Fiction

Good Behaviour

Good Behaviour

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  • Create Date：2021-03-25 14:20:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Molly Keane
  • ISBN：184408762X
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Summary

I do know how to behave - believe me， because I know。 I have always known。。。'

Behind the gates of Temple Alice the aristocratic Anglo-Irish St Charles family sinks into a state of decaying grace。 To Aroon St Charles， large and unlovely daughter of the house， the fierce forces of sex， money， jealousy and love seem locked out by the ritual patterns of good behaviour。 But crumbling codes of conduct cannot hope to save the members of the St Charles family from their own unruly and inadmissible desires。

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Reviews

Rosamund ，

Dark and delightful tale of a family falling into decay。 Aroon is a wonderful unreliable narrator。

Colin ，

This darkly comic novel （Keane’s twelfth， although the first published under her own name） came after a gap of nearly thirty years。 Keane’s subject is the last dying days of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland， as viewed through the eyes of Aroon St Charles， the lonely， lumpen daughter of a typical Ascendancy family， now fallen on hard times， with harder still to come。 She paints a cold， bleak and miserable picture underscored with a bitter， hard-edged humour。 Aroon is a fascinating character: This darkly comic novel （Keane’s twelfth， although the first published under her own name） came after a gap of nearly thirty years。 Keane’s subject is the last dying days of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland， as viewed through the eyes of Aroon St Charles， the lonely， lumpen daughter of a typical Ascendancy family， now fallen on hard times， with harder still to come。 She paints a cold， bleak and miserable picture underscored with a bitter， hard-edged humour。 Aroon is a fascinating character: worldly-wise in some respects but painfully innocent in others， a victim of circumstances and a prisoner of social position in a new world where the economic means to sustain that position are rapidly disappearing。 。。。more

