Status
Available
Genres
Publication
W. W. Norton & Company (2023), 288 pages
Description
An incandescent novel from one of our greatest living novelists (The Times) about the inheritance of trauma, wonder, and love across three generations of women. Nell McDaragh never knew her grandfather, the celebrated Irish poet Phil McDaragh. But his love poems seem to speak directly to her. Restless and wryly self-assured, at twenty-two Nell leaves her mother Carmel's orderly home to find her own voice as a writer (mostly online, ghost-blogging for an influencer) and to live a poetical life. As she chases obsessive love, damage, and transcendence, in Dublin and beyond, her grandfather's poetry seems to guide her home. Nell's mother, Carmel McDaragh, knows the magic of her Daddo's poetry too wellthe kind of magic that makes women in their nighties slip outside for a kiss and then elope, as her mother Terry had done. In his poems to Carmel, Phil envisions his daughter as a bright-eyed wren ascending in escape from his hand. But it is Phil who departs, abandoning his wife and two young daughters. Carmel struggles to reconcile "the poet" with the father whose desertion scars her life, along with that of her fiercely dutiful sister and their gentle, cancer-ridden mother. To distance herself from this betrayal, Carmel turns inward, raising Nell, her daughter, and one trusted love, alone. The Wren, the Wren brings to life three generations of McDaragh women who must contend with inheritancesof poetic wonder and of abandonment by a man who is lauded in public and carelessly selfish at home. Their other, stronger inheritance is a sustaining love that is "more than a strand of DNA, but a rope thrown from the past, a fat twisted rope, full of blood." In sharp prose studded with crystalline poetry, Anne Enright masterfully braids a family story of longing, betrayal, and hope.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member vancouverdeb
A thinly plotted , non-linear story. I do enjoy character driven novels, but these characters were not well realized, nor interesting, nor sympathetic. I did not find much to like about this book, and I was glad to finish the last page.
The story is narrated by Nell, a young woman, and her mother,
When the novel opens, Nell is in an abusive relationship with a man named Felim. Felim likes to flip through images of porn while he has sex with Nell, and he snaps pictures with his phone of Nell having sex with him , and uploads this to the net. Nell thinks of this relationship, p129, " I was just a throwaway thing, not just for him, but for the people that paid me" etc. She wonders if she had a proper job, a proper place to live , would she have a proper relationship? But I ask myself , why are you in this relationship.
Nell's mother Carmel, wanted a child, but not a husband or any sort of long term relationship as a result of her father leaving her mother. There is some poetry peppered throughout the book, which I was unable to appreciate. I know for many this is a great read, but not for me.
2.5 stars.
The story is narrated by Nell, a young woman, and her mother,
Show More
Carmel , and briefly by Phil McDaragh, Carmel's now dead father, who was a somewhat famous poet in Ireland. A quote from Nell regarding her grandfather Phil , p.241 " My grandfather loved my grandmother so much you could not be in the same room with them, as they flamed in the presence of others"... " they both knew it could not last". This quote is taken from a poet named Harvey in a letter of condolence following Phil's death. This is a kind of love I don't understand. A love that flames, yet must die. I guess this explains why Phil was a philanderer and left his wife Terry while she was suffering with breast cancer.When the novel opens, Nell is in an abusive relationship with a man named Felim. Felim likes to flip through images of porn while he has sex with Nell, and he snaps pictures with his phone of Nell having sex with him , and uploads this to the net. Nell thinks of this relationship, p129, " I was just a throwaway thing, not just for him, but for the people that paid me" etc. She wonders if she had a proper job, a proper place to live , would she have a proper relationship? But I ask myself , why are you in this relationship.
Nell's mother Carmel, wanted a child, but not a husband or any sort of long term relationship as a result of her father leaving her mother. There is some poetry peppered throughout the book, which I was unable to appreciate. I know for many this is a great read, but not for me.
2.5 stars.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CarltonC
Not sure what to make of this beautifully written book.
It felt hard work, with three narrators, none particularly likeable and the narratives jumping in time, not because of the narrators and jumping per se, but because I’m trying to work out how these pieces of narrative fit together, whether
Okay, so we’re thrown into the stream of a very modern, self conscious consciousness of Irish, Trinity College graduate Nell, talking about her abusive relationship in a self consciously elliptical way (interspersed with blog entries (or whatever), which are the content that she is writing for an influencer).
