This is a neglected but absolutely gorgeous novel. If you've read James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," you'll find this novel of a young woman's coming of age in an Irish convent a fascinating contrast. Highly recommended.

This amazing pre-war coming of age novel has recently been re-released as "Talk of Angels : A Novel." O'Brien describes the life and loves (for people and for places) of her heroine, Mary Lavelle, a young Irish woman who goes to Spain as a governess for a time before her own impending marriage. The novel is terrific -- the prose style is flawless, and the interior life of the heroine complex but plausible. O'Brien specializes in describing the emotional whirlpool at the center of the transformative moments of her characters' lives, and this book is, I think, her best.

As a historian specializing in Philip II's reign (and, funny enough, as a hobby author just trying my hand at a historical novel featuring Philip and his relationship to Ana de Mendoza when I discovered this book) I was naturally curious what insights "That Lady" would give on topics historians have always argued about (like the Escovedo affair). And I was pleasantly surprised - it's a wonderful read AND aims at the utmost historical correctness possible without letting that dry up its author's imagination. Straightforward style, absolutely credible characters and strong feelings without kitsch make this book the perfect start for, say, people who saw Verdi's "Don Carlos" at the opera and want to know more about the people featuring in it. Given that research on Philip II is still sometimes recurring to legends and prejudices because the truth simply can't be found out anymore, Kate O'Brien's approach to this period in Spanish history and to Philip's character is as true as any and probably fairer than a professional historian's. So if you are looking for a colourful and psychologically fascinating historical novel - this one's what you've always wanted!

Although there aren't lots of designs to choose from (15) they are well-chosen with full-color pictures and easy directions. Includes hats, gliders, snapping mouths, jumping frogs, poppers, pinwheels, beads, star box, balloons, lilies and more. I borrowed it from the library to show my kids, but I'm buying a copy to keep.

This lovely coming-of-age story set in the 1920's is beautifully written. I must confess it did take me a bit to get into it (it was somewhat boring until about halfway through), but I'm glad I stuck it out as the story seemed to grab me and stick with me night and day. Mary and Juanito's love story reminded me a great deal of The Bridges of Madison County - hopeless, unrealistic and doomed from the start. A great romance in all respects. Now I must add Spain to my travel wish list!

This is a beautiful story. 1936 was a bit before its age. For a female Irish writer to write a book that even hints at a lesbianism was probably beyond the ability of the Irish Catholic establishment to deal with in that era. However, that is such a minor part of the novel, that it is really mistitled with this new title "Talk of Angels." Discussion about the sexual orientation of a minor character greatly distorts the stark beauty of the characters, Spain, and the inner story which O'Brien tells so well. I understand that the new title replaces the originally published title of "Mary Lavelle." But the angel passage and the lesbian angle are so minor, that I would probably opt for something associated with the climax like "Spanish Love Dance." The strength of this work is the exploration of the inner characters. The main character of Mary Lavelle, her beauty, her vulnerability, and the options between uncertain romance and unromantic certainty. We root for Mary to make love a romantic choice rather than simply an ecomonic security issue as so many women over the last centuries have been forced to make. The characters of the father and her lover are also well drawn and filled with their own special quests. As important as any of the characters is Spain itself. How lovingly is it described, more alluring than a travel trailer or vacation brochure. The society of the other nannies with their squabbling creates a strong reality in which we can see these women operate. The ending left me wanting more in the story. I wanted to know what happened after her return to Ireland. Perhaps that is what a great novel does, leaves you so connected to the characters that they last with you long after the book ends. I believe this book will connect with romantics of both genders, simply because the writing is so fine.

The lesbian character of Agatha Conlan, although a small role, is better drawn and more visible than in most modern novels. The heroine, Mary Lavelle falls in love with a married man. Even though, she is an innocent in affairs of the heart, she controls the relationship.

Kate O'Brien's parlor-set piece about a 19th Century Irish family at the time of the lingering death of the family's mother is spare and relentless. The author evokes through a series of character foils the conflicts between the 19th Century Irish Catholic milieu in which the characters exist and the very real and human passions that they develop at odds with their circumstances. The narrative voice is sympathetic, yet quick to point up the character flaws in each of the family members portrayed in this novel filled with misplaced passions and passionless near misses. Although this is a short novel, it is not a quick read. It instead is a patient, quiet, well-constructed but not particularly novel portrayal of the contrasts between life as we imagine it and life as it really is lived. I recommend the Ante-Room, but it is not for the impatient or faint of heart.

