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The Unforseen: a Novel
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Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
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About the author
Dorothy Macardle
22 books65 followersDorothy Macardle was born in Dundalk, Ireland in 1889 into a wealthy brewing family, famous for their Macardle's Ale, and was raised Roman Catholic. She received her secondary education in Alexandra College, Dublin – a school under the management of the Church of Ireland – and later attended University College, Dublin. Upon graduating, she returned to teach English at Alexandra.
Macardle was a member of the Gaelic League and later joined Cumann na mBan in 1917. In 1918 (during the War of Independence), Macardle was arrested by the RIC while teaching at Alexandra; she was eventually dismissed in 1923, towards the latter end of the Irish Civil War, because of her anti-Treatyite sympathies and activities.
When the republican movement split in 1921-22 over the Anglo-Irish Treaty, MacArdle sided with Éamon de Valera and the anti-Treaty Irregulars. She was imprisoned by the fledgling Free State government in 1922, during the Civil War, and served time in both Mountjoy and Kilmainham Gaols.
While working as a journalist with the League of Nations in the 1930s she acquired a considerable affinity with the plight of pre-war Czechoslovakia. Consequently she differed with official Irish government policy on the threat of Nazism, Irish neutrality during World War II, compulsory Irish language teaching in schools, and deplored what she saw as the reduced status of women in the 1937 Constitution of Ireland.
Macardle recounted her Civil War experiences in Earthbound: Nine Stories of Ireland (1924). Macardle became a playwright in the next two decades. In her dramatic writing she used the pseudonym Margaret Callan. During this time she worked as a journalist at the League of Nations.
She also researched her mammoth book The Irish Republic which was first published in 1937. Her political opponents and some modern historians consider her to be a hagiographer for de Valera's political views. Murray considers that: "..de Valera’s ambitious scheme was eventually implemented by Dorothy Macardle, his devoted follower and lifelong apologist, whose book The Irish Republic conforms closely to the overall plan outlined by de Valera in prison, and even incorporates many of its details. The outline originally proposed by de Valera was extremely detailed, incorporating a carefully planned chronology and headings from which the chapters were to be developed."
She died in 1958 at the age of 69 of cancer in hospital in Drogheda. Though she was somewhat disillusioned with the new Irish State (in particular, regarding its treatment of women), she left the royalties from The Irish Republic to her close friend Éamon de Valera, who wrote the foreword to the book. De Valera visited her when she was dying.
Macardle was a member of the Gaelic League and later joined Cumann na mBan in 1917. In 1918 (during the War of Independence), Macardle was arrested by the RIC while teaching at Alexandra; she was eventually dismissed in 1923, towards the latter end of the Irish Civil War, because of her anti-Treatyite sympathies and activities.
When the republican movement split in 1921-22 over the Anglo-Irish Treaty, MacArdle sided with Éamon de Valera and the anti-Treaty Irregulars. She was imprisoned by the fledgling Free State government in 1922, during the Civil War, and served time in both Mountjoy and Kilmainham Gaols.
While working as a journalist with the League of Nations in the 1930s she acquired a considerable affinity with the plight of pre-war Czechoslovakia. Consequently she differed with official Irish government policy on the threat of Nazism, Irish neutrality during World War II, compulsory Irish language teaching in schools, and deplored what she saw as the reduced status of women in the 1937 Constitution of Ireland.
Macardle recounted her Civil War experiences in Earthbound: Nine Stories of Ireland (1924). Macardle became a playwright in the next two decades. In her dramatic writing she used the pseudonym Margaret Callan. During this time she worked as a journalist at the League of Nations.
She also researched her mammoth book The Irish Republic which was first published in 1937. Her political opponents and some modern historians consider her to be a hagiographer for de Valera's political views. Murray considers that: "..de Valera’s ambitious scheme was eventually implemented by Dorothy Macardle, his devoted follower and lifelong apologist, whose book The Irish Republic conforms closely to the overall plan outlined by de Valera in prison, and even incorporates many of its details. The outline originally proposed by de Valera was extremely detailed, incorporating a carefully planned chronology and headings from which the chapters were to be developed."