She’s talking about sex, failure and death. This is not going to be a happy story. Is Enright taking the mick, is this a meta-fiction of some kind, are we reading this ironically, are we observers, standing outside the book, watching the reader construing what has been written by the author?
What’s it all about?
Oh, it’s an abusive love story between Nell and Felim - “my little adventure in abjection.”
“Oh, control,” says Carmel. ... “Good luck with that,” she says.
We then switch to Carmel, Nell’s mother, who is the younger daughter of a father who walked out on Carmel’s mother after a mastectomy.
Back and forth the unhappy narrative passes between Nell and Carmel, until about two thirds of the way through the book we briefly switch to Phil, the poet, whose poetry has been scattered through the book as chapter headings and breaks between voices. Phil, who has loomed large as the inspired but violent absence, after he abandoned Carmel and her mother for the American woman who became his second wife.
So the book is about the trauma of abusive relationships and how that can reverberate down generations. But, that’s a bit, well, lazy, just to hang the narrative on that “issue” and expect this reader to emotionally engage with an episodic collection of narratives. It just didn’t coalesce into something bigger, more linked, than the multi person storylines.
Beautifully written but a underwhelming narrative.
One thing I realised with Phil calling the Sidhe, Shee, and little people, fairies (all one and the same), was how mainstream English language continues to modify/corrupt what might be published in order to obtain greater comprehension from all English readers. Enright does use Irish words, blaggard for example, but I felt like the language may have been adjusted for the ease of the reader.
I received a Netgalley copy of this book, but this review is my honest opinion.
It felt hard work, with three narrators, none particularly likeable and the narratives jumping in time, not because of the narrators and jumping per se, but because I’m trying to work out how these pieces of narrative fit together, whether
Show More
they do fit together. Is there action and reaction, or does it just happen to be glimpses into the lives of millennial online daughter Nell, single successful working mother Carmel, “not terribly famous” poet grandfather Phil.Okay, so we’re thrown into the stream of a very modern, self conscious consciousness of Irish, Trinity College graduate Nell, talking about her abusive relationship in a self consciously elliptical way (interspersed with blog entries (or whatever), which are the content that she is writing for an influencer).
She’s talking about sex, failure and death. This is not going to be a happy story. Is Enright taking the mick, is this a meta-fiction of some kind, are we reading this ironically, are we observers, standing outside the book, watching the reader construing what has been written by the author?
What’s it all about?
Oh, it’s an abusive love story between Nell and Felim - “my little adventure in abjection.”
“Oh, control,” says Carmel. ... “Good luck with that,” she says.
We then switch to Carmel, Nell’s mother, who is the younger daughter of a father who walked out on Carmel’s mother after a mastectomy.
Back and forth the unhappy narrative passes between Nell and Carmel, until about two thirds of the way through the book we briefly switch to Phil, the poet, whose poetry has been scattered through the book as chapter headings and breaks between voices. Phil, who has loomed large as the inspired but violent absence, after he abandoned Carmel and her mother for the American woman who became his second wife.
So the book is about the trauma of abusive relationships and how that can reverberate down generations. But, that’s a bit, well, lazy, just to hang the narrative on that “issue” and expect this reader to emotionally engage with an episodic collection of narratives. It just didn’t coalesce into something bigger, more linked, than the multi person storylines.
Beautifully written but a underwhelming narrative.
One thing I realised with Phil calling the Sidhe, Shee, and little people, fairies (all one and the same), was how mainstream English language continues to modify/corrupt what might be published in order to obtain greater comprehension from all English readers. Enright does use Irish words, blaggard for example, but I felt like the language may have been adjusted for the ease of the reader.
I received a Netgalley copy of this book, but this review is my honest opinion.
Show Less
LibraryThing member PhilipJHunt
It’s probably worth 5 stars because it is so evocatively written. Enright could write about a fly on the wall, and I would enjoy reading it. The plot meanders along. Gradually a picture builds up. Gaps are filled. It’s like poetry. It IS poetic. Glad I read it.
LibraryThing member srms.reads
3.75⭐
“The connection between us is more than a strand of DNA, it is a rope thrown from the past, a fat twisted rope, full of blood.”
