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The Land of Spices
Mere Marie-Helene once turned her back on life, sealing up her heart in order to devote herself to God. Now the formidable Mother Superior of an Irish convent, she has, for some time, been experiencing grave doubts about her vocation. But when she meets Anna Murphy, the youngest-ever boarder, the little girl's solemn, poetic nature captivates her and she feels 'a storm break in her hollow heart'. Between them an unspoken allegiance is formed that will sustain each through the years as the Reverend Mother seeks to combat her growing spiritual aridity and as Anna develops the strength to resist the conventional demands of her background.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1941
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2076 people want to read
About the author
Kate O'Brien
49 books54 followersKathleen Mary Louise "Kate" O'Brien, was an Irish novelist and playwright.
After the success of her play, Distinguished Villa in 1926, she took to full-time writing and was awarded the 1931 James Tait Black Prize for her novel Without My Cloak. She is best known for her 1934 novel The Ante-Room, her 1941 novel The Land of Spices and the 1946 novel That Lady. Many of her books dealt with issues of female sexuality — with several exploring gay/lesbian themes — and both Mary Lavelle and The Land of Spices were banned in Ireland. She also wrote travel books, or rather accounts of places and experiences, on both Ireland and Spain, a country she loved, and which features in a number of her novels. She lived much of her later life in England and died in Canterbury in 1974; she is buried in Faversham Cemetery.
The Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick currently holds a large collection of O'Brien's personal writings. In August 2005, Penguin reissued her final novel, As Music and Splendour (1958), which had been out of print for decades. The Kate O'Brien weekend, which takes place in Limerick, attracts a large number of people, both academic and non-academic.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
After the success of her play, Distinguished Villa in 1926, she took to full-time writing and was awarded the 1931 James Tait Black Prize for her novel Without My Cloak. She is best known for her 1934 novel The Ante-Room, her 1941 novel The Land of Spices and the 1946 novel That Lady. Many of her books dealt with issues of female sexuality — with several exploring gay/lesbian themes — and both Mary Lavelle and The Land of Spices were banned in Ireland. She also wrote travel books, or rather accounts of places and experiences, on both Ireland and Spain, a country she loved, and which features in a number of her novels. She lived much of her later life in England and died in Canterbury in 1974; she is buried in Faversham Cemetery.
The Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick currently holds a large collection of O'Brien's personal writings. In August 2005, Penguin reissued her final novel, As Music and Splendour (1958), which had been out of print for decades. The Kate O'Brien weekend, which takes place in Limerick, attracts a large number of people, both academic and non-academic.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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November 20, 2017This book was published in 1942 and caused a sensation.
But not exactly the kind of sensation a writer might dream of causing...
No, a sensation among the censorship board so hideous that they banned it for “immorality”.
This beautiful book, because it contained one line that hinted at a way of life that was never then mentioned openly, languished for years unread.
You can read it today however, so all of you who live in times and places where censorship is unknown, run out and grab a copy of this book because it is excellently written and has more than earned its right to be read.
But not exactly the kind of sensation a writer might dream of causing...
No, a sensation among the censorship board so hideous that they banned it for “immorality”.
This beautiful book, because it contained one line that hinted at a way of life that was never then mentioned openly, languished for years unread.
You can read it today however, so all of you who live in times and places where censorship is unknown, run out and grab a copy of this book because it is excellently written and has more than earned its right to be read.
October 31, 2025
I took a brief sojourn into an Irish convent, as I tend to have a fascination with nuns. This convent is a working one though, as it's a girl's boarding school, intent on educating both mind and heart. The main focus here is on 2 people; the Mother Superior, who became a nun for the wrong reasons, and Anna Murphy, the youngest student in the school with a troubled home life. These two unwittingly help each other through the years, and both emerge stronger, ready for the next challenges life may bring. The climax of the book, where Mother Superior wages a Battle Royale with Anna's grandmother over Anna's future and emerges victorious, is worth the price of the book in pure satisfaction. The best nuns are always a little devious, but not always saintly.
This was a Virago publication, and my introduction to Kate O'Brien. I happily have 3 others by her on my shelf. The writing is a bit dense, but handled skillfully. My major quibble is that quite a few letters written in French that moved the plot along were not translated, neither were the Latin phrases, so as a reader I was left guessing by what followed in the narrative. But on the whole an enjoyable read.
This was a Virago publication, and my introduction to Kate O'Brien. I happily have 3 others by her on my shelf. The writing is a bit dense, but handled skillfully. My major quibble is that quite a few letters written in French that moved the plot along were not translated, neither were the Latin phrases, so as a reader I was left guessing by what followed in the narrative. But on the whole an enjoyable read.
March 9, 2025
The Land of Spices is a wonderful novel. There is a lot of background and I read quite slowly, taking breaks and thinking about the scenes I had passed through. Yes, O'Brien's writing is often dense, conveying a lot of information, a consolidation, if you like of much of Irish history and the effects of the colonial power, the UK. In addition the novel opens to us the world of the religious life, and the devotional life of the nuns in the convent of Sainte Famille. All of this interests me deeply. It is fascinating to see the career structure offered to nuns at a time, when women did not have careers. The main setting of the novel spans the years of Mother Mary Helen's exile, as Mother Superior in the Irish convent at Limerick. She views her position in Ireland as a kind of exile. To explain this, we are taken back to Helen's formative years, to the life with her father and mother in Brussels, her education in the convent of Places des Ormes, and of her novitiate years in Bruges at Sainte Fontaine. We are given a synopsis of her experiences in Vienna and Rome before she is recalled to the position of Mother Assistant to aid Mere Generale (Mother General) at the "head-office" of the Order in Brussels. The title "General" certainly gives the reader an idea of the immense power and responsibility that rests with the head of the Order.
I have read other novels set in convents: In This House of Brede, and Frost in May but in this book it is the first time I understand the power, and the opportunities available to bright, ambitious women to make a mark on the world, especially as this order is not contemplative but active in work, in schooling - all over the world. The story overt takes places from 1904 up to knowledge of an imminent war in 1914. Those 10 years cover the life experiences of young Anna Murphy who enters the convent age 6 and at the age of 16 takes her final exams with the intention of going on to University college, Dublin.
There are definitely chapters in the whole, I found difficult to concentrate on. I'm thinking in particular of "Chaplain's Concert". It gives a detailed picture, however of the school's life, but conveys very well the connections throughout the county with other religious communities and leaders. So O'Brien is constantly widening our ideas as to the influence and importance of the convent to the local population. It is not a sacred space, cut off from the rest of life, but very much an integrated part of this social world in Limerick. I particularly enjoyed the battle between Mother Mary Helen and the sophisticated manoeuvres she carries out in relation to the Bishop. He believes the convent shouldn't have its independence and authority, but it is a satellite of the old and powerful French Order of La Compagnie de Sainte Famille. So, yes the politics is an intriguing aspect, for me anyway.
I read the book as part of a group read with Virago Modern Classics, nominated by Sonia - and I am extremely pleased to have bitten the bullet and gone with a new author - completely new to me, and I went in without any ideas except that O'Brien is Irish, the book published and banned at the same time in 1941. Virago republished it in 1988, and reprinted another 6 times. My edition is from 2000 with a great introduction by Clare Boylan. I believe there are other editions, that provide translations for the several letters in French.
In many ways The Land of Spices reminded me of Elizabeth Taylor's Angel because it is only as you reach the last book, the shortest section where there is the most incredible scene: there is no exaggeration here when I say I am holding my breath, as this scene unfolds, and here, is when you understand all the careful, prior structure that has gone into that final scene. I was amazed at the power with which Mother Superior's words hit me. I think of myself as a strong feminist, with a 21st century sensibility but even I am overawed with the power of what she does and says. I don't want to reveal too much because I don't want to lessen the tension in that final scene for any new reader. So, here is just one line of Mother Mary Helen's defence for Anna's future: "By what authority do you dispose of the life and talents of another?" She addresses this question to Anna's grandmother Maud Condon who has paid Anna's fees throughout her stay at the convent.
