Goodreads Ireland discussion

Declan wrote: "@Jamielynn. I meant chick-lit, but we do have the occasional chick flick, too. They're not all made by Irish studios.

Have you heard of The Matchmaker or Leap Year?

They were all made for America..."

I saw Leap Year..cheesy. I haven't seen The Match Maker but I don't like the actress. (Forgot her name)

I was just given/lent a copy of a memoir by a writer from Northern Ireland, (That's That by Colin Broderick) I notice that Barbara has it marked as to read but wondered if anyone else had any knowledge of it.

Sara

@Declan can you say more about "I kind of relate to your point, though. As horrible as the 'brave new world seemed,' it never seemed terrible or frightening in any real way."

I don't know why they make such cheesy Irish romances for us dumb Americans. The Match Maker starred Jeannie Garafalo who is a little off-putting anyway. I don't know why anyone would cast her in a romance. There was another one with Pierce Brosnan/Julianne Moore that was dreadful. You would think it would be good as they are good actors but no.

Niall wrote: "Jamielynn wrote: "Huxley was an LSD addict a genius."

I polished that up a bit there for ya ;)

Seriously though: Jamielynn wrote: "That's another one of those books that sticks with you because i..."


Niall Yes it makes perfect sense! Great description. I guess I use the word dark for creepy sometimes. It was kind of creepy. Your description is far more intelligent.

As far as romance goes, I don't poo-poo the genre but it's not my favorite. I avoid the romance section in the library. It just isn't my thing.

Sara wrote: "@Declan can you say more about "I kind of relate to your point...""

Sure, Sara.

I can't stand the thought of living in Huxley's London. It's a world without family and love and everything just seems so homogeneous and unappealing. There don't even seem to be any friendships of real value. And the caste system is appalling. When I read that book originally London felt like a cross between a hospital and workplace cafeteria. But as dystopian views of the future go, it's not exactly the most horrific one sci-fi has produced.

There's no crime, people meet regularly for recreational sex (without any form of social guilt attached) and they have soma to take the edge off. As much as I dislike it, it's a society where I could probably fit in quite easily.

John Savage might have fared better if he didn't arrive in London as an outsider from being an outsider in the outlands(?)

I'd sooner go to Huxley's London than a few countries in the world today. That's for sure.

Susan, I don't know the film you're talking about, but it's Irish man American woman, again.

Do American men not like Irish women? Lol!

Declan wrote: "Susan, I don't know the film you're talking about, but it's Irish man American woman, again.

Do American men not like Irish women? Lol!"


Switched here...My dad the Irishman liked an American woman. But my American uncle liked an Irish woman.

Susan wrote: "I don't know why they make such cheesy Irish romances for us dumb Americans. The Match Maker starred Jeannie Garafalo who is a little off-putting anyway. I don't know why anyone would cast her in a..."


...but I really like Pierce Brosnan just the same. It was a cheesy flick though. I am not fond of romantic comedies whether they be Irish or strictly American. They just aren't my cup of tea. I know I already said that. lol

@Jamielynn. Pierce Brosnan is a legend. That is all.

Declan wrote: "@Jamielynn. Pierce Brosnan is a legend. That is all."

Pierce Brosnan was in a movie about 10 years ago. I think it was called Evelyn (?) about a widowed father and his children. It was a little sentimental, but I liked it--and I especially liked Pierce Brosnan (as cool as he is) not playing the cool, suave James Bond characters he usually plays. I think it showed his range.

My ma and sisters loved it, but I put it on the long finger. As much as I like him, he just doesn't look like the working class people I grew up around.

Declan wrote: "My ma and sisters loved it, but I put it on the long finger. As much as I like him, he just doesn't look like the working class people I grew up around."

[scaomk -- spews coffee all over keyboard ] Ehm. Neither might Geo. Clooney then. But he's from the folk in Kilkenny. One of the best-looking men I ever saw was in co. KK, on the tail end of a three days' binge in the local from the looks of it. He must be related to Clooney. Or, to Brosnan.