She died in 1958 at the age of 69 of cancer in hospital in Drogheda. Though she was somewhat disillusioned with the new Irish State (in particular, regarding its treatment of women), she left the royalties from The Irish Republic to her close friend Éamon de Valera, who wrote the foreword to the book. De Valera visited her when she was dying.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 24, 2020
The Unforeseen is not a sequel to The Uninvited but two characters from that book are in this one and play a small, helpful role. Unlike The Uninvited this is not a ghost story. It takes place in Ireland in 1938 and was written in 1945. Virgilia Wilde begins experiencing psychic visions or previsions as some of the characters call them. At first she doesn't know what is going on so she sees a doctor hoping they can help her. The doctor sends her to a psychiatrist who tells her she is not crazy. In fact his young son believes in visions and telepathy and might be able to help. She agrees to talk about it but wants to keep everything secret from her daughter who is coming from London. As her visions begin to come true, at first just little things, it becomes harder to keep the truth hidden.
I thought this book was going to have some scares but it is not a scary book. The characters themselves experience fear and anxiety but I don't think the reader is meant to be scared. At one point very briefly I did doubt a couple of the characters. It was resolved quickly though. Despite it not providing any jumps or scares the book is good and entertaining. I'm not sure why it took so long to read except that it's not really the kind of writing you are meant or want to rush through. Dorothy Macardle's style is so easy and natural. The best part of the book was her beautiful writing. Her writing talent is clear when describing nature and the surroundings of their cottage in the hills of Ireland. Such beautiful writing, that instead of making you feel overloaded with details makes you feel as light as the characters themselves feel living there is amazing. Her ability to constantly describe the surroundings without ever repeating a phrase is remarkable. It's worth reading for that alone.
I thought this book was going to have some scares but it is not a scary book. The characters themselves experience fear and anxiety but I don't think the reader is meant to be scared. At one point very briefly I did doubt a couple of the characters. It was resolved quickly though. Despite it not providing any jumps or scares the book is good and entertaining. I'm not sure why it took so long to read except that it's not really the kind of writing you are meant or want to rush through. Dorothy Macardle's style is so easy and natural. The best part of the book was her beautiful writing. Her writing talent is clear when describing nature and the surroundings of their cottage in the hills of Ireland. Such beautiful writing, that instead of making you feel overloaded with details makes you feel as light as the characters themselves feel living there is amazing. Her ability to constantly describe the surroundings without ever repeating a phrase is remarkable. It's worth reading for that alone.
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November 10, 2018There was some nice nature writing in this book but when it comes to writing about people, the author seems to me to be out of her depth. I couldn't believe in any of the characters or the situations she created.
October 24, 2022
Dorothy Macardle’s prior book to this, The Uninvited, is one of my all time favourite ghost stories, so I had high hopes for this.
This book isn’t a ghost story though - set in Ireland around a mother who has increasingly sinister visions of the future, this is clever exploration of that, the consequences and the theme that all is not always as it seems.
It was atmospheric, with some good characters and a well drawn setting but it just didn’t entirely click with me. Some sections were drawn out in ways that would work in a more ghostly tale, but I felt the suspense detracted here. It just didn’t really grip me.
This book isn’t a ghost story though - set in Ireland around a mother who has increasingly sinister visions of the future, this is clever exploration of that, the consequences and the theme that all is not always as it seems.
It was atmospheric, with some good characters and a well drawn setting but it just didn’t entirely click with me. Some sections were drawn out in ways that would work in a more ghostly tale, but I felt the suspense detracted here. It just didn’t really grip me.
August 7, 2018
Picked this up in Ireland because Macardle was a person of great historical interest and the cover blurb compares her fiction to Shirley Jackson's work; put it back down after 100 pages where nothing happens except numerous romantic drives through the Wicklow mountains and premonitions of someone receiving a telegraph.
December 12, 2019
This was disappointing, but that truly is partly due to my expectations. I had read about this book in "Murder, She Wrote" in which the book was described as a page-turner, with the main character starting to see things. This logically makes her doubt her sanity.