The whole is a stunning work. Yes, we can quibble a little over the letters in French and quotes in Latin and German, and yes, some of the emotional scenes from Anna's childhood are verging on the sentimental; they have a certain Victorian sensibility, but arriving at the end you see the whole, you see the long view of what O'Brien intends in her book. The education by the nuns both spiritual and conventional; mathematics, languages, history etc is aimed at ensuring the girls think for themselves. They develop a strong sense of self-value and self-worth through their studies but also because of the care, instruction and love offered by the nuns for their charges. O'Brien's novel covers many different topics, but it is essentially about this ability to set the foundation so their students make wise and fulfilling choices in their lives.
I would like to add a final section, which I found of particular value to myself. They are the words spoken by Mother Mary Helen to Anna to comfort her in a very difficult time; words which helped to give me perspective and reassured me also.
. . . I thought that you might sometimes have had to ask your confessor's help in lessening your resistance to God's Will."
"I haven't resisted God's Will. How could I? is dead."
"You acknowledge God's ordinance in that fact of his death?"
Anna nodded, in surprise.
"Then you acknowledge the same ordinance in his birth and his life? If God took away his human life, God also gave it. And if you say that you don't know why God took his life away, you must equally admit that you don't know why He bestowed it. Of course as a Catholic you should, and you do, know both these 'whys'- the only point I'm stressing is that you either know both or neither. You cannot accept the mystery of life and refuse that of death."
That passage made me understand what I am struggling with. It also allowed me to see how logic and intellect are the basis for human faith. In addition I considered how much our modern life is lacking in these important structures which give reassurance and comfort especially in our dark hours. I am not religious, and I have certainly been drawn into the modern concept of religion as a way of using faith to have power. This book however both acknowledges and refutes this charge of the Church, making it explicit that faith is an individual choice which we can use as a powerful tool to help us in our lives.
I have read other novels set in convents: In This House of Brede, and Frost in May but in this book it is the first time I understand the power, and the opportunities available to bright, ambitious women to make a mark on the world, especially as this order is not contemplative but active in work, in schooling - all over the world. The story overt takes places from 1904 up to knowledge of an imminent war in 1914. Those 10 years cover the life experiences of young Anna Murphy who enters the convent age 6 and at the age of 16 takes her final exams with the intention of going on to University college, Dublin.
There are definitely chapters in the whole, I found difficult to concentrate on. I'm thinking in particular of "Chaplain's Concert". It gives a detailed picture, however of the school's life, but conveys very well the connections throughout the county with other religious communities and leaders. So O'Brien is constantly widening our ideas as to the influence and importance of the convent to the local population. It is not a sacred space, cut off from the rest of life, but very much an integrated part of this social world in Limerick. I particularly enjoyed the battle between Mother Mary Helen and the sophisticated manoeuvres she carries out in relation to the Bishop. He believes the convent shouldn't have its independence and authority, but it is a satellite of the old and powerful French Order of La Compagnie de Sainte Famille. So, yes the politics is an intriguing aspect, for me anyway.
I read the book as part of a group read with Virago Modern Classics, nominated by Sonia - and I am extremely pleased to have bitten the bullet and gone with a new author - completely new to me, and I went in without any ideas except that O'Brien is Irish, the book published and banned at the same time in 1941. Virago republished it in 1988, and reprinted another 6 times. My edition is from 2000 with a great introduction by Clare Boylan. I believe there are other editions, that provide translations for the several letters in French.
In many ways The Land of Spices reminded me of Elizabeth Taylor's Angel because it is only as you reach the last book, the shortest section where there is the most incredible scene: there is no exaggeration here when I say I am holding my breath, as this scene unfolds, and here, is when you understand all the careful, prior structure that has gone into that final scene. I was amazed at the power with which Mother Superior's words hit me. I think of myself as a strong feminist, with a 21st century sensibility but even I am overawed with the power of what she does and says. I don't want to reveal too much because I don't want to lessen the tension in that final scene for any new reader. So, here is just one line of Mother Mary Helen's defence for Anna's future: "By what authority do you dispose of the life and talents of another?" She addresses this question to Anna's grandmother Maud Condon who has paid Anna's fees throughout her stay at the convent.
The whole is a stunning work. Yes, we can quibble a little over the letters in French and quotes in Latin and German, and yes, some of the emotional scenes from Anna's childhood are verging on the sentimental; they have a certain Victorian sensibility, but arriving at the end you see the whole, you see the long view of what O'Brien intends in her book. The education by the nuns both spiritual and conventional; mathematics, languages, history etc is aimed at ensuring the girls think for themselves. They develop a strong sense of self-value and self-worth through their studies but also because of the care, instruction and love offered by the nuns for their charges. O'Brien's novel covers many different topics, but it is essentially about this ability to set the foundation so their students make wise and fulfilling choices in their lives.
I would like to add a final section, which I found of particular value to myself. They are the words spoken by Mother Mary Helen to Anna to comfort her in a very difficult time; words which helped to give me perspective and reassured me also.
. . . I thought that you might sometimes have had to ask your confessor's help in lessening your resistance to God's Will."
"I haven't resisted God's Will. How could I? is dead."
"You acknowledge God's ordinance in that fact of his death?"
Anna nodded, in surprise.
"Then you acknowledge the same ordinance in his birth and his life? If God took away his human life, God also gave it. And if you say that you don't know why God took his life away, you must equally admit that you don't know why He bestowed it. Of course as a Catholic you should, and you do, know both these 'whys'- the only point I'm stressing is that you either know both or neither. You cannot accept the mystery of life and refuse that of death."
That passage made me understand what I am struggling with. It also allowed me to see how logic and intellect are the basis for human faith. In addition I considered how much our modern life is lacking in these important structures which give reassurance and comfort especially in our dark hours. I am not religious, and I have certainly been drawn into the modern concept of religion as a way of using faith to have power. This book however both acknowledges and refutes this charge of the Church, making it explicit that faith is an individual choice which we can use as a powerful tool to help us in our lives.
July 3, 2022
For me, this novel was initially difficult to get into. The first one hundred pages (Part One of three), I found quite hard to follow and slow moving, but it’s in the final two parts where the magic happens. The way that Kate O’Brien entwines the lives of the Reverend Mother and Anna is very cleverly done, as is her play with past and present. I read the last hundred pages in one sitting and finished with a tear in my eye.
June 12, 2013
Just like you found $100 in your sock drawer – this is how I feel having finished The Land of Spices. I had heard of Kate O’Brien and seem to remember looking past her books when in college and thinking her as ‘almost famous, tired reading and very much dead’. Two weeks ago I was flipping through the Limerick Compendium Journal and read one of her short stories about a Reverent Mother (from England) who presided over her boarding school experience. The story was so good I went and ordered one of her better known books. I was also compelled to pick something that had been banned by the Irish censorship board when it was published (1942). Censorship in Ireland is a thorny subject, particularly in a newly found state where the Catholic Church clung to every facet of practical, cultural and spiritual life. Undoubtedly O’Brien would have been anathema to the church at the time. She had questionable morals (supposedly a lesbian), well educated, upper middle class, independent and strong connections with (Godless) England! The book would have fallen foul for a number of reasons!
