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The Loves of Cass McGuire
Paperback
Published January 1, 1984
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About the author
Brian Friel
124 books139 followersBrian Friel is a playwright and, more recently, director of his own works from Ireland who now resides in County Donegal.
Friel was born in Omagh County Tyrone, the son of Patrick "Paddy" Friel, a primary school teacher and later a borough councillor in Derry, and Mary McLoone, postmistress of Glenties, County Donegal (Ulf Dantanus provides the most detail regarding Friel's parents and grandparents, see Books below). He received his education at St. Columb's College in Derry and the seminary at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth (1945-48) from which he received his B.A., then he received his teacher's training at St. Mary's Training College in Belfast, 1949-50. He married Anne Morrison in 1954, with whom he has four daughters and one son; they remain married. From 1950 until 1960, he worked as a Maths teacher in the Derry primary and intermediate school system, until taking leave in 1960 to live off his savings and pursue a career as writer. In 1966, the Friels moved from 13 Malborough Street, Derry to Muff, County Donegal, eventually settling outside Greencastle, County Donegal.
He was appointed to the Irish Senate in 1987 and served through 1989. In 1989, BBC Radio launched a "Brian Friel Season", a series devoted a six-play season to his work, the first living playwright to be so distinguished. In 1999 (April-August), Friel's 70th birthday was celebrated in Dublin with the Friel Festival during which ten of his plays were staged or presented as dramatic readings throughout Dublin; in conjunction with the festival were a conference, National Library exhibition, film screenings, outreach programs, pre-show talks, and the launching of a special issue of The Irish University Review devoted to the playwright; in 1999, he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Times.
On 22 January 2006 Friel was presented with a gold Torc by President Mary McAleese in recognition of the fact that the members of Aosdána have elected him a Saoi. Only five members of Aosdána can hold this honour at any one time and Friel joined fellow Saoithe Louis leBrocquy, Benedict Kiely (d. 2007), Seamus Heaney and Anthony Cronin. On acceptance of the gold Torc, Friel quipped, "I knew that being made a Saoi, really getting this award, is extreme unction; it is a final anointment--Aosdana's last rites."
In November 2008, Queen's University of Belfast announced its intention to build a new theatre complex and research center to be named The Brian Friel Theatre and Centre for Theatre Research.
Friel was born in Omagh County Tyrone, the son of Patrick "Paddy" Friel, a primary school teacher and later a borough councillor in Derry, and Mary McLoone, postmistress of Glenties, County Donegal (Ulf Dantanus provides the most detail regarding Friel's parents and grandparents, see Books below). He received his education at St. Columb's College in Derry and the seminary at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth (1945-48) from which he received his B.A., then he received his teacher's training at St. Mary's Training College in Belfast, 1949-50. He married Anne Morrison in 1954, with whom he has four daughters and one son; they remain married. From 1950 until 1960, he worked as a Maths teacher in the Derry primary and intermediate school system, until taking leave in 1960 to live off his savings and pursue a career as writer. In 1966, the Friels moved from 13 Malborough Street, Derry to Muff, County Donegal, eventually settling outside Greencastle, County Donegal.
He was appointed to the Irish Senate in 1987 and served through 1989. In 1989, BBC Radio launched a "Brian Friel Season", a series devoted a six-play season to his work, the first living playwright to be so distinguished. In 1999 (April-August), Friel's 70th birthday was celebrated in Dublin with the Friel Festival during which ten of his plays were staged or presented as dramatic readings throughout Dublin; in conjunction with the festival were a conference, National Library exhibition, film screenings, outreach programs, pre-show talks, and the launching of a special issue of The Irish University Review devoted to the playwright; in 1999, he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Times.
On 22 January 2006 Friel was presented with a gold Torc by President Mary McAleese in recognition of the fact that the members of Aosdána have elected him a Saoi. Only five members of Aosdána can hold this honour at any one time and Friel joined fellow Saoithe Louis leBrocquy, Benedict Kiely (d. 2007), Seamus Heaney and Anthony Cronin. On acceptance of the gold Torc, Friel quipped, "I knew that being made a Saoi, really getting this award, is extreme unction; it is a final anointment--Aosdana's last rites."