Molly Koeneman ，

The drama of an upper-crust， Irish family。

Julie ，

Hilarious and tragic at the same time， very much enjoyed it

Molly ，

This is an ARC Review for the NYRB Edition of Good Behavior。 Many thanks to New York Review of Books and Edelweiss。"Our good behavior went on and on， endless as the days。 No one spoke of the pain we were sharing。"This is not the fastest-paced novel。 It isn't easy to get into and is probably often left unfinished due to sheer misunderstanding of its nuanced， darkly satirical aim。 I admit， I wasn't hooked at the beginning。 Keane includes "inside" information so early， only to go back and explain l This is an ARC Review for the NYRB Edition of Good Behavior。 Many thanks to New York Review of Books and Edelweiss。"Our good behavior went on and on， endless as the days。 No one spoke of the pain we were sharing。"This is not the fastest-paced novel。 It isn't easy to get into and is probably often left unfinished due to sheer misunderstanding of its nuanced， darkly satirical aim。 I admit， I wasn't hooked at the beginning。 Keane includes "inside" information so early， only to go back and explain later; this is likely on purpose to make the reader uncomfortable （it works）。 However， as the novel progresses， things become clearer。 This is not supposed to be an easily-readable novel。 It's eerie， uncanny， and uncomfortable。 It is the quiet exploration of a crumbling aristocratic way of life and the inner dialogue of a woman whose slippery ethics make her both villain and victim。 This is one of the most understated， unsettling domestic Gothics I've ever read。 I highly recommend it。The St。 Charles family is， in a word， dysfunctional。 They operate under the all-powerful， aristocratic creed of Good Behavior， relying on the veneer of decorum to hide and excuse their malevolence towards each other。 And do they even realize it's malevolence， or have they come to believe their own lies of good behavior？ Spoilers ahead。。。The story is told by Aroon St。 Charles - daughter of Papa and Mummie， sister of Hubert St。 Charles。 She is large and ungainly by the standards of 1920s， noticeably tall and bosomy。 This wouldn't be that big of an issue but for her mother's judgment and her own internalization of her "ugliness，" making her hide within herself for fear of ridicule。 Her physical stature and self-esteem， coupled with the insular， incestuous society of the Irish upper-class， largely cuts her off from the outside world through the powerful constraints of social awkwardness and snobbery。 The story open on Aroon as an "old maid，" caring for her ailing mother in a dilapidated sea-side manse。 She feeds her mother rabbit， knowing her mother's distaste。 Some reviews I've read believe this is her way of expediting her mother's death， but I'm not sure。 I don't think Aroon operates under bare malice。 I think she deludes herself into thinking her cruelty is kindness。 But then， that is Aroon's camouflage throughout the story - is she malicious or just oblivious？The death of her mother prompts Aroon to look back on her life （for justification？）， and so the story begins。 We learn about her childhood， being neglected and ignored by her distant mother and equally strung along and ignored by her philandering father。 She takes it upon herself to compete with her mother for her father's affections， as her mother certainly has no affection for her。 Hubert， her brother， is the golden child and her mother's obvious favorite。 Aroon's life changes a bit upon the arrival of a new governess， Mrs。 Brock。 The story then moves to Mrs。 Brock's quite extensive biography and yet somehow Aroon is still the narrator - how does she know these intimate detail of Mrs。 Brock's life？ Is it just meant to further unsettle readers， this switch between perspectives？As Aroon grows （and grows， to her mother's dismay） the domestic tensions continue to knot beneath the shallow waters of good behavior。 Hubert， Aroon's brother， brings back a "friend" from university - Richard。 He tells Aroon， and she believes him， that he brought Richard to meet her。 But she was only ever an alibi for their forbidden， homosexual affair。 She excuses being the joke， the rude nicknames （"Pig"）， the pointed exclusions， because she deludes herself into thinking they are her friends。 She forms a sort of incestuous love "circle" （as she calls it） with them as a way to feel wanted。One of the more heartbreaking scenes in the novel is when Richard comes to her room one night。 She thinks he is coming to make love to her， but he is only there to squash suspicion about himself and Hubert。 He， like everyone， remarks on her largeness and continues to make her a joke。 And then he leaves。 She tells herself it is because he respects her， but we know the truth。 She calls him her "lover，" like a child playing pretend。 The reader can see Aroon shrivel and embitter， as one watches a cut flower wilt and brown。 The family goes through hardship and Aroon watches， yet never partakes。 Her entire adult life becomes filled with a desire for love and attention - from her father and from Richard （who hardly acknowledges her after Hubert's death）。 It's hard to read， Aroon's pitiful state and festering disappointment。 Her resentment and the little cruelties she uses to make herself feel better， such as her treatment of the Crowhurst girls。Aroon is such a strange and compelling character。 I read this book and then went back and looked over my highlights trying to parse her out， and still I couldn't quite get a grip on her。 Is she truly cruel or is she like a child， obliviously hugging an animal so hard it dies？ Does she intend to be malicious， or is it just a byproduct of her inability to understand anything？ Perhaps because she is the narrator， readers want to make her sympathetic but upon revisiting， she never really does anything to warrant sympathy。 She shows no real kindness to anyone， yet she insists she is a kind person。 She revels in telling mean and false stories about Mrs。 Brock in order to be included by Hubert and Richard。 She disparages the Crowhurst girls for no obvious reason。 She hardly grieves at her brother's death or her father's， too focused on her own woes to think of anyone else。 Is this because of her callous treatment growing up， or is this just Aroon？ Is she the ultimate malicious character operating under the veil of good behavior， or is she just a victim of others？ She is allowed no happiness， no peace growing up and into adulthood。 She is ridiculed， abused， and ignored。 But does that ultimately make her a character we should coddle and pity？ Does it excuse her own cruelty？ I tend to think not。When Papa dies and unexpectedly leaves her everything， I think Aroon's character starts to both solidify and grow mistier。 It's hard to explain， really， but her cruel nature both comes into focus and comes into doubt。 We will never know her true intentions。 The final paragraph is haunting in a way no horror novel could ever achieve:"I stood above [Mummie]， shriveled back against her chair， and I spoke to her in a voice I didn't know myself - a voice humid with kindness: 'Drink this，' I said， 'and remember that I'll always look after you。'She took the glass and looked up at me under the absurd tilt of her hat; in an odd way her look reminded me of a child warding off a blow。'Yes。 Always，' I reassured her firmly。" 。。。more