I couldn't put it down! The book describes three days in an Irish household. Very atmospheric, and yet the writing is so easy and natural to read. There is unrequited love, and almost every other emotion it is possible to think of. Highly recomended

Kate O'Brien is a masterful storyteller. I read "The Last Of Summer" without much expectation, as I was on break from writing a novel of my own. I was really surprised at what I found. Her details of the era, rich with history and emotion are crisply described, and only draw you further into the complex story of Angele, a beautiful young actress who returns to her old Irish home to reclaim her past. In doing just that, she uncovers many secrets which lead to her own Father's estrangement from her Uncle and his Family. When her cousin begins having feelings for her, which O'Brien bravely endears, (a hint of her being an author well beyond her time) his decision to go off into the beginning of World War I are thwarted by an ever growing love for this mysterious cousin. I highly suggest giving this a read. Not only is it beautiful in atmosphere and context, but riveting and highly sensual. A work from an Author who does not bow to tradition. This is a triumph.

I recently found a list of the winners of the Hawthornden prize, which is awarded annually to an English writer "for the best work of imaginative literature." This book, by Kate O'Brien (1897-1974), won the prize for 1931. Since most of the Hawthornden prizewinners I have read (only 9 so far) have been good reading, I decided to read this. On balance it tells an interesting story and holds one's attention well. It is laid in Ireland of the 1870s and concerns an upper-class Irish Catholic family, the "proper" members of which are portrayed in a somewhat unfavorable light. The "rebel" members of the family get most of the attention in the book, as I suppose one would expect in a novel. I do not regret reading the book, and would read more by Kate O'Brien if I ran across such.

I just wrote a review of Australia Handbook and decided to have a look at the reviews for Lonely Planet's Australia guide. I bought both books as well as Frommer's and Fodor's guides for my trip to Australia. I have used many Lonely Planet guides through the years, but must agree with the comments of other posted reviews--it is oriented almostly solely to young people out looking for a a job picking fruit and wanting to know the latest nightclub hotspot. I did find the first sections of this book to be thorough on the country's history and what to expect, but as for myself and my wife (40 year olds staying in motels and with a rental car) it was useless once we got there. Lonely Planet is also way behind when it comes to listing websites.

These books may serve budget travelers well, but for my money, it's the Frommer's or Moon book.

Australia is such a vast and diverse nation that it is impossible to cover the entire country in one book.

Lonely Planet was a great starting ground. It gave excellent overviews of all of the major cities, the best of the outback, and the superb national parks. Lonely Planet also publishes guides for every Australian state, a few areas, and many smaller guides to dining, and the cities.

My advice to any traveler to Australia is to read LP Australia before departing. Then, once you have a clear idea of what you want to see, read the LP guides specific to that area. Lonely Planet is by far the best for Australia that I have seen out there.

The new 11th edition (May 2002)of this Lonely Planet Guide is excellent. I grew up in Australia and travel back frequently. The publisher is based in Melbourne, so this book has unique "at the source" information and tips. This updated edition solves most of the problems of previous editions. Yes, things change -- so always refer to the most recent edition available. Australia is a fascinating island continent.

If love, as the cover claims, is the common thread in these nineteen stories, then love must be a strange fiction in the Irish sensibility. Most of the stories reek of disappointed, disaffected females: no harm in that either, now that I think of it. But hang on a minute. Why are some of the stories so badly written? Is there a suggestion that many of these pieces, because they were commissioned (as the introduction suggests), have suffered from being 'forced' out onto the page? That's how it strikes me. It was difficult to see any logical connection between the stories and the introduction of divorce in Ireland. A couple of the works really succeed, among them Ita Daly's genuinely-sustained, atmospheric 'Do the Decent Thing'. In this story, Rosa observes her stifling, oppressive family, and attempts to forge a sense of reconcilation within herself in relation to the father who has disappointed her. The thing about this story is that this family is a universally oppressed one, not peculiar to the Irish, nor proclaiming its Irishness as if this was a special 'condition' or 'disease'. Mary Morrissey's 'Clods' hits the mark with its splendid laying bare of death, a rural funeral, and the narrator's turmoil. Moreover, her dialogue and character-interaction is superb. And Mary O'Donnell's multi-layered story 'Passover' certainly taps into the global voice: Rosanna, freshly delivered from childbirth in Dublin, reflects on the experience both before and after. But this is no softly-contoured look at maternity. It is a work which drives hard in its use of language to lay bare the essential epiphany which has been the narrator's experience. The story is about pain and violence, not just in childbirth, but in war too, which the author deftly links to wars everywhere, including Vietnam. Connections are made constantly - some of them amusing - between America and Ireland, between pain and beauty, between birth and death. Otherwise, some of the stories are lighter and perhaps more predictable. The title could be re-thought if this book were to be reprinted. As it stands, it's corny, sort of softly-softly womany-sounding!

All of the stories in this book were easy to latch on to, some were more enjoyable than others and I wished they didn't end so fast. The Orphan, by Mary Dorcey, is without a doubt the most disturbing thing that I have ever read, and I wept while reading it. Is it possible that such evil could exist? Is it possible that this story is based on fact? This book made me definitely want to read more by these authors, most of whome were unfamiliar to me (with the exception of Maeve Binchy and Mary Gordon). However, I don't think their books are too available in the US. As I am planning a trip to Ireland this summer, I will surely look for them. I would definitely recommend this book.