Kathleen Doyle

Subtitled a Dublin Memoir. Edna thought that someone would have to be from Dublin to fully appreciate this book, and she may be right. I found it not funny but disturbing. Yes, there were some hilarious scenes, but I was terrified by the underlying anxiety of it. Aptly titled, "What would Ma say?" because the truth is her mother would NOT have found it funny. Perhaps I have just enough Irish cultural background to understand that.
Then there's the pain of alcoholism. P.262, on her wedding day "It's never too late to change." "And tha' wha' I'll be doin'." Off he went, believing to the very depth of his soul that he meant what he said, but I knew he didn't."
More thoughts while reading:
*The disaster of her fairy tale wedding: perhaps it was funny and I'm glad she could think so, but I heard my mother's disappointment with her own fairy tale dreams.
*I really disliked the hint of violence, which was only explicit once: p.273 "He had his two fists clenched.He never hit Ma; she did enough of that for the two of them."
*There was the fierce desire to look good, to put on a good front. This is a useful mechanism to maintain a sense of dignity, but it can also be a mechanism for lying to oneself.
*Her judgement on her mother's lack of affection: p.284: "She let herself get so hard over the years."
*She did try to get at that very Irish conflict between rebellion and obedience, both honored: p.300 "I wasn't sure if she would have proud of me for standing up for myself or boxed the head off me for answering back."
I'm not sure either.… (más)