I thought this was going to be like Shirley Jackson's writing, specifically The Haunting of Hill House, which is one of my favourite novels of all time. However, this was far more like Mary Stewart's Thornyhall. That's not a bad thing at all; I read that book a while ago, and thought it a cutesy, charming sort of novel, albeit one with little substance to it. The problem here is that I expected a dark, gothic sort of read, maybe even horrific; instead, I got a lot of mundane stuff.
The story is all about forty-three yo Virgilia, who starts to see things which are not really there. Quite early on, these visions are explained as her being able to see the future. This, of course, brings a lot of questions with it; will what she sees invariably happen, or can she change the future? This is an interesting concept, and probably fresh, maybe even revolutionary in 1946. Anno 2019, however, it has been done before, with much higher stakes than in The Unforeseen. The novel takes forever to get to an interesting vision (almost halfway; the other visions are all mundane things, like predicting what sort of dress Virgilia's daughter has ordered). The ending, too, was utterly predictable, and the relationship between Nan and Perry felt flat to me.
Not all was bad. I loved the Irish setting, and I think the relationship between Virgilia and her mother was beautifully done. The writing was lovely, too. Sadly, the stakes were simply too low for me to keep caring.
I am sorry I did not enjoy this novel more. However, I have heard good things about Dorothy Macardle's other book, The Uninvited, and I still really look forward to reading that.
I thought this was going to be like Shirley Jackson's writing, specifically The Haunting of Hill House, which is one of my favourite novels of all time. However, this was far more like Mary Stewart's Thornyhall. That's not a bad thing at all; I read that book a while ago, and thought it a cutesy, charming sort of novel, albeit one with little substance to it. The problem here is that I expected a dark, gothic sort of read, maybe even horrific; instead, I got a lot of mundane stuff.
The story is all about forty-three yo Virgilia, who starts to see things which are not really there. Quite early on, these visions are explained as her being able to see the future. This, of course, brings a lot of questions with it; will what she sees invariably happen, or can she change the future? This is an interesting concept, and probably fresh, maybe even revolutionary in 1946. Anno 2019, however, it has been done before, with much higher stakes than in The Unforeseen. The novel takes forever to get to an interesting vision (almost halfway; the other visions are all mundane things, like predicting what sort of dress Virgilia's daughter has ordered). The ending, too, was utterly predictable, and the relationship between Nan and Perry felt flat to me.
Not all was bad. I loved the Irish setting, and I think the relationship between Virgilia and her mother was beautifully done. The writing was lovely, too. Sadly, the stakes were simply too low for me to keep caring.
I am sorry I did not enjoy this novel more. However, I have heard good things about Dorothy Macardle's other book, The Uninvited, and I still really look forward to reading that.
September 20, 2017
The one thing I always have to remember when reading older books, is that many of the ideas for these stories weren't really used yet. Like a women who can see snip-its of the future in 1946. A great idea that can now be seen over and over again in today's books.
July 14, 2020
Although not as dramatic or enjoyable as Macardle's other potboiler, The Uninvited, I rather enjoyed this realistic mid-twentieth century (just pre-WWII set) Gothic. Perhaps particularly because I'd just finished a contemporary, more experimental, postmodern Gothic (which I admit I found rather forced), here I relished Macardle's narrative command and the ease with which the story flowed. It was nice to hear an Irish author writing so well about the land that she obviously knew well and loved, and, even if often a bit overblown dramatically, the semi-supernatural events and the characters' reactions to them and the basic conflict worked well enough, I thought. As a student of the Gothic tradition, I was treated to the sort of usual MacGuffin--here previsions of a dangerous and uncertain future--which frame this typical family drama of a mother's fears for her daughter's future as a wife and mother herself. Standard, but an interesting enough inroad into this topic. I should think any parent could identify with the protagonist, Virgilia, and appreciate such a story.
