Loving And Giving

I was going to give this 2 stars, because while it was supposedly humorous in that it had Molly Keane’s wit infused all over it, it was also sad with pretty much 90% of the characters unlikable and behaving badly. And early on in this novel I was shocked by the abject cruelty shown by a rich girl (N......more

This is my second brush with Molly Keane and most likely my last. Love, generosity and even happiness are often mentioned in this rather cynical tale of a young aristocrat girl and then woman in the interwar, but there is in fact very little evidence of them. Those emotions are in fact bone-dry expr......more

The child's perspective in the first part of the book was brilliant. The author consistently portrayed different personality types (givers, takers, etc.). The novel featured her signature satirical humor and criticism of Irish families and social structures. I have to admit that while the ending was......more

Nicandra, named after her father's favourite racehorse, is desperate to please and longing to be loved. Sadly, she fails ultimately at both. Her life parallels the dying days of the grand Irish home which her family has long occupied. The home is neglected, in a ruinous state and falling apart. Poor......more

Complex and dark. Probably worth another read. Occasionally found I had to read a sentence more than once before the full meaning hit me. Houses, animals, people and places are all characters in the book. The nature of loving and giving and how it shapes the characters' lives seems to be the central......more