Interestingly, as a style, the book actually reads more like a series of stories. The beginning doesn’t have much of a sequence but as Anna (one of two primary characters) gets older her and Helen’s (Mother Superior) stories gel. The brilliance in Helen’s story is the one pivotal moment that she witnesses her father kiss another man! It reminded me of many of McEwan’s works, whereby he has mastered the art of life changes based on one tiny moment/snap decisions etc. Helen joins the Compagne de la Sainte Famille severing a bucolic relationship she had with her father and from there rises through the ranks across Europe, eventually ending up in Ireland in 1900! She’s English, by birth, brilliant and politically astute. Convent life is stifling, brutally snobbish, bitchy and smothered by priests and bishops, all clearly disapproving of this outsider’s meddling in Irish education (the convent caters towards upper middle class Irish Catholic girls, educating them in a French style). Undoubtedly she questions her decisions and as she gets older understands her father (and perhaps the decision, be it a good one or bad one, better)
Anna is five when she comes to the boarding school. She is more complex because she’s quiet, detached and, mostly friendless. She’s also brilliant but has a somewhat tragic family life! She has a close relationship with her brother, who’s own character is complex (and tragic).
The Reverent Mother and student build an interesting relationship over the years. Helen doesn’t really communicate much with Anna (after her initial bonding) but observes from a distance. Anna admitted at one point that she didn’t really like the older woman’s influence (and doesn’t quite understand it) though clearly both rely on each other for survival which culminates at the end of the novel. At that point both appreciate the other’s involvement in their respective lives.
It’s impossibly difficult to summarize the story’s brilliance in one review. On one level it’s not a complex story. It even gets religiously dogmatic at times. (Long) letters are written in French and its parochialism can be suffocating. The stunning mastery is that it’s amazingly modern. For a story that was set 100 years ago it could fit comfortably into a modern theme. Survival is the same now as in 1900. The tragedy of the church’s (ie patriarchal) meddling makes you want to scream (which clearly was one of the reasons for it being banned), as is the hopelessness of many of the situations people found themselves in. Socially, Ireland would have been a generation behind the Continent at the time. For an upper middle class educated and well traveled Catholic society, Ireland was probably hell! Locked into surroundings of superstition, religious infused existence, political no-man’s land (Ireland wasn't yet independent), cognizant of a Europe staring down at the prospect of a pending war and an inability to define oneself, culturally the story intermingles themes of marital misery, alcoholism, genteel poverty and irrefutable sexism.
I recommend anybody to read this if they’re looking for a more complex understanding of a facet of Irish society that gets little, if any, study in popular literature.jjpi
Interestingly, as a style, the book actually reads more like a series of stories. The beginning doesn’t have much of a sequence but as Anna (one of two primary characters) gets older her and Helen’s (Mother Superior) stories gel. The brilliance in Helen’s story is the one pivotal moment that she witnesses her father kiss another man! It reminded me of many of McEwan’s works, whereby he has mastered the art of life changes based on one tiny moment/snap decisions etc. Helen joins the Compagne de la Sainte Famille severing a bucolic relationship she had with her father and from there rises through the ranks across Europe, eventually ending up in Ireland in 1900! She’s English, by birth, brilliant and politically astute. Convent life is stifling, brutally snobbish, bitchy and smothered by priests and bishops, all clearly disapproving of this outsider’s meddling in Irish education (the convent caters towards upper middle class Irish Catholic girls, educating them in a French style). Undoubtedly she questions her decisions and as she gets older understands her father (and perhaps the decision, be it a good one or bad one, better)
Anna is five when she comes to the boarding school. She is more complex because she’s quiet, detached and, mostly friendless. She’s also brilliant but has a somewhat tragic family life! She has a close relationship with her brother, who’s own character is complex (and tragic).
The Reverent Mother and student build an interesting relationship over the years. Helen doesn’t really communicate much with Anna (after her initial bonding) but observes from a distance. Anna admitted at one point that she didn’t really like the older woman’s influence (and doesn’t quite understand it) though clearly both rely on each other for survival which culminates at the end of the novel. At that point both appreciate the other’s involvement in their respective lives.
It’s impossibly difficult to summarize the story’s brilliance in one review. On one level it’s not a complex story. It even gets religiously dogmatic at times. (Long) letters are written in French and its parochialism can be suffocating. The stunning mastery is that it’s amazingly modern. For a story that was set 100 years ago it could fit comfortably into a modern theme. Survival is the same now as in 1900. The tragedy of the church’s (ie patriarchal) meddling makes you want to scream (which clearly was one of the reasons for it being banned), as is the hopelessness of many of the situations people found themselves in. Socially, Ireland would have been a generation behind the Continent at the time. For an upper middle class educated and well traveled Catholic society, Ireland was probably hell! Locked into surroundings of superstition, religious infused existence, political no-man’s land (Ireland wasn't yet independent), cognizant of a Europe staring down at the prospect of a pending war and an inability to define oneself, culturally the story intermingles themes of marital misery, alcoholism, genteel poverty and irrefutable sexism.
I recommend anybody to read this if they’re looking for a more complex understanding of a facet of Irish society that gets little, if any, study in popular literature.jjpi
October 2, 2025
This book!!! This book!!!!!
I came across The Land of Spices via Goodreads, and added it to my TBR in a blink. The George Herbert title and the premise of nuns--who could ask for anything more? Then, I felt a tug in my soul to start reading it, but I'd forgotten the author's name. When I opened up the book I saw Kate O'Brien, who has cropped up in my research lately, and it was just the perfect timing. I alternated between wanting to stop everything and read, and only reading a chapter at a time because I wanted it to last forever.
The Land of Spices is a sensitive, interior, spiritual book about the running of a Catholic girls' school in Ireland. There are conflicts about Irish nationalism, spiritual fidelity, grief, justice, and more--all written so sensitively and so beautifully. Paging Dominika and Elizabeth, I think you'd love this one especially. I can't wait to go read it again. It's just marvelously written and so tenderly told.
Beware the long passages of untranslated French. I read on an e-reader and was able to translate (and then found out that my ebook had all the passages fully translated at the end...).
-----
"Reverend Mother had often thought, when she was a novice at Sainte Fontaine, that the broken history of the ancient house had given to its stones a character which could only be suggested by the perhaps too emotional word 'bitterness.' There was an austerity over Sainte Fontaine that almost spoke aloud distrust of life, discomfort in it. It was old and graceful, but with the grace of hardened asceticism, not of mellowness. Its noble architecture, rigorous garden and almost empty rooms had taught the young novice more categorically even than did the Early Fathers those lessons of elimination, detachment and forgoing for which, as it happened, her hurt spirit craved somewhat hysterically at that time." (loc. 316-321)
"...she grew into that kind of nun who will never have to trouble about the vow of poverty, because poverty is attractive to her fastidiousness; who has looked chastity in the eyes with aggravated searching, and finding in it the perverse seduction she needed at a moment of flight from life, accepts it once and for all with proud relief; but who will have to wrestle with obedience." (loc. 422-425)
"But when you are grown up, left school, you will perhaps decide to be a nun and live entirely for the glory of God; or you may decide to live alone in the world, devoting yourself to work or study of some kind; or, very likely, you will feel that you do not want to live always alone, that you would like a husband and children." (loc. 1728-1730; can all conversations about vocation with children just be this???)
"She forgot it soon--superficially; but she was never to unlearn the contempt it taught her--her first contempt for a fellow-creature." (loc. 1975-1977)
"He sang without thinking at all of the words of his song, but out of simple male pleasure in himself and the satisfactory, gentlemanly noise he was making." (loc. 3352-3354)
"Anna did not care for Granny, who, although she seemed rich and was free with presents, exacted from children large measures of docility, piety, and reverence for herself." (loc. 3402-3404)
"...if a girl sees liberty as the greatest of all desirables, she will have to spin it out of herself, as the spider its web--her self-made snare in which to catch Anna did not yet know what." (loc. 3476-3481)
I came across The Land of Spices via Goodreads, and added it to my TBR in a blink. The George Herbert title and the premise of nuns--who could ask for anything more? Then, I felt a tug in my soul to start reading it, but I'd forgotten the author's name. When I opened up the book I saw Kate O'Brien, who has cropped up in my research lately, and it was just the perfect timing. I alternated between wanting to stop everything and read, and only reading a chapter at a time because I wanted it to last forever.
