2 - "Amongst women” by John McGahern (Score 7.43)


Moran’s family, scattered to the winds, comprises Mona, Sheila, Maggie, Michael and Luke. Their step-mother is Rose. Moran lives in Mohill which hosts the Monghan Day fair every February.McQuaid, one of Moran’s compatriots from the “War of Independence” came to visit Moran at that time.The story moves back in time.

Moran falls for Rose after they met at the post office, and after a brief courtship. We see the disapproval of some of the nastier people in the place, and the difficulties when two mature people get interested in each other. They get married.Rose begins to make an impression in Michael Moran’s house. The step-children all seem to like her. She paints the place with their help. She talks to Moran about allowing Maggie to go to England to train to be a nurse.

When Moran receives a telegram from his son Luke in England, he loses his temper at its abruptness and takes it out on Rose. This is the first time. He seems to be a basically decent man whose insecurity causes him to lash out at those who love him. Next day he attempts to make amends by suggesting he and Rose go for a drive. They go to the sea and things seem to improve. However, when Rose sees him changing again she suggests that they go home rather than finding somewhere to have dinner. This pleases him.

Rose seems to be finding the ways in which to keep his temper in check. There is a feeling that his tendency to lash out may be because he feels he has lost the authority which he had as leader of a group of fighters during the “War of Independence”.

On page 102, talking about a girl, Nell, whom young Michael is with, she is described as “as far from ugliness as she was from beauty”. This is so much better than saying “she was plain”, and much less wounding. She is 22. Michael is 15. He runs off to London when she returns to America. On page 132 Rose misuses the term “hoi polloi” to mean posh people instead of “the many”. Maggie clearly also thinks it means “posh people” when she says she thinks Luke’s girlfriend is the daughter of a banker.

There is a hint of intergenerational friction when Moran meets Maggie’s fiancée Mark, and sees that he is a teddy boy. Not only that, he addresses Moran by his first name.
After their marriage and the birth of their first child Moran grows to like Mark. Mark has also made an effort by meeting Moran in the fields and helping him with the work when he can.
When Moran died they stopped ever clock in the house and covered every mirror. These are very old superstitions. I liked this book and scored it at 8.0.