Publish in 1945, the war certainly must have overshadowed the novel with its far more real horrors. There are a couple of sly references to the possible tribulations of the future--also interestingly figured by a standard Gothic feature, the over passionate Italian male, which here could easily stand for Mussolini and/or the rise of fascism in general, even if the novel remains personal and domestic.
One thing I certainly did notice and really appreciate, also I think because of reading it right after the more sketchy, contemporary Gothic (Helen Oyoyemi's White Is for Witching), was the great knowledge of our omniscient narrator here. The narrative voice seemed quite well at ease with each character's particular passions and expertise, speaking knowledgeably about birds and birding one moment, art and artistic technique another, the Dublin scenery and weather, psychology, ESP research, and even surgery. I don't think Macardle really knew as much about these various topics as the characters themselves, but I admired how the narrative touched on these things fearlessly, always convincing me with a few key details that I really was reading about a person who knew their business well. A lesser narrator just says someone's a doctor and leaves it at that, but this narrative provided opinions and details and showed the characters actually thinking about or doing their professions in such a way that it appeared convincingly real, and I had to appreciate that--for what do most of us novelists really know other than how to write a novel? 3.7 stars: better than adequate, maybe a tad short of really, really good.
Publish in 1945, the war certainly must have overshadowed the novel with its far more real horrors. There are a couple of sly references to the possible tribulations of the future--also interestingly figured by a standard Gothic feature, the over passionate Italian male, which here could easily stand for Mussolini and/or the rise of fascism in general, even if the novel remains personal and domestic.
One thing I certainly did notice and really appreciate, also I think because of reading it right after the more sketchy, contemporary Gothic (Helen Oyoyemi's White Is for Witching), was the great knowledge of our omniscient narrator here. The narrative voice seemed quite well at ease with each character's particular passions and expertise, speaking knowledgeably about birds and birding one moment, art and artistic technique another, the Dublin scenery and weather, psychology, ESP research, and even surgery. I don't think Macardle really knew as much about these various topics as the characters themselves, but I admired how the narrative touched on these things fearlessly, always convincing me with a few key details that I really was reading about a person who knew their business well. A lesser narrator just says someone's a doctor and leaves it at that, but this narrative provided opinions and details and showed the characters actually thinking about or doing their professions in such a way that it appeared convincingly real, and I had to appreciate that--for what do most of us novelists really know other than how to write a novel? 3.7 stars: better than adequate, maybe a tad short of really, really good.
September 24, 2017
2 stars . If I had read this before "The Uninvited" I might have rated
"The Unforeseen" more highly. Weak echo of its predecessor. The only real pleasure was finding out how some of the characters from the first novel fared.
********************************************************************************
Re-read this, having just re-read "The Uninvited," Macardle's first novel, to which this is in some senses a sequel. Seems even worse to me this time around. Dorothy Macardle was an excellent writer, sentence to sentence, and her descriptions of natural scenes are beautiful, but this novel suffers from a listless, and by modern standards, silly, plot, with overly dramatic characters. None of the verve, wit, and suspense of her first novel at all. Really almost not worth reading, except for the exquisite word pictures of Ireland and the natural world, and learning what happened to Roderick and Pamela.
"The Unforeseen" more highly. Weak echo of its predecessor. The only real pleasure was finding out how some of the characters from the first novel fared.
********************************************************************************
Re-read this, having just re-read "The Uninvited," Macardle's first novel, to which this is in some senses a sequel. Seems even worse to me this time around. Dorothy Macardle was an excellent writer, sentence to sentence, and her descriptions of natural scenes are beautiful, but this novel suffers from a listless, and by modern standards, silly, plot, with overly dramatic characters. None of the verve, wit, and suspense of her first novel at all. Really almost not worth reading, except for the exquisite word pictures of Ireland and the natural world, and learning what happened to Roderick and Pamela.
March 17, 2018
Engaging characters but limited mystery
I like the way Macardle writes: good descriptions, if a little lengthy, for the natural setting; mostly likable characters; decent dialogue. The problem with book was there was no mystery to it. The ending was guessable and bland. The discussions about the occult were too earnest for a skeptic. I'm not quite sure why I finished it, and can only say I find Macardle's style comfortable and readable. I truly enjoyed The Uninvited, her other book, which had better characters and a much better 4 star plot. But this one is a two star, really, with one extra given for its readability. Not recommended except for people interested in second sight, but even then you're not likely to find anything new here.