Holly Gilligan ，

“Certainty fell away from me as though a loved person dropped my hand in indifference。” Almost a horror story？ Shirley Jacskson meets the upper class in Ireland and it is not good for anyone invloved。

frankie ，

all my life i have done everything for the best reasons and the most unselfish motives。 i have lived for the people dearest to me， and i am at a loss to know why their lives have been at times so desperately unhappy。if there were any justice in the world， aroon st charles would be one of the most well-known， well-loved unreliable narrators in the history of modern literature。 as we open， she kills her deeply unpleasant mother by attempting to get her to eat rabbit。 whether or not this is just a all my life i have done everything for the best reasons and the most unselfish motives。 i have lived for the people dearest to me， and i am at a loss to know why their lives have been at times so desperately unhappy。if there were any justice in the world， aroon st charles would be one of the most well-known， well-loved unreliable narrators in the history of modern literature。 as we open， she kills her deeply unpleasant mother by attempting to get her to eat rabbit。 whether or not this is just a symbolic opening or an actual premeditated murder is something that aroon is too polite to imply and that keane is far too good an author to not imply。 confronting the rage of her maid， rose， aroon whisks us back to her halcyon youthful days in the decaying family manor， temple alice。the sheer brilliance this novel contains didn't hit me all at once， and aroon's chatty， unguarded narration doesn't reveal itself as unreliable until a certain point - her conversation on the beach with hubert。 aroon is simply far， far， far too polite to even mention directly that her brother and crush might be gay for one another， or that her father is bonking other women on the sly while her mother sits at home， painting and frigidly insulting poor aroon within an inch of her life。this is not a comic novel like brideshead revisited or love in a cold climate。 good behaviour is cruel， bleak， and bitter to its very core， not to mention deviously and intricately plotted: the 'happy ending' is not just an arbitrary grace note， it delicately illuminates the opening chapter and lends it a certain sinister air。 as aroon leads us through her youth， gently recalling and resurrecting the memory of her poor drowned governess mrs。 brock （very much， too， a kind of thematic/temperamental double for aroon）， subtle cruelty mounts upon subtle cruelty， manipulative actions and convenient ignorances stacking up。 with good behaviour like this， who needs to be bad？ 。。。more

