Criticism > Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism > Brennan, Maeve - Ambrose Clancy (review date 23 March 1998)

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Ambrose Clancy (review date 23 March 1998)

SOURCE: Clancy, Ambrose. “Irish Elsewheres.” Nation 266 (23 March 1998): 33, 36.

[In the following excerpt from a review of The Springs of Affection and works by two other authors, Clancy discusses Brennan's controlled writing and her delineation of her characters' deepest thoughts.]

It seems a guest staying at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin, has just eased into his morning bath when a knock comes from the hall door. A young man's voice: “Message for you, sir.” The guest sinks deeper in the tub, calling out, “Just slip it under the door.” Long pause. Then: “I would, sir. Only, you see, it's on this silver plate.”

Funny, yes. But it's a joke with different meanings, depending on the teller. One interpretation is that the porter is a donkey. Another is that the poor fellow is so cowed by authority that he obeys orders to the letter and will live his life in a halter. And...

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1. Introduction
2. Principal Works
3. Criticism
   1. John Updike (review date October 1969)
   2. Helen Rogan (review date 1 July 1974)
   3. Robert Kiely (essay date 4 August 1974)
   4. Jay Parini (review date 14 December 1997)
   5. Ambrose Clancy (review date 23 March 1998)
   6. Linda Barrett Osborne (review date 20 February 2000)
   7. Michael Porter (review date 26 November 2000)
4. Further Reading
5. Copyright