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amysteele's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this novel much more than I did. Norah is writing about her mother, Irish theatre legend Katherine O'Dell, who shot another actor in the foot and was institutionalized afterward. Katherine O’Dell seemed rather glamorous and eccentric. She hung out with IRA men in New York and Boston in the 1970s, had a gay following and various lovers (as one might expect). Norah reconciles her relationship with her mother and with her mother's art and fame. A delicate balance to be sure. ‘Katherine O’Dell was forty-five years old. She wasn’t forty-five the way people do forty-five these days. She smoked thrity a day and she drank from 6 to whenever. My mother never ate a vegetable unless she was on a diet; she did not, I think, possess a pair of shoes without heels. She talked all day, and got bitter in the evening, when the wine made her face swell and her eyes very green.” Norah didn’t know her father-- “My teenage energies were spent running away from my mother or back to her, and there was, between us, enough love and trouble to keep us busy, with no need for any ‘father’ to distract or intervene.”
kimbofo's review against another edition
3.0
I am an Anne Enright fan. I was so looking forward to this novel that I bought it on the day of release in Australia and spent a weekend reading it at home on my balcony.
It’s about an aged Irish actress, the fictional theatre legend Katherine O’Dell, as seen through the eyes of her daughter, Norah, but it’s less about acting (though that is a major theme) and more about the ties that bind mothers and daughters, and what it is like to live in the shadow of a famous parent. (The cover, by the way, is a nice reflection of the story: it’s Carrie Fisher as a child watching her mother Debbie Reynolds on the stage.)
But for all its beautiful language and its rich characterisation and the authentic insights into human relationships, I came away from this novel thinking, So what? It’s full of dark truths and hidden secrets (but is nicely balanced with a touch of subtle comedy), and I loved the way it chartered Katherine’s career from Hollywood to London’s West End and then her slide into obscurity, but there was just something missing that meant I struggled to fully engage or care about the people depicted…
It’s about an aged Irish actress, the fictional theatre legend Katherine O’Dell, as seen through the eyes of her daughter, Norah, but it’s less about acting (though that is a major theme) and more about the ties that bind mothers and daughters, and what it is like to live in the shadow of a famous parent. (The cover, by the way, is a nice reflection of the story: it’s Carrie Fisher as a child watching her mother Debbie Reynolds on the stage.)
But for all its beautiful language and its rich characterisation and the authentic insights into human relationships, I came away from this novel thinking, So what? It’s full of dark truths and hidden secrets (but is nicely balanced with a touch of subtle comedy), and I loved the way it chartered Katherine’s career from Hollywood to London’s West End and then her slide into obscurity, but there was just something missing that meant I struggled to fully engage or care about the people depicted…
cpaul89's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Actress
By Anne Enright
I guess I just didn't get it. It didn't evoke much connection or emotion from me.
The narrator is the daughter, Norah, of a B-list actress of the golden age of Hollywood. Though she was not truly Irish, her managers dyed her hair red, gave her an Irish stage name (Katherine O'Dell), and had her speak in a fake Irish accent.
Norah documents Katherine's life through non-chronoligical tangents. From the beginning we know that Katherine shot a man, with whom she had history throughout her career, who was tortured with the pain of the injury for a decade before succumbing to the gunshot. Katherine was found effectively unfit to stand trial and withered away in and out of asylums for the remainder of her life.
There is a lot of hardship and the journey Norah undertakes to understand her mother and her mother's experiences through the lens of adulthood rather than her childhood witness. I suppose there is something in that to be acknowledged.
The writing style of the book is very fluid and enjoyable, but the content is disjointed and confusing, and, at times, mostly uninteresting.
By Anne Enright
I guess I just didn't get it. It didn't evoke much connection or emotion from me.
The narrator is the daughter, Norah, of a B-list actress of the golden age of Hollywood. Though she was not truly Irish, her managers dyed her hair red, gave her an Irish stage name (Katherine O'Dell), and had her speak in a fake Irish accent.
Norah documents Katherine's life through non-chronoligical tangents. From the beginning we know that Katherine shot a man, with whom she had history throughout her career, who was tortured with the pain of the injury for a decade before succumbing to the gunshot. Katherine was found effectively unfit to stand trial and withered away in and out of asylums for the remainder of her life.
There is a lot of hardship and the journey Norah undertakes to understand her mother and her mother's experiences through the lens of adulthood rather than her childhood witness. I suppose there is something in that to be acknowledged.
The writing style of the book is very fluid and enjoyable, but the content is disjointed and confusing, and, at times, mostly uninteresting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
yrock007's review against another edition
3.0
Slow going like s rough bike ascent but no downhill behind. The book went nowhere and took its time doing it.
beggarthot's review against another edition
4.0
Some passages were extremely hard to read, so don't read it when you feel melancholic. Very good though
emilyacgm's review against another edition
2.0
Including the open page, some of the writing in this novel is beautiful. But, I was a little bored with the extensive self-reflection and meandering pace.
timg's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
whatkatereadsnext's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
skwinslow's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this story of a complicated mother, narrated by her daughter Norah, the child of a celebrity and no stranger to scandal. I love even more the ways in which Norah's life stands in contrast with her mother's. Norah never comes across as bitter; her life lacks the fame and celebrity of her mother's (not to mention the drama and trauma), but she is a successful writer and happily married mother, who manages to see her mother with clear eyes and loves her anyway.
I really think Enright is brilliant. Period. She takes us straight to the heart of her characters and she does it in perfectly crafted sentences. She writes about difficult people with grace and humor, and I found this a pure pleasure to read.
I really think Enright is brilliant. Period. She takes us straight to the heart of her characters and she does it in perfectly crafted sentences. She writes about difficult people with grace and humor, and I found this a pure pleasure to read.