As the novel begins, we meet twenty-two-year-old Nell, who seeks to carve out a life for herself as a writer. Her need to be independent prompts her to move out
The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright is an intense novel that explores the impact of trauma and the deep scars that are passed down through generations of a family. Anne Enright does a remarkable job of portraying the complex mother-daughter dynamic between Nell and Carmen. Multiple perspectives (Nell, Carmel and a brief segment from the PoV of Phil), allow us to explore the motivations, expectations and trauma experienced by the main characters which not only impacts their relationships but also influences their worldview and life choices. Personally, I found Carmel’s perspective the most compelling. The narrative is a tad disjointed and the structure is non-linear, which renders the story somewhat difficult to follow. I loved the poetry interspersed throughout the narrative and thought the sentiments conveyed through those verses beautifully carried the story forward. Despite the lack of cohesiveness throughout the course of the narrative, the author has done a commendable job of weaving the three main threads of the story together into a satisfying ending. I should mention that I did find one particularly descriptive scene of animal cruelty disturbing.
Many thanks to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“The connection between us is more than a strand of DNA, it is a rope thrown from the past, a fat twisted rope, full of blood.”
As the novel begins, we meet twenty-two-year-old Nell, who seeks to carve out a life for herself as a writer. Her need to be independent prompts her to move out
Show More
of her mother’s home despite the financial struggles and loneliness it might entail. Nell’s relationship with her mother is complicated. Carmel, the daughter of Irish poet Phil McDaragh, carries the scars of a troubled childhood. Her father abandoned his family – Carmel, her sister and their terminally ill mother for greener pastures but left them with a legacy of debt and emotional trauma. Nell never met her grandfather but has been exposed to his work and is curious to know more about him. As the narrative progresses, we follow Nell as embarks on a deeply personal journey of self-awareness and healing, dealing with her frustration with her work and her relationship with Felim, who is controlling and abusive. We also follow Carmel’s story and are given a glimpse into how her experiences have taken a toll on her personal relationships and contributed to her inability to connect with her daughter, whom she loves dearly.The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright is an intense novel that explores the impact of trauma and the deep scars that are passed down through generations of a family. Anne Enright does a remarkable job of portraying the complex mother-daughter dynamic between Nell and Carmen. Multiple perspectives (Nell, Carmel and a brief segment from the PoV of Phil), allow us to explore the motivations, expectations and trauma experienced by the main characters which not only impacts their relationships but also influences their worldview and life choices. Personally, I found Carmel’s perspective the most compelling. The narrative is a tad disjointed and the structure is non-linear, which renders the story somewhat difficult to follow. I loved the poetry interspersed throughout the narrative and thought the sentiments conveyed through those verses beautifully carried the story forward. Despite the lack of cohesiveness throughout the course of the narrative, the author has done a commendable job of weaving the three main threads of the story together into a satisfying ending. I should mention that I did find one particularly descriptive scene of animal cruelty disturbing.
Many thanks to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
Reason read: shared read, TIOLI, best of 2023. This was a book that received some attention in 2023. I've read 2 previous books by Enright. This is my least favorite. It is about family and about trauma and I know that trauma is a difficult thing but this was just plain not my thing; it is too much
Show More
about sex, too much about menstruation, too swearing and just not enough story. I did appreciate this line; "love is a higher function, sex is a beast". This is very true and probably the heart of the subject of this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carmenere
I must admit there was something about this book that propelled me to complete it. Perhaps that something was Nell's restlessness and her search for romantic love and her grandfather, Phil, she only knows by his poetry.
The story is told from the perspectives of Nell and her mother, Carmel. Little
We discover The Wren, The Wren was a poem penned by her deceased grandfather for her mother when she was just a child. We discover her grandfather believed in fairies and loved the Irish landscape. We discover another side to Phil, he deserted his first wife when she lost a breast to cancer and simultaneously his two young daughters then marries again.
I suppose this novel explores the means to which these women reconcile to the fact that Phil although a lover of nature and birds and fairies could also be a cold hearted sob.
The story is told from the perspectives of Nell and her mother, Carmel. Little
Show More
by little Phil is revealed to reader and also to Nell.We discover The Wren, The Wren was a poem penned by her deceased grandfather for her mother when she was just a child. We discover her grandfather believed in fairies and loved the Irish landscape. We discover another side to Phil, he deserted his first wife when she lost a breast to cancer and simultaneously his two young daughters then marries again.
I suppose this novel explores the means to which these women reconcile to the fact that Phil although a lover of nature and birds and fairies could also be a cold hearted sob.
Show Less
Awards
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2024)
Irish Book Award (Nominee — Novel — 2023)
BookTube Prize (Octofinalist — Fiction — 2024)
Writers' Prize (Winner — Fiction — 2024)
NPR: Books We Love (2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2023)
The best books of 2023 | The Guardian (Fiction)
Language
Original language
English