The Land of Spices is a sensitive, interior, spiritual book about the running of a Catholic girls' school in Ireland. There are conflicts about Irish nationalism, spiritual fidelity, grief, justice, and more--all written so sensitively and so beautifully. Paging Dominika and Elizabeth, I think you'd love this one especially. I can't wait to go read it again. It's just marvelously written and so tenderly told.
Beware the long passages of untranslated French. I read on an e-reader and was able to translate (and then found out that my ebook had all the passages fully translated at the end...).
-----
"Reverend Mother had often thought, when she was a novice at Sainte Fontaine, that the broken history of the ancient house had given to its stones a character which could only be suggested by the perhaps too emotional word 'bitterness.' There was an austerity over Sainte Fontaine that almost spoke aloud distrust of life, discomfort in it. It was old and graceful, but with the grace of hardened asceticism, not of mellowness. Its noble architecture, rigorous garden and almost empty rooms had taught the young novice more categorically even than did the Early Fathers those lessons of elimination, detachment and forgoing for which, as it happened, her hurt spirit craved somewhat hysterically at that time." (loc. 316-321)
"...she grew into that kind of nun who will never have to trouble about the vow of poverty, because poverty is attractive to her fastidiousness; who has looked chastity in the eyes with aggravated searching, and finding in it the perverse seduction she needed at a moment of flight from life, accepts it once and for all with proud relief; but who will have to wrestle with obedience." (loc. 422-425)
"But when you are grown up, left school, you will perhaps decide to be a nun and live entirely for the glory of God; or you may decide to live alone in the world, devoting yourself to work or study of some kind; or, very likely, you will feel that you do not want to live always alone, that you would like a husband and children." (loc. 1728-1730; can all conversations about vocation with children just be this???)
"She forgot it soon--superficially; but she was never to unlearn the contempt it taught her--her first contempt for a fellow-creature." (loc. 1975-1977)
"He sang without thinking at all of the words of his song, but out of simple male pleasure in himself and the satisfactory, gentlemanly noise he was making." (loc. 3352-3354)
"Anna did not care for Granny, who, although she seemed rich and was free with presents, exacted from children large measures of docility, piety, and reverence for herself." (loc. 3402-3404)
"...if a girl sees liberty as the greatest of all desirables, she will have to spin it out of herself, as the spider its web--her self-made snare in which to catch Anna did not yet know what." (loc. 3476-3481)
February 12, 2019
The title is suggested by a line from a George Herbert poem, I believe.
The book is mainly set in Brussels and in Eire c 1870-1914 though it has a timeless feel to it. Its two central characters are Helen and Anna. Thirty years separate them, age wise, but not much else. They are two of Life’s soul mates and in many ways this is a theme which runs through the book (Helen and her father, Anna and her brother Charlie).
Spices make me think of a world of otherness, mystique which is felt and even smelled - but not necessarily always seen, by everyone. Many of the book’s scenes take place in a convent setting, so there may be wafts of incense around, here and there. The characters are painted well by Kate O’Brien and she is keenly and wittily observant in her portrayal of national characteristics and personal foibles. There’s an all too believable dominatrix of a nun here too. A real scary Mary!
The book is written in English but there are significant extracts in French , particularly letters (translation at the back – better late than never I guess).
I liked it a lot. 4*
The book is mainly set in Brussels and in Eire c 1870-1914 though it has a timeless feel to it. Its two central characters are Helen and Anna. Thirty years separate them, age wise, but not much else. They are two of Life’s soul mates and in many ways this is a theme which runs through the book (Helen and her father, Anna and her brother Charlie).
Spices make me think of a world of otherness, mystique which is felt and even smelled - but not necessarily always seen, by everyone. Many of the book’s scenes take place in a convent setting, so there may be wafts of incense around, here and there. The characters are painted well by Kate O’Brien and she is keenly and wittily observant in her portrayal of national characteristics and personal foibles. There’s an all too believable dominatrix of a nun here too. A real scary Mary!
The book is written in English but there are significant extracts in French , particularly letters (translation at the back – better late than never I guess).
I liked it a lot. 4*
November 1, 2011
I'm starting to get Kate O'Brien whiplash. I loved As Music and Splendour, bounced off The Ante-Room and didn't finish it, and then loved this one (though I sort of expected to like it, since for some reason I generally do like books about convents). It's an intertwined story of small Anna Murphy, the youngest boarder at an Irish convent school, and Helen, the Mother Superior. As Anna grows up and struggles to find her path in life, her experiences cause Helen to reflect on the experiences which drove her to a religious life, eventually coming to terms with her past. The book feels slowly paced in terms of actual events, because it's so inward-focused, yet it's riveting in O'Brien's lucid explorations of the minds of Helen and Anna.
October 9, 2020
I’d bought this book long ago and for some reason was reluctant to pick it up. I’m so glad I finally did. It’s my third book by Kate O’Brien, after That Lady, which I loved, and As Music And Splendour, which was all right. The Land of Spices I loved and adored; it’s one of the best books, if not THE best, I’ve read this year. It was so beautiful that I highlighted passage after passage, and sometimes pages on end – I could have quoted pretty much the whole of it. Most of it I read on the plane, and I laughed and I cried on the same flight…
What is it about, then? It’s about a spiritual link – not love, not friendship, not even exactly mutual understanding, but nonetheless a deep psychological connection between an adult nun, Mother Marie-Helene, and one of her charges, a young girl named Anna. The book spans over ten years (I think), and depicts the inner (and outer) lives of Marie-Helene and Anna. There are other nuns and other girl pupils around, and it is in fact extremely rare for these two to interact – the book is more about the infinitely subtle way human beings perceive and influence each other.
The psychological depth and power of observation displayed in this book are stunning. It’s sheer pleasure to read about every single character, whoever they are, because of the surety and strength of the narrative voice.
“Mère Générale* was a fat, plain woman and looked like a character strayed from La Celestina**, but in fact there was no grossness in her; her religious feeling was deep and her devotion to work as unflagging as it was unspectacular; she rarely seemed either busy or anxious, but generally was both; a good-humoured manner concealed unblinking powers of observation, but as she did not often pronounce opinion or judgment on human beings, her shrewdness was not generally appreciated.”
*That’s not Marie-Helene.
**Kate O’Brien will show her love of Spain whenever she can, sometimes almost unconsciously.
Yes, it is a book about religiosity as well, and very pronouncedly so. There are some ideas and sentiments which are alien to me or difficult to understand, but not impossible or unbelievable; they feel quietly honest, and therefore interesting. Some of the best scenes involving religion are those that acknowledge the sensual and intuitive power it has over human beings.
“No cross, no crown. He sees your sacrifice. Anna leant contentedly on the window-ledge; the women’s talk flowed in dark shapes that interested her. The brilliant symbols, Cross and Crown, wound variously, in pursuit of each other, in escape, through velvet darkness; the deep word ‘sacrifice’, the solemn ‘He’, marked time. It was grandiose, it made her dreamy, and it was familiar. Grandmother said that too – no cross, no crown. It was a musical thing to say.”