In November 2008, Queen's University of Belfast announced its intention to build a new theatre complex and research center to be named The Brian Friel Theatre and Centre for Theatre Research.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 3, 2019
within the inevitable ranking that comes together after you've read more than one book by the same author, i would put this one in a comfortably shared second spot alongside Translations (whoever might pull ahead of the other depending on the day and my mood)--that is, one spot over Lovers: Winners and Losers but one below Philadelphia, Here I Come! (the indisputable first runner so far).
this was my second go at this play, in fact. last year, i had gone and picked it up from the library but, for some reason, i did not feel like moving forward the first two pages. instead, i went for "philadelphia"--a decision i cannot begrudge. still, why i didn't carry through with this play initially is now beyond me. however, as if it were a proper thriller (which is most certainly not), i think it best to come into this story as blind as possible. perhaps its lack of proper shocks and twists requires this ignorance in order to create its own element of surprise. what i can say properly is only this: if i could use one word to describe this story it would be familiar . not in the sense of being comfortable or harmless but as ordinary and perfectly possible in your own everyday life.
this was my second go at this play, in fact. last year, i had gone and picked it up from the library but, for some reason, i did not feel like moving forward the first two pages. instead, i went for "philadelphia"--a decision i cannot begrudge. still, why i didn't carry through with this play initially is now beyond me. however, as if it were a proper thriller (which is most certainly not), i think it best to come into this story as blind as possible. perhaps its lack of proper shocks and twists requires this ignorance in order to create its own element of surprise. what i can say properly is only this: if i could use one word to describe this story it would be familiar . not in the sense of being comfortable or harmless but as ordinary and perfectly possible in your own everyday life.
November 18, 2021
I bought this book at a thrift store because I thought it looked interesting after peeking inside and decided to buy it, and I am very glad I did.
Friel (the author) is an eloquent writer who depicts the pain of an underwhelming life so clearly in my opinion. He constantly uses the character's dialogue and actions to blur the lines between the past and present, between disappointment and joy, and between loneliness/abandonment and the concept of “home.” He has characters who constantly break the fourth wall and refer to the title, but these techniques are done meticulously. He breaks down the outer layers of his characters and invites us to empathize with figures whom we would have otherwise overlooked.
Catherine’s story serves as a reminder of a future that is not too far away for many of us. It shows that living in the past and thinking about what could have been can be one of the most painful things ever, as she and others are forced to grapple with the consequences of not only what she did, but has to live with the regret that comes from all the things she did not do.
Friel (the author) is an eloquent writer who depicts the pain of an underwhelming life so clearly in my opinion. He constantly uses the character's dialogue and actions to blur the lines between the past and present, between disappointment and joy, and between loneliness/abandonment and the concept of “home.” He has characters who constantly break the fourth wall and refer to the title, but these techniques are done meticulously. He breaks down the outer layers of his characters and invites us to empathize with figures whom we would have otherwise overlooked.
Catherine’s story serves as a reminder of a future that is not too far away for many of us. It shows that living in the past and thinking about what could have been can be one of the most painful things ever, as she and others are forced to grapple with the consequences of not only what she did, but has to live with the regret that comes from all the things she did not do.
February 10, 2012
Cass McGuire has returned to Ireland after nearly fifty years in America. Her remaining family--a brother (and his family) and her mother--welcome her back but then place her in a nursung home, Eden House, when she gets to difficult to handle. This play focusses on the psychology of Cass as she returns from her emigration and her search for 'home'.
Friel plays with conventions of theatre and memory. Cass breaks the fourth wall constantly, refers directly to the author and title of the play, and she works hard to deny memories of how she got into her current situation, repelling the eery draw of the other patrons of the institution.
There is a distinct Wagnerian influence on the play, as Freil wrote Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde music into the play, then removed it from the first performance because the actor's 'rhapsodised' well enough without the music. There are also references to the thier story throughout as well. It is interesting when paired with Cass's constant question of why the writer chose 'The Loves of Cass MacGuire' for the title of the play.
This is a fascinating piece and I can't wait to discuss it in class next week.
Friel plays with conventions of theatre and memory. Cass breaks the fourth wall constantly, refers directly to the author and title of the play, and she works hard to deny memories of how she got into her current situation, repelling the eery draw of the other patrons of the institution.
There is a distinct Wagnerian influence on the play, as Freil wrote Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde music into the play, then removed it from the first performance because the actor's 'rhapsodised' well enough without the music. There are also references to the thier story throughout as well. It is interesting when paired with Cass's constant question of why the writer chose 'The Loves of Cass MacGuire' for the title of the play.
This is a fascinating piece and I can't wait to discuss it in class next week.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews