Araby

by Gretta Mulrooney

A funny and intensely moving portrait of childhood, death and a man’s relationship with his larger-than-life mother. This poignant, witty, warm-hearted yet unsentimental novel charts the turbulent relationship of a mother and son.

As a young boy, Rory Keenan finds his mother bewilderingly and embarrassingly eccentric as his childhood is punctuated by hilarious, cringe-making episodes caused entirely by her unpredictable behaviour and bizarre habits and exploits. Kitty has a huge appetite – for food, for mysterious imaginary illnesses and for strange hobbies. Her irrepressible, opinionated nature ensures that she (and against his will, Rory too) is the centre of any attention to be had.

At the end of Kitty’s life, Rory, now a grown man, begins to come to terms with his confused feelings for Kitty – he loves her devotedly, but nevertheless her cussedness still infuriates him. As memories and secrets from his family’s stormy past in Ireland and London echo through the tragedy of her final, very real illness we are given an outstandingly vivid and compassionate vision of life, love and death.

182 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Gretta Mulrooney (1952-2023) was a British author of mystery, thriller, and crime novels. Born and raised in London to Irish parents, Mulrooney began publishing novels in her 30s, working with publishers such as Poolberg Press, Harper Collins, and Joffre Books.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little novel that tells the story of a man who has returned to County Cork, Ireland, from his home in London to visit his parents who have moved back there after having lived many years in England. The contrasts between Irish rural and English urban living are a constant theme, but the real story is the narrator's struggle between his genuine love and deep bond with his mother, and his resentment over her many idiosyncrasies, foibles, and downright weirdness that embarrassed and confused him as he was growing up. His mother's health deteriorates and eventually he is confronted with her dying and with the secrets his family has kept throughout his lifetime. None of these secrets are Gothic or gory, but they are tinged with the sort of inevitable sadness of choices forced upon unwitting and flawed actors in life's pageant. The over all mood of the novel is one of great tenderness, perhaps most memorably portrayed by an incident the narrator (Rory) remembers from his boyhood when his mother befriended a little Traveler girl and gave her a day to remember. This is short and charming read with moments of terrific humor (the scene in the tea shop where the mother gets even with a rude server is my favorite).

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, both funny and poignant.

[Trudy Dickinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Seeing Rory's Ma through his child's eye alternating with the poignant present was marvellous.

It's a little book but it will stay with me I think.

[Julieanne Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me so much of my Irish dad and my relationship with him. The mother in the book is very eccentric, it was a delightful little read.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully human, moving without being sentimental. I am very impressed with this debut novel. It beggars belief Mulrooney isn't more widely read given how good this is.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little novel of Family.

It covers many topics in its 200 pages - from how we maintain, distance from, keep secrets, and tolerate family, to religion and Catholic guilt in Ireland.

The novel centres on Rory, the devoted son. His mother Kitty is larger than life and the soul of the novel. Much of the comedy comes from her. Rory's calm acceptance of his mothers ways and his closeness with her was really poignant and moving at times. I thought Rory could have asserted himself more, and that there could have bene more to his character, but maybe that was the result of the family dynamic. The lasting gift of this book might be to consider our own family's.

Its a well written book, buoyant, moving, funny and paced exactly right.

4 stars.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this several months ago and am still surprised at the powerful emotional wallop it gave me. As a first-person account of the narrator's hard-to-like mother it was about as real as sharing muffins and coffee with a friend while discussing our own families. I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction, not memoir. I'd love to reread this but would pair it up with Olive Kitteridge to make some character comparisons.

[Nigel Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was chosen by a book group I was part of which is the only reason I read it, I wouldn't have looked at it otherwise.
It's only a short book, but it's really quite moving, probably the best book we read. It really is worth taking the time to read it, even if, like me, you wouldn't normally give it the time of day.

[Liane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. It is fiction but reads like a memoir - the characters are just that believable and quirky. Wish it had been twice as long.

[Chookychook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book it is a great find. Kitty is such a huge personality & funny too. Rory & his father are very real characters trying to survive against such a powerful woman. Highly recommended.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something a bit different. A great story of a man who goes ‘home’ due to his mother’s illness. He re examines his childhood and relationship with his mother. Funny, interesting, not sad in any way. A lovely read and very well written. Something completely different!

[Silvia G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha parecido un libro tan entrañable y me ha recordado tanto a cierta parte de mi vida que no puedo evitar darle 5 estrellas.

Es la historia de un hijo que ha sentido toda su vida la opresión de una madre excéntrica, imprevisible y muy especial, y recuerda su infancia como una sucesión de momentos embarazosos en los que deseaba ser cualquier otro niño con una madre normal. A lo largo del libro va desgranando esa personalidad fuerte sobre la que parece gravitar todo su mundo, entiendo algunas cosas que quizá no tenían sentido cuando era pequeño y aceptando a la persona que era, además de ser su madre.

Y este camino lo hace sin caer en sentimentalismos, con humor y cariño, de una forma tan especial que no puedes evitar sentir ternura por los personajes. Especialmente por esa mujer tan peculiar que tanto me recuerda a alguien y que me ha hecho conectar sin remedio con el protagonista.