I'm sure his leading-man good looks help Brosnan get roles, and the ladies, but there's a reason why Brenda Fricker was perfect as Christy Brown's ma, and not someone in the cut of Joan Collins. Accents aside, she just doesn't like someone who's ever done a hard days work in her life. That's exactly what I think of Brosnan in this role.

He really did. When I was a kid I loved Remington Steele. It was all down to Brosnan's comic timing.

Do you remember the show?

She was in Baywatch!? That's a great piece of trivia.

Declan wrote: "He really did. When I was a kid I loved Remington Steele. It was all down to Brosnan's comic timing.

Do you remember the show?"


Fun show. They showed old re runs of it last year.

I like the fact that Brosnan took a break from his career to take care of his wife when she had cancer.

@Jamielynn. I'm sure I can find them somewhere online. I'd bet that someone has uploaded whole episodes onto YouTube.

I remember when Brosnan took that career break. If, heaven forbid, something like that were to happen to my family, I l'd like to think.I coukd rally behind them like that.

@LMM. I remember them both, but have little memory of the Famous Five. I remember a surprising amount of the theme song, though.

I could never sit through a whole episode of Wurzel. I'd cringe with embarrassment for him to the point of watching the show through my fingers.

Ah cousin Pierce (my last name is Brosnan, so the family joke is that we're related)...Actually, if I had a nickel for every time I've been asked (say when checking in at the airport) if I'm related...

I know your pain, Sara. My surname is Lyons, which is the biggest tea conpany in Ireland. I used to get loads of cheeky comments like 'milk and sugar,' or people would sing the their slogan, 'Lyons the quality tea.' Thanfully it seems to have stopped.

As an aside, I think Pierce would make a pretty cool uncle.

There's a bar in Dingle called The Brosnans started by an Irish ex-footballer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Ba...) that my family saw on one of our trips to Ireland. There's a picture of Pierce with Paddy Bawn in the bar before Paddy Bawn died. I'm also told that Bawn in Gaelic means blonde or white. So like most of the men in my family Paddy (and likely Pierce as well) probably developed white hair early...so we joke that Pierce Brosnan has been dying his hair for years.

Declan wrote: "Barbara, I think I've said before (possibly in the movie the movie thread) that The Quiet Man is more racist than Nazi propaganda.

The Quiet Man in 5 seconds: "Faith an' begorah! I'd better not h..."

That is awful and fits in with my comments in the "nothing to do with books" thread about offensive notions about the Irish.

yeah, Bán means white. I have to say, I've never met anyone with the name.

Have you been to Kerry, yourself?

Declan wrote: "My ma and sisters loved it, but I put it on the long finger. As much as I like him, he just doesn't look like the working class people I grew up around."

Catherine - I liked the film too, mostly because it revealed an unknown piece of Irish history.
Declan - I too found Pierce too polished to come off as a working class guy but Hollywood has to have a draw. The proposal for the film Once was to have Cillian Murphy play "Guy". I like Murphy a lot but Glen Hansard was the only one who could do the role justice. Hansard would have been great as the father in Evelyn - though he was probably too young for the role when the film was made.

@Barbara. They fit together, right enough. Those Irish stereotypes seem to survive because they produce a fondness for Ireland. Maybe that's why most Irish people aren't bothered by them?

It often feels like it's just me.

I think it was probably a nick name.

I have been to Kerry. Since I've been on three trips, I've been to quite a few different places in Ireland (although likely not as many as Barbara). It's been 9 years since the last time I was there, but I remember Dingle (for the family connection) and the Aran Islands being highlights.

I've never been to The Aran Islands, funnily. Most people I know have been at least once with their schools. Somehow I've managed to miss out.

@LMM. They do. I'm trying to think of a well-known film that properly portrays modern Ireland without the tongue-in-cheek humour

I meant to add earlier that I startef my first audio book today: Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.

I've got to say, I'm quite enjoying the experience.

@LMM. I'm going to chew on that for a while. Surely I can think of at least one.

Yes and no! The voice of the reader is well-paced, but I would read much faster. I was listening while I walked my dog, but there weren't the same distractions.

Overall, I think I'll spend more time listening than I would have reading.

@Allan. I'm going to download that app. 1.5 speed would be grand. Especially when the reader likes to make dramatic pauses.