I like the way Macardle writes: good descriptions, if a little lengthy, for the natural setting; mostly likable characters; decent dialogue. The problem with book was there was no mystery to it. The ending was guessable and bland. The discussions about the occult were too earnest for a skeptic. I'm not quite sure why I finished it, and can only say I find Macardle's style comfortable and readable. I truly enjoyed The Uninvited, her other book, which had better characters and a much better 4 star plot. But this one is a two star, really, with one extra given for its readability. Not recommended except for people interested in second sight, but even then you're not likely to find anything new here.
March 19, 2020
The story was okay - I got the book because I really enjoyed The Uninvited.. This book is like the step chilid.
Updated: I read it again without comparing it to The Uninvited and found it to well written and quite a lovely story.
I will also add that I loathe those "introductions" by some other author trying to explain what the author meant or tried to convey in their opinion.. I don't care.. It's contrived and ridiculous to dare to divine what was in the author's mind as he or she wrote. Annoying!
Updated: I read it again without comparing it to The Uninvited and found it to well written and quite a lovely story.
I will also add that I loathe those "introductions" by some other author trying to explain what the author meant or tried to convey in their opinion.. I don't care.. It's contrived and ridiculous to dare to divine what was in the author's mind as he or she wrote. Annoying!
October 26, 2015
After reading "The Uninvited" by Macardle, I wanted to try some of her other books. I found this one online. Although I wouldn't say this story was as riveting as the first one, I really enjoyed the story. I like Macardle's writing style and the period when the story was set, the characters, etc. She put the characters in an interesting dilemma, but it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going to happen. Still it was a quick, enjoyable read.
March 28, 2013
Listened to Julie Davis's audio podcast. Found this lacking depth and strong independent characters. Oh well,that's okay Julie did a good job on Bridgette's Irish accent with just a hint of Texas twang.
October 23, 2020
Nice writing but not enough happens
January 27, 2025
“She wanted to know whether he thought war was coming, but that was not a question to ask a man in the pride of his life on a hilltop in June.” Dorothy Macardle’s 1946 novel The Unforeseen, set shortly before the onset of the second World War, is an oppressively dark and ingenious paranormal tale concerned with multiple iterations of “the future”. There is a war on the horizon, seemingly unimaginable for Nan; the “what shall I do with the rest of my life” breed of anxiety common in people whose lives are in a state of flux; perhaps most importantly, there are Virgilia’s murky previsions into the future, an unpredictable and often cryptic second sight which shows visions increasingly violent and dread-inducing. Macardle is a consummate pro where that dread is concerned, the last fifth of the book amped up to near-unbearable heights of tension and paranoia. As with its predecessor The Uninvited, this is a novel which only thinly veils its socio-political concerns: the place of women and children in society, the state of the world. It’s fitting, then, that although this is not a haunting story, characters from The Uninvited return in this spin-off story, still alive with the preoccupations that connect them to Macardle’s real-life Europe. It is hard not to read certain questions about war and violence and knowledge into this novel, questions such as “would the war have happened if its outcome was known?” The novel is constantly dichotomising the idea of predestination, with a kind of nihilism sparring against resistance, resignation versus hopefulness; the result is a kind of cheerful ambivalence, a suggestion that perhaps these “what ifs” are not the questions to be asking - that we should maybe be asking more “what nows”. Macardle‘s fervently written prose, touching on time theory & loops (a passion of mine) as well as parascience - reminiscent of Margaret Cavendish - is a constant delight.
September 6, 2025
A little conflicted over how to rate this book. I really enjoyed it, much like Macardle’s better-known novel, The Uninvited, although I went in expecting something a little darker and was frustrated by the ending. For the moment I’m rounding up, because until the very end I considered this a solid four-star read.