Realini ，

Good Behaviour by Molly Keane 7 out of 10 for the undersigned， due to clear and reckless BAD BEHAVIOUR， but 10 out of 10 for The Booker Prize CommitteeWhile trying feebly to enjoy the reading of this opus shortlisted for the most important award for literature written in English， in recent times， according to some critics， The Booker Prize， yours truly was in fact thinking of the classic Blink， the Power of Thinking Without Thinking by perhaps the most influential psychologist of the age， except Good Behaviour by Molly Keane 7 out of 10 for the undersigned， due to clear and reckless BAD BEHAVIOUR， but 10 out of 10 for The Booker Prize CommitteeWhile trying feebly to enjoy the reading of this opus shortlisted for the most important award for literature written in English， in recent times， according to some critics， The Booker Prize， yours truly was in fact thinking of the classic Blink， the Power of Thinking Without Thinking by perhaps the most influential psychologist of the age， except perhaps for Daniel Kahneman， and how the quintessential work applies to this and other novels， which could be assessed according to the Thin Slicing Theory in less than a minute。After all， if the examples from Blink are valid we can use the same evaluation technique for books just as people can look at what is presumed to be kouros and establish they are not in seconds， or decide to fire on an airplane within minutes – the Vincennes aircraft carrier tragedy – make medical， military and plenty of other decisions in a very limited timeframe – the example of the CEOs from the Fortune 500 top companies comes to mind…they have about a third of leaders there who are extremely tall， at about 190 centimeters， and while they are so much selected for the top jobs， they represent only about 3% of the general population and this is one situation that proves the Thin Slicing Theory…http://realini。blogspot。com/2013/05/b。。。 Therefore we can look at the first few pages and see if we want to continue reading – this will be in most cases relevant and you can take the example above， where it is clear from the first sentence that you have no business being here， as in it is irrelevant， blabbering gibberish and the red flag is high from the start – but we can be wrong – it seemed that there is merit in Good Behaviour – and incidentally， we have to be ‘merit finders， not fault finders’ according to the Harvard Professor Tal Ben Sharar， whose stupendous lectures on positive psychology， the most popular ever at Harvard， are available freely and legitimately online。There is a passage in which we have a nannie that is in a ‘drunk stupor’ on the bed and next to her we have the brother of the narrator and main character of the story， who is also passed out， though he is only four at the time， while the heroine herself is trying to start a fire near them…the nanny would then be given a quite good reference to depart with， which does not mention the drinking incident – that will have been ‘unkind and unnecessary’， since the woman promised to reform – and the next charge， a baby in Dublin， almost died of drink and the mother wrote a very hysterical letter， which mummy naturally put in the fire…That episode was as promising as it gets， but this reader and presumably most others have not found enough gumption， seriousness， dedication， moral fiber， constancy， curiosity and creativity to continue with a book that is surely worthwhile – again， short listed for the nec plus ultra Booker Prize and saved incidentally by the actress Peggy Ashcroft…to add a futile， stupid， lame and cynical observation…why the hell did she save this piece of ***…this is just a desperate attempt to be noticed， a cry for recognition and acceptance， a symptom of anxiety…what if the wife is right and the under signed is just a bulshit artist – unlike Mel Brooks in a hilarious scene in History of the World， where he is in ancient Rome， queuing at the…unemployment office where the clerk is asking ‘occupation/standup comedian/so you are a bulshit artist…did you bulshit last week？ No/you will have to try and bulshit next week or you will lose your unemployment benefit…In the introduction to Mister Johnson http://realini。blogspot。com/2013/05/b。。。 the brilliant author makes a very powerful observation， that ‘reading is not a passive act， in fact it is Highly creative or re-creative…it is an art in itself， it must be for all the reader has is a lot of crooked marks from which he then creates a world…’this is not a quote， but the significance is maintained…Insha’AllahWhat happened during the reading – well， failed attempt to go with it – of Good Behaviour was first of all Bad Behavior and then the negation of the Authority Principle， as listed among other five， in the glorious， mesmerizing， outstanding classic of psychology –and marketing and other domains for that matter – Influence by Robert Cialdini， as used on what everybody knows from television ads， where we have dentists， doctors – actually actors playing these parts – dressed appropriately in white and taking the omniscient airs， telling us that this toothpaste or that pill will have miraculous effects and we believe that on account of the Respect for Authority Principle。Actually， there is a fantastic experiment in which participants had been told to apply electricity jolts of increased voltage to people who would not respond correctly to the questions asked and when some protested， they were told that this is what they had agreed and therefore the experiment has to continue…a majority of us – let us include you and me in this ‘normal individuals’ category – will continue even when the 220 volts limit has been reached and some will go even beyond that， because we respect Authority。In fact， there was no jolt there and the purpose was no to inflict pain on the uninformed， or un educated， but to see how far do people go in their obedience to a person that has authority – it was used to explain how Germans went along with Hitler and the Nazis， the mass suicide that took place in the wild forests of Guyana， where hundreds of men and women – I think there were children there too – would take their lives because their leader said so – granted there was also a dose of the Principle of Social Proof in there and a shade of the Reciprocation was also seen into the mix- which leaves the question…why was the under signed oblivious to the praise and the Booker nomination in this caseIn the introduction to Mister Johnson http://realini。blogspot。com/2013/05/b。。。 the brillaiant author makes a very powerful observation， that ‘reading is not a passive act， in fact it is Highly creative or re-creative…it is an art in itself， it must be for all the reader has is a lot of crooked marks from which he then creates a world…’this is not a quote， but the significance is maintained…Insha’Allah。 。。。more

Aoife ，

My mistake was misreading "unlovely" as "lovely" on the summary when I first picked this book up。 I'm prone to findng unsympathetic main characters a bore， and from the very beginning Aroon proves herself to be very unsympathetic。 And yet as the story goes on， you can't help but root for her in the face of her mother's withering attitude and sympathise with her loneliness and delusion。 And then as the end approaches， we are shown once more the sheer arrogance and haughtiness that， according to t My mistake was misreading "unlovely" as "lovely" on the summary when I first picked this book up。 I'm prone to findng unsympathetic main characters a bore， and from the very beginning Aroon proves herself to be very unsympathetic。 And yet as the story goes on， you can't help but root for her in the face of her mother's withering attitude and sympathise with her loneliness and delusion。 And then as the end approaches， we are shown once more the sheer arrogance and haughtiness that， according to this book， characterised the old Anglo-Irish world。 I was， after all， Aroon St Charles。 A portrait of the last gaps of a fading world， clinding to its meticulous customs and rituals。 It's demise is seen in the falling fortunes of Temple Alice， and the pathetic self-belief of Aroon herself。（To be honest， I preferred The Age of Innocence。） 。。。more

