After our mothers have died, how many of us have tried to reconstruct their lives and wondered about how they felt about us? And how difficult would it be to work all this out if your mother was famous and an actress?
In her latest novel Actress, Anne Enright explores the relationship between a fictional ‘Irish’ actress (born in England), Katherine O’Dell and her daughter Norah. Norah narrates her search for the truth behind two great mysteries, the reason for her mother’s criminal act in later life and the identity of her own father.
While the story itself is interesting, the great pleasure of this novel for me was in the voice of Norah with her wry and pithy observations about the world of film and stage, the political situation in Ireland during the Troubles and, central to the novel, her relationship with her mother and her mother’s relationship with her.
In Nora’s account, her mother was a larger-than-life character, always acting. The account of her at breakfast is worth quoting because of its delicious choice of words.
‘So all right. Here she is, Katherine O’Dell making her breakfast, requiring her breakfast from the fridge and the cupboards, some of which delight her and some of which let her down. Where is it, where is it, here it is! Yes! The marmalade.’
Norah’s recollections take place in the context of her own life and her comfortable long-term relationship with her husband. Enright switches to second person on occasion, as if Norah’s unnamed husband were in the same room, listening to her recollections about them or offering commentary.
Her husband urges Norah to write the book about her mother following an amusing scene in which a PhD student interviews Norah, wanting to know about Katherine’s sexual style and talking about heterosexual-normativity. Norah sends her packing (‘I got rid of her eventually. Fondness at the doorstep. Making promises I would not keep.’)
You can see why I loved the character of Norah and the tone of this book. Norah is like many middle-aged women who don’t see the point of mincing their words. She says it as she sees it. If you enjoy this approach, you will love reading Anne Enright’s Actress.
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| Title: Actress Author: Anne Enright Publisher: Jonathon Cape Date: 2020 ISBN: 978-1-787-33207-2 Pages: 264 |