—Spoilers—
Mostly my frustration comes down to Nan and Perry, who are convinced of Virgilia’s second sight and push her to try and have a vision of their happily married life. She’s disinclined to do so, having had doubts about Perry from the beginning, and when she does and is horrified by what she sees, they both immediately decide that *this* vision is false, despite every other one being proved true. Nan is furious with Virgilia and very unkind, despite her devotion to her mother throughout the rest of the novel.
Then, when the vision ultimately proves to be true—except for a key change that seems to be a cop-out on Macardle’s part so there could be a happy ending—all of the characters, who were previously convinced in the veracity of Virgilia’s visions, happily decide that second sight can’t really be trusted in the end and that Virgilia is a bit of a silly woman to have believed her vision was true. Really? Because what she saw did happen, and the confusion over who did it seems to be explained by the shadowy setting of the second half of the scene.
When it comes to Nan and Perry’s relationship, I didn’t find Nan’s sudden change of heart towards Perry convincing and can clearly see a future where he expects her to give up her art and become the dutiful doctor’s wife, crushing her artistic aspirations. He was far from a desirable romantic lead and even if he never became violent, I still wouldn’t want my daughter to marry him.
—Spoilers—
Mostly my frustration comes down to Nan and Perry, who are convinced of Virgilia’s second sight and push her to try and have a vision of their happily married life. She’s disinclined to do so, having had doubts about Perry from the beginning, and when she does and is horrified by what she sees, they both immediately decide that *this* vision is false, despite every other one being proved true. Nan is furious with Virgilia and very unkind, despite her devotion to her mother throughout the rest of the novel.
Then, when the vision ultimately proves to be true—except for a key change that seems to be a cop-out on Macardle’s part so there could be a happy ending—all of the characters, who were previously convinced in the veracity of Virgilia’s visions, happily decide that second sight can’t really be trusted in the end and that Virgilia is a bit of a silly woman to have believed her vision was true. Really? Because what she saw did happen, and the confusion over who did it seems to be explained by the shadowy setting of the second half of the scene.
When it comes to Nan and Perry’s relationship, I didn’t find Nan’s sudden change of heart towards Perry convincing and can clearly see a future where he expects her to give up her art and become the dutiful doctor’s wife, crushing her artistic aspirations. He was far from a desirable romantic lead and even if he never became violent, I still wouldn’t want my daughter to marry him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2024
The Unforeseen is a beautifully written and engaging story that centers around Virgilia Wilde, an Irish writer, as she moves back to her home country from England, settling in the countryside, and becomes plagued with visions of things that haven't happened yet.
Like other things I've been reading lately, Macardle takes inspiration from J. W. Dunne in her treatment of time and the possibility of experiencing it in non-linear ways, but unlike those other books, here the time weirdness isn't the whole point but rather part of a larger story. There's a lot here about family, folklore/superstition and science (and how that relates to Irishness or dichotomies of class), and fate and free will. Macardle doesn't really resolve these oppositions in any clear way; this is more a novel of ambiguous creative tension. The tone of the book, too, is hard to pin down, moving fluidly between family drama, surreal anxiety, beautiful poetic ruminations, and comforting scenes of daily life. I liked this slipperiness a lot.
And it's really pleasant to read, too. I loved the central relationship between Virgilia and her daughter -- it's a beautiful mother-daughter relationship and Macardle writes their interactions really well. Some of the other dialogue is maybe a little stilted at times, but the descriptive parts make up for it -- Macardle is especially brilliant with descriptions of nature. All in all there are some absolutely gorgeous passages here.
Maybe the ending is a bit too neat, but I still really enjoyed this one overall. I want to check out Macardle's The Uninvited as well, which shares some characters with this one -- I'm told it's a more straightforward ghost story, not as ambiguous as The Unforeseen, but I'm still excited to read it.
Like other things I've been reading lately, Macardle takes inspiration from J. W. Dunne in her treatment of time and the possibility of experiencing it in non-linear ways, but unlike those other books, here the time weirdness isn't the whole point but rather part of a larger story. There's a lot here about family, folklore/superstition and science (and how that relates to Irishness or dichotomies of class), and fate and free will. Macardle doesn't really resolve these oppositions in any clear way; this is more a novel of ambiguous creative tension. The tone of the book, too, is hard to pin down, moving fluidly between family drama, surreal anxiety, beautiful poetic ruminations, and comforting scenes of daily life. I liked this slipperiness a lot.
