to Dublin on a long weekend vacation. Although it provided a pleasant enough counterpoint to my experience of that culture- and history-rich city, this book is distinctly less good. Set in the remote mountain village of Cloontha, it is a story of power, men's power over the land and men's power over women, both of which ultimately prove illusory. The tragedy inherent in this theme is offset by a comic view of lawyers and of Rita and Reena, two floozies who hunt as a pair, exerting their power over men as shamelessly as the men enjoy their power over women. Although well written, the book suffers from a plot that is too one-dimensional.
—Lachlan
What beautiful prose. I'm not fond of Irish lit, but Wild Decembers made me forget I was reading Irish English. I give it three stars solely for the language - if not the language, I would have stopped reading the story. I could not feel a single ounce of sympathy for Bugler who I thought was a smug bastard even as he was in the right. Neither did I feel moved by Breege's plight - I did not understand why she would fall for a callow bugger like Mick, to the extent of going hysterical, and no, the prose did not help me understand. I did feel sad for Joe though - poor Joe, him I could identify with, his loneliness, his sense of entitlement and later betrayal. Poor, poor Joe. I don't think he should have done what he did, but I definitely understood his psyche.Editing to add: Weird shifts in narration - pages where Breege does this and Joe does that, and in some chapters it switches to first person. What gives?
—Chaitra
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to tour parts of Western Ireland. I fell in love with a brief story I read on a momument to Grace O'Malley in Westport. In that town, there were also a few pubs named after her in some way. What a gal. She defeated the balance of the Spanish Armada after the British Navy had warded them off. She was offered titles and rewards by Queen Elizabeth I, but declined them stating she was an Irish Queen and didn't require anything further. This book is a great account of Irish history and the world of Grace in one. It details the oppression indiginous people felt at the hands of their invaders. Horrible twists of history. It is posted as an elongated conversation with Queen Elizabeth I which is rumored to have taken place, but never really proven. It seems a little contrived that QE would sit still long enough to listen to this lengthy yarn. But, hey, who am I to let reality distort a wonderful tale. Again, enjoy. Check out her island, Clare Island, on GoogleEarth. It is just off the shore of the Westport area shore.
—Ruth