It is hard not to love Mother Marie-Helene, who doesn’t care for anyone’s love – I think it would be such a privilege to be loved by her…
“She could not tolerate sarcasm, which was, as she well knew, the ever-ready weapon of intelligent nuns, in community room and schoolroom. She crushed it at all encounters by blank refusal to understand it, and by immediate, sometimes perverse, indulgence of its victim. She sought no favour from those she governed, and believed that she was feared rather than liked in this house, but some of the humble and the stupid were often happily surprised by her support of them – for she was, they knew, one of the ‘clever’ nuns, yet she did not seem to find them as stupid as they were known to be.”
And oh my, how funny, delightfully funny this book can be! Not in short flashes, but in whole long scenes, almost chapters of sparkling, cheerful happiness! It’s remarkably close to miracle how this book, being so ideologically and emotionally alien for me, made me care for the characters and participate in their sorrows and joys. There is a whole chapter – maybe even two? – about festivities in the convent, for which the girls have been preparing for a long time; it’s simply beautiful, and there is not one sad moment in there…
And the last chapter – or the last two chapters? I can’t remember – you would know when you read it. It’s absolutely glorious in its content and perfect in its execution. Oh, I can’t! I read this book over two months ago and now my heart is so full of it again… It was so wonderful.
And yet, would you believe that it was deemed “immoral” and could not be printed in the author’s native Ireland, all because of one sentence? If this kind of thing could be done to such a book, well, I have no words – or rather I do, but I won’t use them here, because of respect for Reverend Mother. (I like Anna, but it’s Marie-Helene I love.)
“Thus it was that on many mornings of Lent or Advent, girls who had given up sugar in tea or coffee for the season of abstinence, found sugar in their cups when they tasted them. ‘The Holy Ghost suggested to me that you should have some sugar today,’ Reverend Mother would say to the protestor.”
What is it about, then? It’s about a spiritual link – not love, not friendship, not even exactly mutual understanding, but nonetheless a deep psychological connection between an adult nun, Mother Marie-Helene, and one of her charges, a young girl named Anna. The book spans over ten years (I think), and depicts the inner (and outer) lives of Marie-Helene and Anna. There are other nuns and other girl pupils around, and it is in fact extremely rare for these two to interact – the book is more about the infinitely subtle way human beings perceive and influence each other.
The psychological depth and power of observation displayed in this book are stunning. It’s sheer pleasure to read about every single character, whoever they are, because of the surety and strength of the narrative voice.
“Mère Générale* was a fat, plain woman and looked like a character strayed from La Celestina**, but in fact there was no grossness in her; her religious feeling was deep and her devotion to work as unflagging as it was unspectacular; she rarely seemed either busy or anxious, but generally was both; a good-humoured manner concealed unblinking powers of observation, but as she did not often pronounce opinion or judgment on human beings, her shrewdness was not generally appreciated.”
*That’s not Marie-Helene.
**Kate O’Brien will show her love of Spain whenever she can, sometimes almost unconsciously.
Yes, it is a book about religiosity as well, and very pronouncedly so. There are some ideas and sentiments which are alien to me or difficult to understand, but not impossible or unbelievable; they feel quietly honest, and therefore interesting. Some of the best scenes involving religion are those that acknowledge the sensual and intuitive power it has over human beings.
“No cross, no crown. He sees your sacrifice. Anna leant contentedly on the window-ledge; the women’s talk flowed in dark shapes that interested her. The brilliant symbols, Cross and Crown, wound variously, in pursuit of each other, in escape, through velvet darkness; the deep word ‘sacrifice’, the solemn ‘He’, marked time. It was grandiose, it made her dreamy, and it was familiar. Grandmother said that too – no cross, no crown. It was a musical thing to say.”
It is hard not to love Mother Marie-Helene, who doesn’t care for anyone’s love – I think it would be such a privilege to be loved by her…
“She could not tolerate sarcasm, which was, as she well knew, the ever-ready weapon of intelligent nuns, in community room and schoolroom. She crushed it at all encounters by blank refusal to understand it, and by immediate, sometimes perverse, indulgence of its victim. She sought no favour from those she governed, and believed that she was feared rather than liked in this house, but some of the humble and the stupid were often happily surprised by her support of them – for she was, they knew, one of the ‘clever’ nuns, yet she did not seem to find them as stupid as they were known to be.”
And oh my, how funny, delightfully funny this book can be! Not in short flashes, but in whole long scenes, almost chapters of sparkling, cheerful happiness! It’s remarkably close to miracle how this book, being so ideologically and emotionally alien for me, made me care for the characters and participate in their sorrows and joys. There is a whole chapter – maybe even two? – about festivities in the convent, for which the girls have been preparing for a long time; it’s simply beautiful, and there is not one sad moment in there…
And the last chapter – or the last two chapters? I can’t remember – you would know when you read it. It’s absolutely glorious in its content and perfect in its execution. Oh, I can’t! I read this book over two months ago and now my heart is so full of it again… It was so wonderful.
And yet, would you believe that it was deemed “immoral” and could not be printed in the author’s native Ireland, all because of one sentence? If this kind of thing could be done to such a book, well, I have no words – or rather I do, but I won’t use them here, because of respect for Reverend Mother. (I like Anna, but it’s Marie-Helene I love.)
“Thus it was that on many mornings of Lent or Advent, girls who had given up sugar in tea or coffee for the season of abstinence, found sugar in their cups when they tasted them. ‘The Holy Ghost suggested to me that you should have some sugar today,’ Reverend Mother would say to the protestor.”
did-not-finish
March 6, 2025I am sorry, but I give up. I can see that Kate O'Brien had something interesting to say, and I loved The Ante-Room, yet I just couldn't keep my interest in this one, or rather the interesting parts were put between the "boring" ones. The long passages in French didn't help either.
March 2, 2025
A beautifully written novel with some darker themes hinted at. Must say I was a bit taken aback when I read it had been banned at one stage. Set in an Irish convent it was the prejudice and cattiness amongst the faithful that I wasn't expecting.
January 20, 2018
Mere Marie-Helen, who grow up in Belgium, is appointed Mother Superior of a French order of nuns residing in Limerick. Considered cold by the other nuns, and the children they educate, she develops an affection for the young Anna Murphy, a hard-working and lonely child. The novel takes place over the ten years of Anna's education at the convent, detailing the experience of being a student at a lonely and elite convent, the dramas of day-to-day, and the lonely, spiritual struggle of Marie-Helen. This is a complex novel, exploring the politics both of the convent and of Ireland in the early 20th century, as well as female friendship and rivalry, snobbishness, family dynamics, and the role of women. Sometimes it meanders, going into too much depth about daily life in the convent, but overall it's an impressive study of place and character.
Marie-Helen is the most well-drawn character: she grew up in an intellectual household in Belgium, and adored her father, who taught her about books, paintings and high culture, and encouraged her to go to university. After her mother's death, Marie-Helen draws ever closer to her father, and finds in him all the companionship she needs. But her relationship with him is shattered when Marie-Helen is horrified, and cannot forgive her father, retreating to the convent as an escape from lust and family relationships. The novels neither applauds nor condemns Marie-Helen, but portrays her father fairly as a lonely and loving man, and Marie-Helen as a confused and naive youth. The novel asks us whether Marie-Helen's life is fulfilling, whether she is closing herself off to joy, and what being in a convent means to women at this time. In the end, Marie-Helen condemns herself for passing judgement on another, when she believes that only God can judge.
This section of the novel is the most compelling. The novel is flawed in its exploration of Anna Murphy: she is too much of a lacuna and too like Marie-Helen to act as a counter-point to her. Character and society force both woman and child to be reserved, but Anna Murphy is perhaps too reserved to be a satisfying character. I feel, also, that the novel could be shorter, as it loses tension after we discover why Marie-Helen entered the convent. But it is a complex book, and well worth reading.