And it's really pleasant to read, too. I loved the central relationship between Virgilia and her daughter -- it's a beautiful mother-daughter relationship and Macardle writes their interactions really well. Some of the other dialogue is maybe a little stilted at times, but the descriptive parts make up for it -- Macardle is especially brilliant with descriptions of nature. All in all there are some absolutely gorgeous passages here.
Maybe the ending is a bit too neat, but I still really enjoyed this one overall. I want to check out Macardle's The Uninvited as well, which shares some characters with this one -- I'm told it's a more straightforward ghost story, not as ambiguous as The Unforeseen, but I'm still excited to read it.
September 25, 2018
the combination of building dread, confined hysteria, and uncertainty, with the lovingly depicted Wicklow countryside and bird life is striking. In fact one of the successes of this book is how Virgilia's visions and the nature surrounding her are seen to participate in each other.
However, that tension is so happily resolved that it makes much of the situation seem trivial. The scientific seriousness with which the male characters take everything makes this feel, as the introduction suggests, like something of an attempt to make a point on the part of the author, though the overall lingering message – that which is unforeseen is sometimes the most important thing, in our previsions and attempts to make decisions based on a perception of the future.
And the shadow of the war sits within this book (published 1945, set summer 1938), with so that the decisions the characters are trying to make are laced with a presentiment of death:
'And, you see, for our generation, life is not going to be a summer holiday. What we've got to find out is whether we shall want one another when things are frightening and terrible.'
The mood is sedate, somewhat Edwardian, which made this perfect reading while convalescing, and the descriptions of Wicklow and Dublin Bay made me wish I were there rather than blowing my nose in London.
However, that tension is so happily resolved that it makes much of the situation seem trivial. The scientific seriousness with which the male characters take everything makes this feel, as the introduction suggests, like something of an attempt to make a point on the part of the author, though the overall lingering message – that which is unforeseen is sometimes the most important thing, in our previsions and attempts to make decisions based on a perception of the future.
And the shadow of the war sits within this book (published 1945, set summer 1938), with so that the decisions the characters are trying to make are laced with a presentiment of death:
'And, you see, for our generation, life is not going to be a summer holiday. What we've got to find out is whether we shall want one another when things are frightening and terrible.'
The mood is sedate, somewhat Edwardian, which made this perfect reading while convalescing, and the descriptions of Wicklow and Dublin Bay made me wish I were there rather than blowing my nose in London.
December 2, 2021
I wish I could have liked this book more, but it often left me just feeling impatient. It's about a woman who discovers she has premonitions--something the book considers a pretty settled scientific fact. She meets a father and son, both doctors, who are fascinated with her ability, and the son falls in love with her daughter. Something her visions say is dangerous.
Unfortunately, this meant that the main character spent a lot of time running around just worrying about things and refusing to tell people flat-out what she was afraid of because that might make it happen...only that wound up making it happen anyway. And her main vision, one that practically sends her into a nervous breakdown, was unfortunately something I'd already figured out was coming, so I just wanted to get it over with. It's funny, also, that from reading you'd thing there was the young daughter, her middle-aged mother on the downslide of life and their elderly servant, but the three women are 20, 40 and 60.
Also - to add a slight spoiler--there's the annoying cliche of a woman jumping to take care of a man who just tried to murder her, who's let go with an apology, probably to go fixate and stalk some other woman.
Unfortunately, this meant that the main character spent a lot of time running around just worrying about things and refusing to tell people flat-out what she was afraid of because that might make it happen...only that wound up making it happen anyway. And her main vision, one that practically sends her into a nervous breakdown, was unfortunately something I'd already figured out was coming, so I just wanted to get it over with. It's funny, also, that from reading you'd thing there was the young daughter, her middle-aged mother on the downslide of life and their elderly servant, but the three women are 20, 40 and 60.