Jo ，

This is a beautiful edition of the novel so many people have raved about。 I have to say I was disappointed。 Yes， it perfectly captures the spirit of impoverished Anglo-Irish families in the early part of the twentieth century and there are amusing episodes， but I felt that it was just a bit too frivolous。

Victor Ward ，

3rd re-read

ShellsReads ，

A masterpiece of manners， correctness and suppressed feelings amidst the brooding darkness of a gently decaying Anglo-Irish family at the end of its shelf life。 Superlative writing where instantly you enter into Aroon’s loveless world of pudgy humiliation where she is scorned by her mother and ruthlessly used as a decoy for her brother and his friend Richard’s illicit relationship。 Starved of attention she deems herself all but engaged to the lovely Richard eagerly awaiting his return after the A masterpiece of manners， correctness and suppressed feelings amidst the brooding darkness of a gently decaying Anglo-Irish family at the end of its shelf life。 Superlative writing where instantly you enter into Aroon’s loveless world of pudgy humiliation where she is scorned by her mother and ruthlessly used as a decoy for her brother and his friend Richard’s illicit relationship。 Starved of attention she deems herself all but engaged to the lovely Richard eagerly awaiting his return after the shocking accident which kills her brother。 Inevitably it is a long wait and yet further misery decline and tragedy strikes the family but Aroon comes through it all。 What doesn’t break makes which is perhaps the theme of Keane’s own life when widowed young she stopped writing completely for 30 years until this gem flowed forth。 The ending in itself is a marvellous beginning and of course makes the reader immediately start devouring ‘Good Behaviour’ all over again - which is always the mark of a great book。 。。。more

Liz Cooper ，

A very enjoyable read。I loved the fact that， because Aroon was such an unreliable narrator， I had to work out myself what was really happening。 What a horrible mother she had， even so。

Philip ，

Terrific novel， Keane's prose transcends the page， creating an eerily-realistic portrait of the crumbling Irish upperclass。 With a stream of well-rounded characters （all of them fixed on maintaining the book's titular 'Good Behaviour' of course） and Aroon's laugh-out-loud narration， this is a book I would thoroughly recommend。It has been noted how Aroon misunderstands the majority of what is going on around her， most obviously her father's philandering and her brother's HOMOSEXUALITY！ But there Terrific novel， Keane's prose transcends the page， creating an eerily-realistic portrait of the crumbling Irish upperclass。 With a stream of well-rounded characters （all of them fixed on maintaining the book's titular 'Good Behaviour' of course） and Aroon's laugh-out-loud narration， this is a book I would thoroughly recommend。It has been noted how Aroon misunderstands the majority of what is going on around her， most obviously her father's philandering and her brother's HOMOSEXUALITY！ But there are clearly so many other little mysteries hidden under the surface of her life。 Mysteries that neither Aroon nor the reader can ever discern a definite conclusion。 What's the deal with those creepy twins， why does Mummie give them so much money， and why does the Major take them for suspicious， secret walks one-by-one。 Why does Rose remain unmarried all her life？ Alas we will never know。The saddest part of the novel is when Aroon is given a final chance to escape from being the unlovely and unmarried daughter of the house， by the solicitor's veiled offer of marriage。 Yet she shuns his offer for snobbish reasons， once and for all putting 'Good Behaviour' above happiness， above freedom， above life。 。。。more

Alison ，

Extremely engaging and well-written; however， I was confused for the first third because I had expected something very different。 I am annoyed at the way in which it was presented by the blurbs and reviews printed on the back of my edition， which in my opinion completely misrepresent the book。 To look at the blurb， this book would appear to be two things: a） a comic take on early 20th century aristocracy， and b） filled with dark， sexy vices and crimes。 Probably this was supposed to help it sell。 Extremely engaging and well-written; however， I was confused for the first third because I had expected something very different。 I am annoyed at the way in which it was presented by the blurbs and reviews printed on the back of my edition， which in my opinion completely misrepresent the book。 To look at the blurb， this book would appear to be two things: a） a comic take on early 20th century aristocracy， and b） filled with dark， sexy vices and crimes。 Probably this was supposed to help it sell。 I have rarely read any book less accurately showcased by the paratextual information， or which suffered more as a result。 It is not comic。 There are very few 'dark secrets and hushed cruelties' and they are not held up for titillation of any kind。 This book wonderfully explores the theme of loneliness through a gloriously detailed character whose painful experiences are all too mundane and pathetic， even if the background setting is glamorous。 Aroon is an awkward， impassioned girl who you cannot but be in sympathy with; the idea that anyone could laugh at her unhappiness is grotesque。 。。。more