Marie-Helen is the most well-drawn character: she grew up in an intellectual household in Belgium, and adored her father, who taught her about books, paintings and high culture, and encouraged her to go to university. After her mother's death, Marie-Helen draws ever closer to her father, and finds in him all the companionship she needs. But her relationship with him is shattered when Marie-Helen is horrified, and cannot forgive her father, retreating to the convent as an escape from lust and family relationships. The novels neither applauds nor condemns Marie-Helen, but portrays her father fairly as a lonely and loving man, and Marie-Helen as a confused and naive youth. The novel asks us whether Marie-Helen's life is fulfilling, whether she is closing herself off to joy, and what being in a convent means to women at this time. In the end, Marie-Helen condemns herself for passing judgement on another, when she believes that only God can judge.
This section of the novel is the most compelling. The novel is flawed in its exploration of Anna Murphy: she is too much of a lacuna and too like Marie-Helen to act as a counter-point to her. Character and society force both woman and child to be reserved, but Anna Murphy is perhaps too reserved to be a satisfying character. I feel, also, that the novel could be shorter, as it loses tension after we discover why Marie-Helen entered the convent. But it is a complex book, and well worth reading.
October 26, 2011
This book was banned because of one sentence. And yet that sentence is pivotal, so it could not be omitted.
Thank goodness, the censorship laws have laxed for this is a charming book. The author has created characters who she loves for their flaws as well as their strengths. This is one of the best books for characterisations that I have come across for some time. Their involvement with one another and the different scenarios ring true and invoke true empathy in the reader. I read the introduction after the book, and found that I had already decided correctly on what convent the book was based and in which county, and yet these were not stated explicitly - which is a credit to the truth of the book rather than me.
I also enjoyed the setting of the book in a convent in Ireland in the early 1900s. In addition to explorations of faith, duty, family there are also discussions on the rise of nationalism in Ireland and on female suffragettes. The female characters are independently minded and this would have been ahead of its time.
Confusingly and disappointingly, the Virago edition that I read said in the cover notes that the book commences in 1912, whereas in fact it was 1902. It took a while to establish the date of the setting, which is confusing at first, especially in reference to affairs such as Irish nationalism or World War I (or rather lack of them initially)
I must admit, that it took a chapter or so to get used to the style of the author - she uses many commas; but then I was totally hooked and look forward to reading another book by the same author.
Thank goodness, the censorship laws have laxed for this is a charming book. The author has created characters who she loves for their flaws as well as their strengths. This is one of the best books for characterisations that I have come across for some time. Their involvement with one another and the different scenarios ring true and invoke true empathy in the reader. I read the introduction after the book, and found that I had already decided correctly on what convent the book was based and in which county, and yet these were not stated explicitly - which is a credit to the truth of the book rather than me.
I also enjoyed the setting of the book in a convent in Ireland in the early 1900s. In addition to explorations of faith, duty, family there are also discussions on the rise of nationalism in Ireland and on female suffragettes. The female characters are independently minded and this would have been ahead of its time.
Confusingly and disappointingly, the Virago edition that I read said in the cover notes that the book commences in 1912, whereas in fact it was 1902. It took a while to establish the date of the setting, which is confusing at first, especially in reference to affairs such as Irish nationalism or World War I (or rather lack of them initially)
I must admit, that it took a chapter or so to get used to the style of the author - she uses many commas; but then I was totally hooked and look forward to reading another book by the same author.
November 24, 2020
3.5 stars
I want to give this 4 stars, but although I am glad to have read it, it was an arduous chore. The story didn't start to get interesting until halfway through. I really liked the way she told both stories of the Mother Superior and the young student, showing how the nun's own life experiences gave her the unique understanding to encourage and fight for the younger. But this central theme was painfully slow in developing.
The best parts of the book were the moments describing the girls at the convent school, specifically the chapters on Molly Redmond and the Chaplain's Concert. If it weren't for these two chapters, which relieved the somber and heavy feeling of the whole book, I'm not sure I would have finished.
I had difficulty with O'Brien's often awkward prose which was so contorted at times, I couldn't figure out who she was talking about. I also had trouble with figuring out when events were taking place (she would flip back and forth and it was hard to figure out if we were back in the present or still talking about a past event). Despite these slightly annoying quirks, she seems to have been a perceptive writer...although I probably won't read any more of her books. This is considered her best novel.
I want to give this 4 stars, but although I am glad to have read it, it was an arduous chore. The story didn't start to get interesting until halfway through. I really liked the way she told both stories of the Mother Superior and the young student, showing how the nun's own life experiences gave her the unique understanding to encourage and fight for the younger. But this central theme was painfully slow in developing.
The best parts of the book were the moments describing the girls at the convent school, specifically the chapters on Molly Redmond and the Chaplain's Concert. If it weren't for these two chapters, which relieved the somber and heavy feeling of the whole book, I'm not sure I would have finished.
I had difficulty with O'Brien's often awkward prose which was so contorted at times, I couldn't figure out who she was talking about. I also had trouble with figuring out when events were taking place (she would flip back and forth and it was hard to figure out if we were back in the present or still talking about a past event). Despite these slightly annoying quirks, she seems to have been a perceptive writer...although I probably won't read any more of her books. This is considered her best novel.
May 23, 2017
I have a long-held fascination with books and films about nuns, for some reason...this novel, my introduction to Kate O'Brien, was excellent. Published in 1940 and banned in Ireland, this is a subtle and humanistic story about the Mother Superior of an Irish convent school in the early twentieth century. An Englishwoman raised in Belgium, her background and cool demeanour make her a bit of a fish out of water, both interpersonally among the other nuns and the students, as well as in an increasingly nationalist climate among the middle class in Ireland at the time. The novel centres around both Mother Mary Helen and a young pupil in whom she takes an interest. I loved O'Brien's sympathetic and perceptive exploration of the interior lives of her subjects. 4.5 stars.
June 16, 2025
When the book begins it is 1904 and Helen Archer, an English woman raised in Belgium, is the Reverend Mother of Sainte Famille convent school in Ireland. She is somewhat ill at ease in Ireland, missing Belgium, where she grew up, and where the mother house of her order is, and the Irish nuns are somewhat wary of her. She takes an interest in Anna Murphy, who at six years old is the youngest pupil at the school and is a clever bookish child. Over the next ten years the Reverend Mother watches over Anna’s development with interest, while becoming more accustomed to life in Ireland. The book is told mainly from the Reverend Mother’s point of view, a cool, intellectual woman, there are hints that she became a nun after some traumatic experience in her youth, though we don’t learn what it is until about halfway through the book. We see things sometimes also from Anna’s point of view.
Quite a good story with some interesting characters, Anna Murphy and her brother Charlie are perhaps a little too idealised and I would have liked a bit more about the other nuns and their interactions with each other, and perhaps a bit more about some of the other girls.
Quite a good story with some interesting characters, Anna Murphy and her brother Charlie are perhaps a little too idealised and I would have liked a bit more about the other nuns and their interactions with each other, and perhaps a bit more about some of the other girls.
