 |
- Essays - |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Irish Nocturnes |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Irish Nocturnes byChris Arthur The Davies Group 256 pages, 1999 Soft cover with dust-jacket ISBN 1888570490 Reviewed by Charlotte Austin Read our interview with the author In a surprising tour de force, award-winning Irish author Chris Arthur embarks the reader on a series of thought-provoking philosophical meditations, at times reminiscent of Joseph Campbell’s works, with Irish Nocturnes, eighteen powerful and emotional essays carefully crafted, each a gem in itself. Chris Arthur reinvents the essay form as he writes majestically about Ireland and about life. To fully understand its scope, Irish Nocturnes must be savored, for its linguistic content, for its appropriate illustrations, and for its timelessness in examining the connections between people, objects, places and events. Meditations range from the mundane to the more serious. Linen making, and the history of a Japanese temple bell from Hiroshima. Fear of darkness, and the origin of the word ‘ferrule’. Bits of bone, and the compelling beauty of nature. The 105-day siege of Derry (Londonderry) in 1689. The torment of exile from one’s homeland. Buddhist teachings, and the origins of life. The first essay, Linen, widely reviewed in literary and international publications, describes linen making, the variety of its uses and the crucial role linen played in the history of Ireland. Look to the deliberate choice of unique metaphors, not to the history, to understand the depth of Linen: "The way in which linen is made offers a whole set of metaphors for our versions of history…And, though you would scarcely guess it from the finished product, the processes involved in making words make sense are quite as complex as those behind my great-grandmother’s linen carver". Threads of linen, threads of religion, threads of words, threads of life. With eloquent simplicity, Irish Nocturnes also examines how ordinary symbols found in everyday life can become full of meaning. The relationships masterfully portrayed in Kingfishers start with the description of the colorful bird and slowly evolve, as the bird becomes a symbol when it is associated with particular events. "How much of any symbol resides in the thing itself, and how much is foisted on it by the pre-occupations of those for whom it takes on a special significance? We are a symbol-making species par excellence, individually and collectively…Although some of the kingfisher’s significance in my scheme of things derives from its intrinsic nature, from its colour, brightness, the speed and fleetingness of its appearances, as much if not more stems from the coincidence of sightings with particular moods and moments in my life…People have different ways of calibrating their lives, of taking stock of where they are and what they’ve done. Birthdays, Christmases, weddings, funerals, christenings, traditionally afford occasions when we can take such bearings…In my own case, kingfishers have become an unlikely stimulus for such reflection." In the greater scheme of things, a more profound question raised in Kingfishers is how humans have become adept at labeling everything for the convenience of efficient living. " 'Look! A kingfisher!' How little our language catches; how superficial our perception is! How quickly we categorize, frame, limit everything around us. Of course we need some shorthand, some familiar names, some abbreviations. The daily business of living would soon grind to a halt if we had always to confront the reality of things head on." In The Empty Heart, two challenging issues are examined: the power of memory - how and why we learn things by heart - and the problem with today's society. The latter, subtly brought up, examines how a society running on empty, and with no specific belief, can ultimately survive. Days have passed since completing my second reading of Irish Nocturnes, which has sparked greater questions I had not considered. Irish Nocturnes has had its effect. And it is fitting that such a collection should begin with Linen, a nostalgic look at the way home used to be, and end with Going Home, a tribute to Ireland as heartland. "We can set up home anywhere, of course. We are an adaptable species. We can uproot ourselves if need or opportunity dictates, colonize some new patch of earth…But can you ever really feel at home except in the country where you were born?" Nostalgic threads of yesterday will spin their yarn for hopeful threads of tomorrow. In 18 gentle strokes, Chris Arthur sets the stage, never lecturing, posing the questions, offering no answers, allowing the reader to decide. Irish Nocturnes will leave an indelible mark on your mind long after the last page has been turned. An instant classic. --- Irish Nocturnes is available online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books Ulster, Borders, and all fine bookstores. Also available directly from the publisher, The Davies Group. Email: daviesgroup@msn.com |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||