Amongst Women
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1st edition hardback cover
of Amongst Women |
|
| Author | John McGahern |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Sam McConnell |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
|
Publication date
|
1990 (1st edition) |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 184 pages (hardback 1st edition) |
| ISBN | (hardback 1st edition) |
| OCLC | 22732561 |
| 823/.914 20 | |
| LC Class | PR6063.A2176 A8 1990b |
Amongst Women is a novel by the Irish writer John McGahern (1934–2006). McGahern's best known novel, it is also considered his masterpiece.
Published by Faber and Faber, the novel tells the story of Michael Moran, a bitter, ageing Irish Republican Army (IRA) veteran, and his tyranny over his wife and children, who both love and fear him. It was shortlisted for the 1990 Booker Prize and won The Irish Times/Aer Lingus Literary Award in 1991.
The novel is set in County Leitrim in the rural midlands of Republic of Ireland. The story spans a period of twenty years in the middle of the twentieth century. It centres on Michael Moran, patriarch of the Moran family and a former IRA member who was an officer and guerrilla fighter in the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War in the 1920s. Although Moran is a well-respected member of his community and a devout Catholic, there is a cruel, violent, and controlling side to his character. He dominates the lives of his second wife, Rose, and his five children. His children strive to establish their own lives while remaining loyal to the family. Most of the story is told through the use of flashbacks, as Moran's daughters attempt to recreate Monaghan Day for their elderly and depressed father, because it was the day when he always seemed to be at his best.
The title can be interpreted in two ways. Firstly, the title refers to Moran's largely female household, with much of the book focusing on the domineering relationship between the patriarchal Moran and the women surrounding him. The title also references the traditional prayer, the Hail Mary, which contains the clause "blessed art thou amongst women". This prayer is significant as it is part of the Rosary, which is prayed every day in the Moran household, and the event is a repeating motif throughout the novel.
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