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A review by wolfdan9
Amongst Women by John McGahern
4.5
”He would not take part at all.”
Amongst Women is my second McGahern novel, his most critically acclaimed, perhaps one of my favorite novels, and one that demonstrates a mastery of characterization. Moran is skin-pricklingly real; so much so that I had assumed that he was based on McGahern himself or his own father (before lightly researching the novel and confirming it), as one can only develop a character like him by observing and really living with someone like him. But I felt an embarrassed insecurity as I read that there was some of Moran within myself. Rarely will I read a character, who really is 99% different than me, but whose 1% of shared personality is so acrimonious that I vow to never to be like him. Which is interesting as I interpreted the end of the novel as somewhat of a vindication for Moran. But before I comment on that I should describe who Moran is. His family, which consists of his 3 daughters, 2 sons, and their recently married stepmother, mainly lives with him in fear of his wicked mood changes (although his oldest son is estranged). He is easy to indirectly control; the women and his son Michael know which topics to avoid, when to stay out of his way, etc. and when he does become venomous they all mutually understand that it'll pass. It's comical how Moran, who takes himself so seriously and believes he is a good father instilling principles in his children through tough love, is so easily seen through by his family (and particularly the saintly Rose, his second wife, who holds the family together in spite of him at all turns). Every page is rich with Moran's bitter nature and petulant nastiness. He is passive aggressive, emotionally detached, insulting, stuck in his ways and stubborn to the point of impossibility. The best exemplar of his need for control, which is acquiesced but secretly belittled by his family, is the saying of the rosary every night before dinner. Moran makes a big deal out of this routine, which exemplifies the pointlessness of his strongly held principles, that ostensibly represent some great moral foundation, but in actuality only illustrate his sanctimoniousness.
The story is really framed around an encounter between Moran and his war-time buddy, who is visiting Moran for an annual festival. The frame story, which details their conversation, reveals how they've deviated in their values after the Irish War of Independence (whose geopolitical complexities I won't feign to understand). Moran reveals himself to be unmovable in his feelings about the war and his refusal of his military pension, and McQuaid correctly observes that "some people simply cannot accept being second place" as he leaves the night early, never to be seen (or mentioned) by Moran again. Moran is a man whose identity exists in his refusals, his non-participation in events, his disdain for familiarity or comfort, his distrust in everyone and assertions that he knows best. There is plenty of family drama that occurs in the novel, although there is no real plot of which to speak, that I won't dive into. But Moran's death at the end of the novel did occur to me as somewhat of a redeeming moment for him. At the end of the story, "...as they left him under the yew, it was as if each of them in their different ways had become Daddy." I found this touching. We all gain something from our parents and the hold they have on us, while perhaps greatly negative while they're alive, becomes an important lesson once they're gone. The girls are freed from Moran, but his influence holds stronger. Moreover, the title of the novel "Amongst Women" suggests (beyond that Moran simply lived amongst four women) that these women in his life have gained and become greater as a result of their association and "sticking with" him than Luke or Michael, his two sons. They inherit some spirit of his values, that I felt McGahren implicitly suggested are more valuable than the materialistic financial success of Luke or romantic success of Michael. These two children, who escape Moran's control, become successful by modern social standards of what it is to be a man (wealthy, polyamorous, etc.) but fail completely to be like Moran. The girls, who continue Moran's useless rosary tradition and enjoy their quiet rural lives after his death, are more principled and perhaps spiritually fulfilled in the long run, although this is never confirmed by the author.
Amongst Women is my second McGahern novel, his most critically acclaimed, perhaps one of my favorite novels, and one that demonstrates a mastery of characterization. Moran is skin-pricklingly real; so much so that I had assumed that he was based on McGahern himself or his own father (before lightly researching the novel and confirming it), as one can only develop a character like him by observing and really living with someone like him. But I felt an embarrassed insecurity as I read that there was some of Moran within myself. Rarely will I read a character, who really is 99% different than me, but whose 1% of shared personality is so acrimonious that I vow to never to be like him. Which is interesting as I interpreted the end of the novel as somewhat of a vindication for Moran. But before I comment on that I should describe who Moran is. His family, which consists of his 3 daughters, 2 sons, and their recently married stepmother, mainly lives with him in fear of his wicked mood changes (although his oldest son is estranged). He is easy to indirectly control; the women and his son Michael know which topics to avoid, when to stay out of his way, etc. and when he does become venomous they all mutually understand that it'll pass. It's comical how Moran, who takes himself so seriously and believes he is a good father instilling principles in his children through tough love, is so easily seen through by his family (and particularly the saintly Rose, his second wife, who holds the family together in spite of him at all turns). Every page is rich with Moran's bitter nature and petulant nastiness. He is passive aggressive, emotionally detached, insulting, stuck in his ways and stubborn to the point of impossibility. The best exemplar of his need for control, which is acquiesced but secretly belittled by his family, is the saying of the rosary every night before dinner. Moran makes a big deal out of this routine, which exemplifies the pointlessness of his strongly held principles, that ostensibly represent some great moral foundation, but in actuality only illustrate his sanctimoniousness.
The story is really framed around an encounter between Moran and his war-time buddy, who is visiting Moran for an annual festival. The frame story, which details their conversation, reveals how they've deviated in their values after the Irish War of Independence (whose geopolitical complexities I won't feign to understand). Moran reveals himself to be unmovable in his feelings about the war and his refusal of his military pension, and McQuaid correctly observes that "some people simply cannot accept being second place" as he leaves the night early, never to be seen (or mentioned) by Moran again. Moran is a man whose identity exists in his refusals, his non-participation in events, his disdain for familiarity or comfort, his distrust in everyone and assertions that he knows best. There is plenty of family drama that occurs in the novel, although there is no real plot of which to speak, that I won't dive into. But Moran's death at the end of the novel did occur to me as somewhat of a redeeming moment for him. At the end of the story, "...as they left him under the yew, it was as if each of them in their different ways had become Daddy." I found this touching. We all gain something from our parents and the hold they have on us, while perhaps greatly negative while they're alive, becomes an important lesson once they're gone. The girls are freed from Moran, but his influence holds stronger. Moreover, the title of the novel "Amongst Women" suggests (beyond that Moran simply lived amongst four women) that these women in his life have gained and become greater as a result of their association and "sticking with" him than Luke or Michael, his two sons. They inherit some spirit of his values, that I felt McGahren implicitly suggested are more valuable than the materialistic financial success of Luke or romantic success of Michael. These two children, who escape Moran's control, become successful by modern social standards of what it is to be a man (wealthy, polyamorous, etc.) but fail completely to be like Moran. The girls, who continue Moran's useless rosary tradition and enjoy their quiet rural lives after his death, are more principled and perhaps spiritually fulfilled in the long run, although this is never confirmed by the author.