Reissued to coincide with the release of the movie version, a controversial novel, banned in Ireland in 1936 for its frank depiction of lesbianism, follows an Irish woman who becomes involved with a fellow expatriate in Spain. Movie tie-in.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
When this novel was first published in Ireland in 1936, it caused a sensation because of its "frank depiction of lesbianism." Amazing! Those reluctant to note progress in combating homophobia need only read this novel to realize how far we have come. Melodramatic, overwritten, and sexually tame by contemporary standards, the book charts the course of Mary Lavelle, an Irish beauty looking for adventure before settling into marriage. As nanny and English teacher for three pampered Spanish girls, Mary tastes independence and unleashes her skepticism about conventional social mores. Yet, in the end, Talk of Angels tells a very old story about a woman punished for her audacity. Beloved Irish author O'Brien offers a compassionate portrait of young, working-class women, but her allusions to needed social changes pose no real challenge to sexism, racism, classism, or heterosexism. Recommended as historical artifact.?Eleanor J. Bader, New Sch. for Social Research, New York,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
The skilled prose of Irish author O'Brien (18971974) transmutes the material of a conventional coming-of-age tale (``banned in Ireland in 1936 for its frank depiction of lesbianism'') into a rich, absorbing study of character and culture. It's 1922, and Mary Lavelle, the 22-year-old daughter of a widowed doctor in Ireland, is quiet and seemingly conventional, yet she has two qualities that are bound to attract notice: her startling beauty and her yearning to become an independent wanderer. Mary is engaged to nice-but-dull John MacCurtain, a demobilized soldier now working as shipping clerk. John cautiously insists on waiting for marriage until he has a good income, and so Mary, feeling fondness but no great ardor for her fianc‚, decides to make use of the time to become a governess in Spain--a then traditional occupation for rootless Irishwomen. She finds work tutoring the daughters of a family headed by the aristocratic Don Pablo Areavaga, whose marriage--complicated, sexless, but not unloving--is explored in depth. Despite initial homesickness, Mary soon takes to her charges, who include the vain, gregarious Pilar and the spirited, amusingly precocious Milagros. With her youth and looks, their new governess provokes comment in the spinsterish community of Irish ``misses,'' but she nevertheless finds friends in Rosie O'Toole, a spunky eccentric, and Agatha Conlon, an austere, mysterious semi-recluse. As Mary develops a taste for bullfights and an infatuation with Spain in general, she comes to find answering John's daily letters a chore. Events reach a crisis when she meets Don Pablo's married son, Juanito--while, at the same time, Agatha is developing her own illicit passion for Mary. Passive and impressionable Mary is sometimes a frustrating heroine, but O'Brien writes with a striking grace and acuity that illuminate not only the landscape of but the complexity of the people living in it. (Film rights to Miramax) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Spanish Love Dance,
By A Customer
This review is from: Talk of Angels (Paperback)
This is a beautiful story. 1936 was a bit before its age. For a female Irish writer to write a book that even hints at a lesbianism was probably beyond the ability of the Irish Catholic establishment to deal with in that era. However, that is such a minor part of the novel, that it is really mistitled with this new title "Talk of Angels." Discussion about the sexual orientation of a minor character greatly distorts the stark beauty of the characters, Spain, and the inner story which O'Brien tells so well. I understand that the new title replaces the originally published title of "Mary Lavelle." But the angel passage and the lesbian angle are so minor, that I would probably opt for something associated with the climax like "Spanish Love Dance." The strength of this work is the exploration of the inner characters. The main character of Mary Lavelle, her beauty, her vulnerability, and the options between uncertain romance and unromantic certainty. We root for Mary to make love a romantic choice rather than simply an ecomonic security issue as so many women over the last centuries have been forced to make. The characters of the father and her lover are also well drawn and filled with their own special quests. As important as any of the characters is Spain itself. How lovingly is it described, more alluring than a travel trailer or vacation brochure. The society of the other nannies with their squabbling creates a strong reality in which we can see these women operate. The ending left me wanting more in the story. I wanted to know what happened after her return to Ireland. Perhaps that is what a great novel does, leaves you so connected to the characters that they last with you long after the book ends. I believe this book will connect with romantics of both genders, simply because the writing is so fine.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Takes a while to get into, but worth the wait,
By A Customer
This review is from: Talk of Angels (Paperback)
This lovely coming-of-age story set in the 1920's is beautifully written. I must confess it did take me a bit to get into it (it was somewhat boring until about halfway through), but I'm glad I stuck it out as the story seemed to grab me and stick with me night and day. Mary and Juanito's love story reminded me a great deal of The Bridges of Madison County - hopeless, unrealistic and doomed from the start. A great romance in all respects. Now I must add Spain to my travel wish list!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting,
By A Customer
This review is from: Talk of Angels (Paperback)
This was a great book for so many reasons. I loved the emotional changes that the protagonist went through and the colorful people that she interacted with. I also liked the excellent descriptions of Spain and the romantic/political atmosphere. A great read for anyone who is a romantic.
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