December 21, 2014
The Land of Spices, by Kate O’Brien
The title of this book comes from a sonnet by the 17th century English metaphysical poet, George Herbert. The land of spices refers to the inner landscape associated with contemplative prayer and reflection. It’s an apt description for much of what this book is about since it revolves around what’s going on inside the minds of its two central characters - the mother superior of an Irish school for the daughters of middle class families, and one of the students who is brought there as a very young child. On the surface the book can be read as a story about the relationships that develop over the years – between the nuns themselves, the nuns and their students, and the students and their families and friends. But from that perspective the novel isn’t all that compelling. What makes it a worthwhile read is the deeper story that emerges as we listen in on the thoughts and reflections of the two protagonists. We get to know the struggles beneath the efficient, somewhat cold exterior of Reverend Mother Helen Archer, the story behind her rash decision to become a nun and the self discoveries that enable her eventually to emerge as woman of deep faith. At the same time we follow young Anna as she grows from a precocious six year old child into an intelligent and confident young woman. Those expecting examples of the harsh and uncompromising things that happened in Irish Catholic schools in the early 20th century won’t find them in this book. Kate O’Brien drew upon her own experiences at Laurel Hill, a convent school in Limerick where she was enrolled as a very young child – much like Anna in this novel. O’Brien’s nuns are deeply caring women who can be stern and demanding, but only because they care about bringing out the potential they see in their students. They are also subject to the same character flaws and mean spiritedness found everywhere: petty jealousies, professional rivalries, outbursts of temper, etc. Because O’Brien didn’t hesitate to show this side of religious life, her characters were much more believable and interesting. It could be one of the reasons the book was banned in the 1940s by the Irish Censorship Board! But most likely the real reason was because of one short scene that included a discreetly worded description of sexual activity. Although it was necessary to the plot and tactfully described, apparently it was just too shocking for the delicate sensibilities of the censors! My big problem with this novel concerns the fact that because it took place in an Irish convent school run by a French order of nuns, O’Brien frequently used French in the dialogue as well as in several long letters that were important to the plot and which I had to guess at in order to understand. I have a feeling I would have enjoyed the book a lot more had I been able to translate when necessary!
The title of this book comes from a sonnet by the 17th century English metaphysical poet, George Herbert. The land of spices refers to the inner landscape associated with contemplative prayer and reflection. It’s an apt description for much of what this book is about since it revolves around what’s going on inside the minds of its two central characters - the mother superior of an Irish school for the daughters of middle class families, and one of the students who is brought there as a very young child. On the surface the book can be read as a story about the relationships that develop over the years – between the nuns themselves, the nuns and their students, and the students and their families and friends. But from that perspective the novel isn’t all that compelling. What makes it a worthwhile read is the deeper story that emerges as we listen in on the thoughts and reflections of the two protagonists. We get to know the struggles beneath the efficient, somewhat cold exterior of Reverend Mother Helen Archer, the story behind her rash decision to become a nun and the self discoveries that enable her eventually to emerge as woman of deep faith. At the same time we follow young Anna as she grows from a precocious six year old child into an intelligent and confident young woman. Those expecting examples of the harsh and uncompromising things that happened in Irish Catholic schools in the early 20th century won’t find them in this book. Kate O’Brien drew upon her own experiences at Laurel Hill, a convent school in Limerick where she was enrolled as a very young child – much like Anna in this novel. O’Brien’s nuns are deeply caring women who can be stern and demanding, but only because they care about bringing out the potential they see in their students. They are also subject to the same character flaws and mean spiritedness found everywhere: petty jealousies, professional rivalries, outbursts of temper, etc. Because O’Brien didn’t hesitate to show this side of religious life, her characters were much more believable and interesting. It could be one of the reasons the book was banned in the 1940s by the Irish Censorship Board! But most likely the real reason was because of one short scene that included a discreetly worded description of sexual activity. Although it was necessary to the plot and tactfully described, apparently it was just too shocking for the delicate sensibilities of the censors! My big problem with this novel concerns the fact that because it took place in an Irish convent school run by a French order of nuns, O’Brien frequently used French in the dialogue as well as in several long letters that were important to the plot and which I had to guess at in order to understand. I have a feeling I would have enjoyed the book a lot more had I been able to translate when necessary!
October 1, 2025
⭐️college read⭐️
i’m sat in the boland library after crying twice. what a fab book. the relationship between anna and mother reverend is so beautiful. ouch my heart.
i’m sat in the boland library after crying twice. what a fab book. the relationship between anna and mother reverend is so beautiful. ouch my heart.
August 18, 2020
Young Helen Archer loves her father so intensely that she puts him on a pedestal in her heart. He falls from it forever in an awful instant when his daughter sees something she was never meant to discover. Helen is so devastated she flees to the convent where she goes to school in order to become a nun. Years later she is sent to oversee the Irish chapter of her order and the school it conducts. She is at a loss there because she is English, which causes her problems due to the fierce nationalist sentiment common among the nuns and priests she must deal with every day. She is on the brink of begging for a different assignment when she sees something in one of her students that she is compelled to nurture. This is the story of the mentorship that develops. It's a slow moving story, but worthwhile for anyone with a keen interest in human nature.
January 11, 2021
I loved this book. This is a lush, rich book that stays with you long after you've turned the last page. I was assigned this book to read as part of an Irish Literature class, and I am so glad I was introduced to Kate O'Brien. Her pages are filled with words and phrases that quite literally took my breath away. If you love to sink, to melt, into a story; if you love subtle nuances and details, you will love The Land of Spices.
May 18, 2023
I really loved this gentle story of a nun questioning her vocation and the young girl full of promise at her school. It was such a comfort read for me, quietly lovely, with elements that spoke to me. I loved the French and I feel an affinity towards those who share my last name, Archer. It was refreshing to read a story of Catholic education that wasn't dark and abusive. I am a fan of this #nunlit read.
Read
October 18, 2022♫𝄞 The Hills are Alive With the Sound of Nuns Fucking ♫𝄞
October 2, 2025
A beautiful and thoughtful book. Nearly every page is dog-eared with lines that linger in the mind. The choice of an English-born but continentally raised nun as a central figure in a novel about an Irish convent in the twentieth-century is fascinating. I also loved how it was an independant French order rather than an Irish branch, thus showing the complexity of religious devotion in Ireland at this time. Through the Reverend Mother, O’Brien voices ideas that feel remarkably radical for the 1940s. I loved how this novel challenges religious dogma, critiques the notion of a stagnant, anti-intellectual religious sphere, and explores the complexities of human relationships. From a historian’s perspective, this novel is rich with insight. It is set during a period when religion in Ireland was becoming increasingly politicised and radical, yet it was written retrospectively from a time when religion was unquestioned and obeyed. That tension gives the book a fascinating double vision, both a portrait of a changing Ireland and a critique of the rigidity that still held sway in O’Brien’s own day. Truly, a flawless novel.
My favourite quote was this: "How odd were these Irish, who believed themselves implacably at war in the spirit with England, hugged as their own her dreariest daily habits, and could only distrust the grace and good sense of Latin Catholic Life.'
My favourite quote was this: "How odd were these Irish, who believed themselves implacably at war in the spirit with England, hugged as their own her dreariest daily habits, and could only distrust the grace and good sense of Latin Catholic Life.'
January 26, 2025
Read this for my class in irish lit module. I’m still puzzling over exactly what to make of it. But it dealt with a religion that I grew up in in a way that I hadn’t encountered before.
July 5, 2020
up limerick
September 29, 2025
favorite thing i have read in quite a while
July 8, 2013
Kate O'Brien's novel, "The Land of Spices," does not offer much in way of a summary. Published in 1941, the novel is set in an Irish convent of a French order and run by an English nun. But outside of the upsurge of Irish nationalism and some politics in the order, nations play a small role. Instead, the convent is its own world, which deals with the outside world through the students who go home for vacations. Mere Marie-Helene is the nun, and throughout the book we also see the growth of young Anna Murphy, from six to sixteen, as she moves through life. There is a bond between the two, but the relationship is intentionally kept at a distance. In fact, as readers we are kept at a distance, watching a story unfold slowly. Although there are two events which occurs to each of them near the end of the novel, and these are life-changing events, we still see at the end what looks to be a natural parting of ways. Natural, because, indeed, it is natural. Roles changes. Life experiences change us. We all make different decisions.
Hardly a description to sell a lot of novels, but it is still a novel not to miss. What goes on in these pages show a great deal of the human character, the thoughts and events which shape us, the faith which challenges many of us, the relationships with present and past people, the choices we must make, and the pressures we face. And it does so without the unnecessary drama of self-obsessed people.
