Once again I return to Irish writing in the middle of the twentieth century with Patrick Kavanagh’s first novel The Green Fool. Now it is no secret that I am a fan of Kavanagh’s poetry but having read both of his novels I think it’s safe to say I am now also a fan of his fiction. The Green Fool, published in 1938 is a childhood memoir of Kavanagh’s own life up until the point of publication. Like many books of this kind, one imagines truth would be hard to find in the text but Kavanagh offers more than that, this book offers truths by the boatload regarding Irish life, culture, and psyche.
The Green Fool begins when the writer was only two years old, noticing for the first time the thatch that roofed his family’s meagre home and from brings the reader on a journey through the young man’s life, from work and school, to romance and heartbreak. The book is divided into short chapters, each one of which dealing with a particular event or character in Kavanagh’s life. As the narrative progresses, the reader is treated to an electric and vivid portrayal of rural life at the turn of the twentieth century in Ireland. Stocked full of character, Kavanagh plunges the reader into the world he knows so well.
However, what may be the most enjoyable aspect of the book is Kavanagh’s observations on Irish life and culture. For an example I point to the chapter entitled ‘Schooldays’ where Kavanagh tells the story of a classmate who didn’t have the good sense to lie to her teacher when asked what she had for supper the previous night. Saying of the event:
“We knew when to tell the truth – whenever a lie wouldn’t fit in.”
Another of example of this comes in the chapter entitled ‘Fairyland’, where Kavanagh tells the story of a trip his mother and he took wherein they were caught within the spell of faeries and ended up traveling in circles, never reaching their destination. They were only saved by the following the lead of the ass that carried them, the ass of course being a blessed animal who could bring them out of fairyland.
These stories and observations create a world that has now mostly passed, but will also be familiar to anyone who grew up in rural Ireland. A world of superstition and suspicion, a world of simple evenings and often difficult people. Kavanagh’s book resurrects this world and lays in bare in front of the reader.
Overall, The Green Fool is an enjoyable read. Nothing too difficult or challenging but nonetheless is a valuable documentation of a nearly forgotten Ireland.
Seán Delaney Writing 