Julia O'Faolain Criticism
Julia O'Faolain's work stands as a significant contribution to both Irish literature and feminist discourse, characterized by her clear, informed style and her ability to engage deeply with themes of identity, history, and societal roles. Her novels skillfully traverse historical and contemporary landscapes, shedding light on the complexities of personal and national identity. Women in the Wall, for instance, is lauded for its historical detail and modern relevance, as noted by Margaret Ferrari, and praised by John Mellors for its vivid imagination.
Her debut novel, Godded and Codded, illustrates her stylish, allusive narrative despite its conventional plot, as Alan Ross discusses, while Three Lovers delves into intricate character development, a theme praised by J. R. Frakes, although Sally Beauman and Alfred Kazin critique it for its conventional plot and character depth.
O'Faolain's engagement with Irish nationalism and its impact on women is critically examined in No Country for Young Men. This novel dismantles traditional myths and reveals the political entrapment of women, a point analyzed by Thomas R. Moore, with Ann Owens Weekes commending O'Faolain's "acid intelligence" in exposing underlying truths. While Hermione Lee and Patricia Craig point out a disordered narrative due to the novel's ambitious scope, Simon Blow appreciates its attempt to capture Ireland's complexities.
Despite some critiques regarding a sense of incompleteness, such as T. Patrick Hill's observations on The Irish Signorina, O'Faolain's intelligent handling of political and social issues, coupled with her use of satire, continues to garner acclaim. Her feminist perspectives and her honest portrayal of women's societal roles reinforce her reputation as a powerful literary voice.
Contents
- Principal Works
- O'Faolain, Julia (Vol. 6)
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O'Faolain, Julia (Vol. 19)
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Fiction: 'Three Lovers'
(summary)
In the following essay, Sally Beauman critiques Julia O'Faolain's novel "Three Lovers" for its insightful portrayal of female perspective and the superficiality of relationships, though she notes the conventional plot structure detracts from the innovative narrative style and diminishes the impact of the novel's poignant moments.
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Fiction as a Social Gathering
(summary)
In the following essay, Alfred Kazin critiques Julia O'Faolain's Three Lovers for its portrayal of characters who lack depth and significance, arguing that their emptiness and predictability reflect a profound sense of evil and nullity.
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Animality and Turtledom
(summary)
In the following essay, John Mellors argues that Julia O'Faolain's Women in the Wall effectively captures the essence of the Dark Ages, achieving a "truth of fiction" through vivid imagination and skillful narrative, while acknowledging the impossibility of verifying historical accuracy.
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Most Distressful Country
(summary)
In the following essay, Hermione Lee argues that Julia O'Faolain's No Country for Young Men is an ambitious novel that adeptly addresses the complexities of Irish history and identity, despite occasionally risking didacticism, through a dual narrative spanning from 1921 to 1979.
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Cocktail Drugs
(summary)
In the following essay, Simon Blow argues that Julia O'Faolain's novel "No Country for Young Men" struggles with coherence due to its attempt to capture the complex and chaotic nature of Irish issues through a disorganized narrative.
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Those Dying Generations
(summary)
In the following essay, Patricia Craig critiques Julia O'Faolain's novel "No Country for Young Men" for its ambitious yet sometimes disordered narrative structure, highlighting its exploration of Irish history, societal observations, and the complexity of personal relationships, while noting its struggle to cohesively integrate diverse elements into a unified thematic whole.
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Fiction: 'Three Lovers'
(summary)
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O'Faolain, Julia (Vol. 108)
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Carry on Codding
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Ross praises O'Faolain's Godded and Codded, describing it as an immensely stylish and richly allusive performance, despite its fairly routine plot about sexual awakening.
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Judas-Hole Vision of Hell
(summary)
In the following review, Frakes lauds O'Faolain's Three Lovers, highlighting the coming-of-age journey of Sally Tyndal in Paris and her interactions with three distinct lovers, each contributing to her complex character development.
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Under Orders
(summary)
In the following review, Pulvertaft praises "the clear, tough style" of O'Faolain's Women in the Wall, but complains that the author imposes modern prejudices on the story.
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Women in the Wall
(summary)
In the following review, Ferrari lauds O'Faolain's Women in the Wall as "engrossing for its historical detail, its present relevance and its strikingly powerful style." Julia O'Faolain's Women in the Wall is an impressive, exciting historical novel. Reading this taut story from beginning to end, the reader is left with a feeling that a fragment of history, the sixth century, the very beginning of the dark ages, has been illuminated brilliantly.
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Diarmuid and Gráinne Again: Julia O'Faolain's No Country for Old Men
(summary)
In the following essay, Weekes traces how O'Faolain's No Country for Old Men portrays the relationship between women and the political situation in Ireland.
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The Irish Signorina
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Hill states that "In The Irish Signorina, Julia O'Faolain has written a novel of beginnings and no endings so that a pervasive incompleteness to both character and plot takes a heavy toll on the reader, but especially on the work itself."
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Julia O'Faolain: The Imaginative Crucible
(summary)
In the following essay, Owens Weekes discusses O'Faolain's deconstruction of ancient Irish myths and tradition.
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Triangles and Entrapment: Julia O'Faolain's No Country for Young Men
(summary)
In the following essay, Moore analyzes the triangular relationships at work in O'Faolain's No Country for Young Men, revealing a paradigm of control and entrapment of women throughout Irish history.
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Woman Across Time: Sister Judith Remembers
(summary)
In the following essay, Vandale traces how 'Through Judith [in O'Faolain's No Country for Young Men] we see how the lives of women in Ireland have been, are, and no doubt will continue to be affected by war, politics, men, and the Church.'
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A Question of Infallibility
(summary)
In the following review, Gilmore praises O'Faolain's The Judas Cloth as "[a] powerful, original and intelligent novel."
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Stephen Dedalus in Paris?: Joycean Elements in Julia O'Faolain's Three Lovers
(summary)
In the following essay, Mastin analyzes Fintan McCann from O'Faolain's Three Lovers as a refiguration of James Joyce's Stephen Dedalus.
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Carry on Codding
(summary)
- Further Reading
Criticism by Julia O'Faolain
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Desperate Remedies
Margaret Atwood Criticism
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Objects of Eros
Doris Lessing Criticism
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The Saving Touch of Fantasy
William Trevor Criticism
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Small-Town Snobbery in Canada
Alice Munro Criticism
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The Suffering Classes
Pat Barker Criticism
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Getting Away with Murder
Beryl Bainbridge Criticism
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Keeping the Peace
Colm Tóibín Criticism
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Slices of Life and Death
Beryl Bainbridge Criticism
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Not Nice Girls
Hilary Mantel Criticism
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Julia O'Faolain
Mark Helprin Criticism
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The O'Faolain Tradition
Seán O'Faoláin Criticism
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The Boy Who Wanted to Know
Seamus Deane Criticism
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Irish Innocence
Bernard Mac Laverty Criticism