Made Marian: Oozing Crafty Goodness

Our book for this month was Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. I have not read any of his other books so I had no idea what to expect with this book. The book opens in 1950’s Enniscorthy and tells the story of Eilis, a young woman who shows potential but has no prospect of getting the bookkeeping job she would like. Rose, her older sister arranges for Eilis to go to America to live in Fr. Flood’s parish, he has organised lodgings and a job for Eilis. Eilis doesn’t seem too enthused about going and she really only goes out of a sense of duty, or an inability to stand up for herself and say no. However she soon settles in and is pleasantly surprised with her situation, she becomes very passionate about her education, she also finds romance with an Italian-American called Tony. She quite often comments that Rose would love the glamourous clothes she sees and it’s almost as if she finally realises that Rose sacrificed her own chance to live that kind of life because someone has to stay at home with their mother.

I think her romance with Tony is a bit one-sided, Eilis likes Tony but she doesn’t seem ready to commit to him. She is much more concerned with her education and getting an office job at work. Eilis is devastated when her sister Rose passes away and she organises a trip back to Ireland to be with her mother. Tony, predicts that Eilis may never come back to America and talks her into a clandestine marriage at the last minute. While at home Eilis shows herself to be a very fickle person as she conveniently pushes her new husband to the back of her mind and begins an “almost” romance with a local guy called Jim Farrell, although in my opinion she is more in love with the idea of Jim Farrell than Jim himself, she was only at home for a few weeks, is it believable that she could fall out of love with one man and in love with another in that space of time?

Much of this section of the book is taken up with speculation as to whether she will return to America or not, I found myself routing for her to go back to America as I felt she was being sucked into staying in Ireland out of a sense of duty. But in the end she returned out of a sense of duty. The events with Miss Kelly and Mrs. Kehoe leading up to her return to the States should be rediculous but in fact I found them completely believable, which is a sad reflection on small town Ireland in the 1950’s.

I think there were some parts of the book that could have been better explained or drawn out more. For example, what was the point of that scene in the changing room with her supervisor? Was it just to emphasise how easily led Eilis is since she didn’t once point out that she was uncomfortable? And why was Jim Farrell so taken aback by the mention of Father Flood? Could Rose and Father Flood have had a thing? I Speaking of Rose, the fact that she was so glamorous and well liked makes me question why she didn’t have a boyfriend or husband? Could this be related to my Father Flood question?

In general I never really warmed to Eilis at all. I didn’t like her half as much as I liked Tony and Jim and to be honest I couldn’t really see what they saw in her? Having said that I really enjoyed the book and have already passed it onto other people and encouraged them to read it.

PS Please don’t forget to read the reviews from the other BBC members, you can find links to their blogs on a separate page, the link is in the side panel.

10 Comments so far

I read this book a few motnhs ago. I have read most of his books andgenerally enjoyed them.
I just really wanted to give Eilis a good swift kick in the backside!! No gumption!
I was born in Ireland in the 50s and can relate to the smallmindedness of Ireland in those days through stories my mother told me.
but, I think in general, that was the 50s anywhere in a small town.
I didn’t really think about Rose and Father Flood but now that you mention it I think it may be true.
I also liked Tony and Jim much better than Eilis.

Yes I agree what did those lads see in her?
And what was that in the changing room?? I’ve done my review and forgot all about that part.

I enjoyed the book too Marian, but like you, never warmed to the character of Eilis at all. I too was wwondering about that scene in the changing room with her supervisor, and now that I read your estimation of what that was all about, I think you are right that it was to show how submissive Eilis is. Eilis had no desire to leave Enniscorthy in the first place, but she submits to what her mother and sister expect of her, all the while feeling “that she was being singled out for something for which she was not in any way prepared.”
I would be interested to know what you thought of the ending?

Marian I liked your review, I thought it was interesting that you had picked up on the changing room scene with that interpretation, and I think you’re right. The whole book shows Eillis to be submissive and passive, and someone I’d love to see actually really enthusiastic about anything! She drive me mad. My review for the bloggers book club is at http://www.stitchcraftjen.blogspot.com/ , I think everyone has the wrong address for me.

Really great review. I read it last night after I did my review and totally wanted to go back and change my review (I didn’t though) after reading yours. Your review said exactly what I was thinking!

Marian, very interesting review.

I’m not sure that Eilis returned to America ‘out of a sense of duty’. I think she realised she was cornered and returned to America having realised same.

‘ … is it believable that she could fall out of love with one man and in love with another in that space of time’. I would add that this time also coincided with when she was grieving her sister. I felt she was a very cold character at times.

Your line on the changing room scene does seem spot on. I’d have to go back and read the conversation with Jim about Fr. Flood.

The more I got to know Eilis, the less I liked her. I find it hard to like a book if I don’t like the main character

I think this has probably been a much more interesting book club book, we all seemed to love the last book, but this one has opened up some great discussions and everyone has some unique points on the book. It has been great fun reading the other reviews.

MMm, I want to go back and reread the conversation with JIm too re Rose and Father Flood, I also thought it was strange that Rose wasn’t married particularly with the emphasis on marriage for women or emigration in those days (in real life)

Agree what was that changing room scene about that Miss Fortini had a crush on her? Eilis was difficult to warm to as someone else said probably because there wasn’t enought details about her, in the end I had trouble imagining her in the bikini all I could think of is that her skin was really white. Do you think the insinuation was that Fr Flood and Rose had a thing maybe before he became ordained?

Hi Marian - what a great detailed review - you brought back some of the bits I had forgotten and I was being coy about the clandestine marriage in case it should carry a spoiler alert! And of course it was no big deal - it was just so dreamlike I had to read back to see if I had dreamt it too! You really got the handle on her personality or lack thereof - she was probably a product of the time and the era. Repressed and oppressed. I like your take on Rose - many people thought she was lesbian as she never married - that was in the Irish Times Book Club comments I linked to in my post - go and take a look - and the Fr. Flood thing was a new angle. and maybe plausible. She did irritate me a lot with her passivity - a lot of people thought that of her. Well done on such a considered review!
If you wish to follow my blog just click on the followers list on the sidebar. I can’t figure out how to follow yours as it seems to be wordpress.It’s probably RSS via Google reader.
All the best, Catherine.
All the best, Catherine.

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