Utterly terrific!

 

5 stars

Good Behaviour proved to be the deliciously dark and funny tragicomedy I needed right now. I gobbled it up like cheddar and onion crisps, it was such a delight. Written in the 80s, I wonder how I never heard of this before? It was hilarious and sad in equal measure. Well, maybe not 'equal' as it was far funnier than I could have guessed.

In Good Behaviour we dwell amongst the Irish landed gentry in the early 20th century. The St. Charles family estate is in steady decline, with money in short supply, but that is too vulgar to mention, I'm sure. Aroon tells the tale of her quirky family and at first we readers might mistake her for being painfully naive, which she may well be. Or, is she very aware and just too polite to call a spade a spade? Regardless, the story that unfolds is comedy gold of the high society sort.

Aroon is a girl at a disadvantage. In the 20s girls are meant to be small and athletic and she is anything but. A big girl, she is shunned by her mother and in desperate search for affection and approval from her father and brother, mainly. As her story, and that of her family, unfolds we learn more of what they get up to and Aroon's unique view on events.

Pure genius, I will look for more books written by Molly Keane and am so thankful for Virago Modern Classics and their reprint of 'classics with bite'. Good Behaviour is, certainly, the perfect example of such a work of fiction. I hope you agree.