@LMM. I started doing this to get more from my walks with my dog, as Allan and John recommended. Think of it as something separate from your home reading.

I remember some of the tips you and discussed. We can't all live a 1 The Bronx, though.

I might just try the UK store. I don't plan on going audio-book crazy, so it should suffice. If not I'll just have to use my New York address and open a US account.

Two quick things about Remington Steele. Stephanie Zimbalist was in the show with him and she was not a Bay Watch babe. Her father was Efrem Zimbalist Jr. who was a big TV star in the late 50's.
Brosnan did not turn down the Bond role. He REALLY wanted it and tried to get a break from RS to do it. RS refused to do anything to cooperate. They made 4 new episodes, just long enough for him to lose the Bond film, and then cancelled the series. It was really a chicken shi_ thing to do.
I just watched him today in a grown-up love story "Love is all you need". It was very good even though most of it was in Dutch.

Declan wrote: "I know your pain, Sara. My surname is Lyons, which is the biggest tea conpany in Ireland. I used to get loads of cheeky comments like 'milk and sugar,' or people would sing the their slogan, 'Lyons..."

There was a big chain of restaurants in Cal. called Lyons. I haven't seen them around for awhile so maybe they retired to Ireland. Are you secretly wealthy?

@Susan. Unfortunately, no, I'm not wealthy. I think the American expression is "as poor as dirt."

@LMM & Susan. That sounds pretty complex for the simple act of signing an actor to do a movie.

I think it worked out well for Brosnan. Timothy Dalton was unfairly blamed for three sub-par Bond movies. I think that they were just poorly written abd doubt Brosnan could have done anything to improve them.

Haha coincidentally there was a re-run of Remington Steele on TV today!

I've found a few episodes on YouTube. I'll enjoy watching them during the week.

Hey all, I almost died of a cold this weekend. Crept up on me out of nowhere and couldn't move from bed at all, at all. Broke out Les Miserables and starting reading it this morning after I started recovering somewhat...bloody hell it's bleak! Oddly though, I felt stronger reading it because I knew...I only had a cold, they had French society. :P Ah no, for serious, they had awful problems. Anyone read it? I've seen both films and listened to the musical soundtrack, so I was a little worried I'd not like the book after that but asides from it being a little over-written and maybe sometimes me missing the contemporary references it's actually equally as enjoyable. Jean Valjean is great.

I've never indulged in the story at all, Niall, but when I do it'll be thee book. Especially after your very positive comments.

I picked up Instructions for a Heatwave at the library the other day based upon how much Barbara and Susan loved it. I'm only 28 pages into it myself, but I'm loving it already. What really stands out to me is the author use of detail...in particular color. The author is also good at "showing not telling," which Kevin Maher in The Fields utterly fails at.

I added it after Barbara and Susan recommended it. I think I'll have to bump it up the list, Sara.

I'm not sure how much you would like it, Declan. It's pretty much a female oriented book. But you are always full of suprises.

I joined GR to broaden my horizons. And remember how few female authors were on my Read shelf before you brought up the subject.

Actually, it sounds like it could quite easily stand alongside one of Sebastian Barry's novels of the Dunne family, particularly the sisters. I don't see why it may not be to my tastes.

I've just finished Instructions for a Heatwava and I only gave it 2 out of 5. Too many cliches for my liking.

Just finished Star of the Sea last night. It really is a great book - I felt completely immersed in O'Connor's world and gripped by the character's stories. It can be quite distressing to read about the devastating effect the famine had on Irish families and their desperate attempts to flee, but I really admire his fearless approach. The epilogue left me a bit stumped though - was the narrator the murderer?

@ LMM - if you want something to read where you don't have to think too much it's perfect.

@Kate. I'm a little disappointed to hear that. I'd only heard good things about it up until now and I was beginning to look forward to reading it. I think I'll still persevere with it though.

@Evie. SotS is one of my all-time favourite novels, in spite of certain liberties taken by O'Connor. There were certain parts that I'll never forget, and they're all quite haunting. And Pius Mulvey is one of the mos interesting characters I've ever read.