There are many themes which could be explored here. We have the challenge of personal obedience and personal freedom, without either side being shown as a preference. Mere Marie-Helene understands her obedience to God and her order come from a personal choice, her personal freedom. She also understands that not everyone will make the same choice, which is expected.
From there rises the theme of humility and judgment. If she teaches her young charge nothing else, it is to be humble about oneself, which leads to less judging of others. "You will make what you must of the life for which we have tried to prepare you. And you have gifts for life. Spend your gifts, and try to be good. And be the judge of your own soul; but never for a second, I implore you, set up as a judge of another. Commentator, annotator, if you life, but never judge."
Other themes grow even stronger, including the impact of death, but to say more would be to give away too much of the plot. But O'Brien's desire to face life is tied up in the comment, that "You cannot accept the mystery of life and refuse that of death."
Finally, as a fan of 17th century poetry, it was wonderful to see the importance of literature in this novel. The connection between the two characters comes because the six year old can recite a poem the nun learned as a child from her own father. The title itself comes from a George Herbert poem, which I provide simply for an excuse to sneak such a poem into my writing.
Prayer
Prayer, the Church's banquet, Angels' age,God's breath in man returning to his birth,The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth;Engine against th' Almighty, sinner's tower,Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,The six-days'-world transposing in an hour,A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear;Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss,Exalted manna, gladness of the best,Heaven in ordinary, man well dressed,The milky way, the bird of Paradise,Church bells beyond the stars heard, the soul's blood,The land of spices, something understood.
The novel itself has a challenging history. The book was banned for lewdness because of the line "in the embrace of love." Of course, it is not the line itself, but the context which caused the commotion. O'Brien herself fell out of popularity, and this novel (and I believe others) went out of print. It would have been a loss for this novel to remain unavailable, so the return is welcomed.
Hardly a description to sell a lot of novels, but it is still a novel not to miss. What goes on in these pages show a great deal of the human character, the thoughts and events which shape us, the faith which challenges many of us, the relationships with present and past people, the choices we must make, and the pressures we face. And it does so without the unnecessary drama of self-obsessed people.
There are many themes which could be explored here. We have the challenge of personal obedience and personal freedom, without either side being shown as a preference. Mere Marie-Helene understands her obedience to God and her order come from a personal choice, her personal freedom. She also understands that not everyone will make the same choice, which is expected.
From there rises the theme of humility and judgment. If she teaches her young charge nothing else, it is to be humble about oneself, which leads to less judging of others. "You will make what you must of the life for which we have tried to prepare you. And you have gifts for life. Spend your gifts, and try to be good. And be the judge of your own soul; but never for a second, I implore you, set up as a judge of another. Commentator, annotator, if you life, but never judge."
Other themes grow even stronger, including the impact of death, but to say more would be to give away too much of the plot. But O'Brien's desire to face life is tied up in the comment, that "You cannot accept the mystery of life and refuse that of death."
Finally, as a fan of 17th century poetry, it was wonderful to see the importance of literature in this novel. The connection between the two characters comes because the six year old can recite a poem the nun learned as a child from her own father. The title itself comes from a George Herbert poem, which I provide simply for an excuse to sneak such a poem into my writing.
Prayer
Prayer, the Church's banquet, Angels' age,God's breath in man returning to his birth,The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth;Engine against th' Almighty, sinner's tower,Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,The six-days'-world transposing in an hour,A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear;Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss,Exalted manna, gladness of the best,Heaven in ordinary, man well dressed,The milky way, the bird of Paradise,Church bells beyond the stars heard, the soul's blood,The land of spices, something understood.
The novel itself has a challenging history. The book was banned for lewdness because of the line "in the embrace of love." Of course, it is not the line itself, but the context which caused the commotion. O'Brien herself fell out of popularity, and this novel (and I believe others) went out of print. It would have been a loss for this novel to remain unavailable, so the return is welcomed.
February 23, 2017
I read The Land of Spices over twenty years ago and immediately became a fan of Kate O'Brien's books. Recently I was drawn to read it again and enjoyed it even better the second time around. Once again I was filled with admiration for her style, her beautiful, evocative writing, erudite and dramatic, the depth of her character portrayal, the tautness of the story. Set in an Irish convent school the two main characters are the highly intelligent Reverend Mother Marie-Helene Archer, a rather lonely introspective figure who is daunted by the Irish environment, so rustic and unsophisticated, very different to her cultivated English background. Through her letters to her superior in Belgium we learn that although challenged by it, she is not satisfied with her task as convent head and wishes to be recalled. But when six year old Anna Murphy comes as a boarder to the school because of the unsettled atmosphere at home between her parents, her father who drinks too much and has a roving eye, her mother who thinks it best for her child to go to the nuns who educated her and with whom she has kept in close contact since her schooldays, Reverend Marie-Helene changes her mind, thrust into a protective role towards Anna with whom she identifies, reminded of herself at that age. The child has the same gift for remembering and reciting poetry, the same quest for knowledge. She recalls her own childhood with her erudite father who had early on mapped out a career for her, a college education followed by a brilliant career. At eighteen Helen Archer witnesses a traumatic incident only gradually revealed and it changes the course of her life, causing her to enter the religious order against her father's wishes. As a result the relationship between them is never the same. Mere Marie-Helene has a great influence on Anna's life and supports her against the bias of some of the nuns who, in the name of character building, wish to make humble and submissive the bright, intelligent little girl, as well as the cruel snobbish attitude of one or two of the wealthier pupils who have heard the rumours of her parents' breakup. But most of all Helen Archer influences Anna in her choice of an academic career, encouraging her in face of her grandmother's opposition, for this proud wealthy old lady holding the old fashioned belief that it is only men who should continue on to higher education and a woman's place is in the home as wife and mother. An erudite and compelling book. Now that I am reacquainted with Kate O'Brien I hope to reread more of her work; in particular my favourite set in Spain, Mary Lavelle.
October 12, 2007
This is a book that I doubt I would have selected to read on my own, and definitely would not have finished without the pressure of an impending midterm to motivate me. It doesn't have a lot of plot, and it is – to be completely honest – a little bit boring.
That having been said, it has some of the most extraordinary characters I've ever read. Both the major and minor characters are extremely well written. I fell in love with them (especially the Mother Reverend and Molly Redmond) in a way that I very rarely fall in love with characters anymore. I could gush for pages about the characters, but I won't. :) I also found the book to be extremely moving; painfully so, in fact. It was powerful and gut-wrenching, but it wasn't angsty, which is almost impossible to find, nor was it flat-out depressing; it was very hopeful. I doubt I will ever reread it, but I absolutely loved it.
That having been said, it has some of the most extraordinary characters I've ever read. Both the major and minor characters are extremely well written. I fell in love with them (especially the Mother Reverend and Molly Redmond) in a way that I very rarely fall in love with characters anymore. I could gush for pages about the characters, but I won't. :) I also found the book to be extremely moving; painfully so, in fact. It was powerful and gut-wrenching, but it wasn't angsty, which is almost impossible to find, nor was it flat-out depressing; it was very hopeful. I doubt I will ever reread it, but I absolutely loved it.
December 25, 2017
Despite a slow beginning, I thoroughly enjoyed this Virago novel set in a convent school in Ireland in the 1930s. The character-driven story centers on the Reverend Mother and one of the students in the school. The Reverend Mother's English background is an impediment in a time of increased Irish nationalism; she must also work within the Order’s hierarchy and face challenges of her own character and faith. The student’s challenges include her troubled family and adjusting to life in the convent boarding school environment with its mix of teacher and student personalities and varying expectations.
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