Also - to add a slight spoiler--there's the annoying cliche of a woman jumping to take care of a man who just tried to murder her, who's let go with an apology, probably to go fixate and stalk some other woman.
November 23, 2022
you definitely can't go into this comparing it to the uninvited because it's completely different. i still really liked the story and the many characters, both main and minor. there were creepy undercurrents running throughout the novel, almost like you couldn't quite figure out if that's really what was going on. nan was a bit self absorbed and annoying -- i wanted her to be more into her mom's visions and less into herself. that and macardle's stereotypical depiction of an italian (and i feel like she did a similar thing in the uninvited with some characters if i remember correctly?) were really the only things i didn't like.
May 10, 2025
After a difficult marriage, fortyish widow Virgillia Wilde has created a happy life in a glen outside Dublin, where she has found contentment in working as a freelance writer and in rehabbing a cottage. Suddenly, she begins to have unexplained visions of future events—ones that could threaten her own happiness, as well as that of her daughter Nan, an art student in London. The author of the classic 1940s supernatural novel, "The Uninvited," which became a popular movie starring Ray Milland, Macardle creates another beguiling, suspenseful story here, full of fully realized characters and imbued with vivid descriptions of place.
October 25, 2018
I actually loved how the characters were portrayed and the modernity of the writing for a 1940s novel. But I never got caught up in the story. To me the author didn't really use the initial potential of the story in terms of setting (the beautiful Wicklow Mountains) and relationships' dynamics (several complex relationships that never evolve) to move her plot further. So, I found myself disappointed and quite bored after a promising start.
August 4, 2022
I loved this! I especially loved coming into it having read two nonfiction books about midcentury Britain's obsession with the paranormal, so I had a nice, ghostly background onto which to project the events. Simultaneously suspenseful, dark, and warm—I'll definitely be seeking out Macardle's other novels. HOWEVER, big warning, DO NOT read the introduction! 1) it's bad scholarlese, and 2) there are spoilers
March 25, 2024
almost read like an annie dillard novel at first. the descriptions of ireland are exquisite, and the unforseen crossed so many genre lines. is it gothic? southern gothic? realist? supernatural? the argument could be made for any of them. but the unsettling nature came from the fact that all the horror was out in the broad daylight: there was no place to hide.
December 29, 2019
The premise was good, and the descriptions of the Irish countryside were heavenly. However, I found the characters to be less interesting/likeable than The Uninvited especially the two main characters Virgilia and Nan (and even Perry to an extent. I don’t understand what exactly Nan saw in him.)
May 31, 2022
Fans of "The Uninvited" may be disappointed in this. With a similarly spooky theme, and nice, fluid writing style, this promised to be a great read since Macardle's ghost story "the Uninvited" is a particular favorite of mine.
Unfortunately, this novel is a real let down. The story concerns a woman who seems to have the gift of pre-cognition, but sees things that aren't always pleasant. This lead character acts so preposterously that I lost all patience with her and Macardle. It's okay if you don't use her previous book as a standard.
Unfortunately, this novel is a real let down. The story concerns a woman who seems to have the gift of pre-cognition, but sees things that aren't always pleasant. This lead character acts so preposterously that I lost all patience with her and Macardle. It's okay if you don't use her previous book as a standard.
February 4, 2019
I got so absorbed in this book, I kept being shocked to find out I was on the 4 train instead of the Irish countryside. And I didn't predict the ending even though I often do!
August 17, 2019
An early draft ready to be rewritten, expanded or edited.
It should have never seen the light of day.
Utterly boring. What an immense shame!
It should have never seen the light of day.
Utterly boring. What an immense shame!
September 1, 2021
2.5 stars. DNF, 65%
September 20, 2022
I enjoy her stories, but there are parts that drag. Not enough that will stop you from finishing, but enough to be annoying make you want to skip, what later turn out to be needed sections
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August 31, 2025pamela fitzgerald of the uninvited fame is a lesbian and nothing this book says can convince me otherwise.
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