It is 1939, the last summer before the outbreak of war. French actress Angele Maury abandons a group of friends travelling through Ireland and takes herself to picturesque Drumaninch, birthplace of her dead father. She has come to make sense of her past. Self-conscious with her pale, exotic beauty, Angele braves the idiosyncratic world of the Kernahans: her enigmatic aunt Hannah, her ridiculous but loveable uncle Corney and her three cousins - Martin, charming, intense; Tom, devoted to his mother, and their bright sister Jo, who combines religious faith with a penchant for gambling. But is there some mystery surrounding the past? History threatens to repeat itself as Angele finds herself seduced by the beauty of Ireland, and by the love of two men...First published in 1943, The Last of the Summer is a perfectly structured psychological love story.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
First published in 1943, Virago's Modern Classic series re-releases Kate O'Brien's (1897-1974) The Last of Summer with an introduction by poet Eavan Boland. Young French actress Angale Maury is traveling in Ireland in 1939; on a whim she visits the village of Drumaninch, her late father's birthplace. There she meets her relatives, the Kernahans: Aunt Hannah and cousins Tom, Martin and Jo. In no time at all, Tom and Martin are smitten with her; she favors Tom and, of course, their proclamations of love stir up complications all around. A gently beguiling tale with hints of darkness at the edges.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.From Library Journal
O'Brien, author of The Ante Room, The Land of Spices (Classic Returns, LJ 2/1/90), and numerous other titles, here offers the 1943 story of Angele Maury, who returns to her Irish roots during the last summer before World War II. While there, she must come to grips with her family and the love of two men.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Elegance in Word,
This review is from: Last Of Summer (Virago Modern Classics) (Paperback)
Kate O'Brien is a masterful storyteller. I read "The Last Of Summer" without much expectation, as I was on break from writing a novel of my own. I was really surprised at what I found. Her details of the era, rich with history and emotion are crisply described, and only draw you further into the complex story of Angele, a beautiful young actress who returns to her old Irish home to reclaim her past. In doing just that, she uncovers many secrets which lead to her own Father's estrangement from her Uncle and his Family. When her cousin begins having feelings for her, which O'Brien bravely endears, (a hint of her being an author well beyond her time) his decision to go off into the beginning of World War I are thwarted by an ever growing love for this mysterious cousin. I highly suggest giving this a read. Not only is it beautiful in atmosphere and context, but riveting and highly sensual. A work from an Author who does not bow to tradition. This is a triumph.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