Earl Adams ，

"Good Behavior" is a deliciously nasty novel。 Recommended！ "Good Behavior" is a deliciously nasty novel。 Recommended！ 。。。more

Vicki Antipodean Bookclub ，

“Our good behaviour went on and on， endless as the days。 No one spoke of the pain we were sharing。 Our discretion was almost complete。” 。。。It starts off with quenelles of rabbit mousse in a cream sauce。 Quenelles that have been carefully seasoned with bay， peppercorns and a lifetime of resentment。 Miss Aroon knew that her mother couldn’t stand rabbit， that the threat of it might be just enough to push Mummie and her dicky ticker over the edge。 Upsetting， but not quite upsetting enough to justify “Our good behaviour went on and on， endless as the days。 No one spoke of the pain we were sharing。 Our discretion was almost complete。” 。。。It starts off with quenelles of rabbit mousse in a cream sauce。 Quenelles that have been carefully seasoned with bay， peppercorns and a lifetime of resentment。 Miss Aroon knew that her mother couldn’t stand rabbit， that the threat of it might be just enough to push Mummie and her dicky ticker over the edge。 Upsetting， but not quite upsetting enough to justify wasting a good luncheon。 The rabbit goes back to the kitchen to be warmed for laterYou might think that Aroon sounds like a psychopath， but when you examine the “uncertainties and glories” of her youth， you understand what has brought her to the quenelles。 A moment of madness in a lifetime of “good behaviours。” Aroon grows up with her brother Hubert at Temple Alice， a country estate in Ireland in the 1920’s。 Together with the normal pursuits of a country gentleman， her father trains and owns racehorses。 He’s charming with an eye for the ladies even whilst remaining devoted to his wife whose manner toward her children ranges from detached to cruel。 She drifts aimlessly between her garden and painting studio， but takes particular joy in needling Aroon; her weight， her height （“must you be so majestic darling”）， her dress sense， her lack of friends and social graces。 Aroon’s father treats her with a sense of affable irritation and her beloved brother uses her naivety and desperate need to be loved to his own advantageA series of tragedies besets the family and financial ruin beckons。 Yet in all of this loss and betrayal， the stiff upper class lip remains and they are each trapped in their own private grief and resentment。 When an economy drive leads Mummie to suggest that Aroon may have to resort to eating rabbit， a beautiful circularity to this murderous tale emerges。 The original bunny boiler 。。。more

Regina Landers ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A lot of writing about very little action or changes， except in the life and mind of countrified elites， especially the narrator of this story。 Strange characters indeed， the nicest of which was Mr。 Kiely whose place in life was worker bee。 Richard and Hubert - together。 Rose， did she mean well or was she just an ingratiate， who figured out how to do more than survive？ And our full-figured daughter， Aroon， fun loving and willing to come to bat despite past strikeouts。 I reread the first chapter A lot of writing about very little action or changes， except in the life and mind of countrified elites， especially the narrator of this story。 Strange characters indeed， the nicest of which was Mr。 Kiely whose place in life was worker bee。 Richard and Hubert - together。 Rose， did she mean well or was she just an ingratiate， who figured out how to do more than survive？ And our full-figured daughter， Aroon， fun loving and willing to come to bat despite past strikeouts。 I reread the first chapter on completion of the book。 It tied this distressing novel together。 Good writing by Molly Keene。 。。。more

Arushi Bhaskar ，

This is the kind of book that makes you fall in love with reading all over again。 It is just so well-written （Molly Keane？ More like Molly QUEEN） that you want to find more books like this， that really suck you into their worlds， and see the characters and the events with such startling clarity that it's always a little disorienting when the book ends。 Not that you want it to end， of course。 Speaking of the ending， I actually went back and re-read the first chapter once I was done。 I felt like I This is the kind of book that makes you fall in love with reading all over again。 It is just so well-written （Molly Keane？ More like Molly QUEEN） that you want to find more books like this， that really suck you into their worlds， and see the characters and the events with such startling clarity that it's always a little disorienting when the book ends。 Not that you want it to end， of course。 Speaking of the ending， I actually went back and re-read the first chapter once I was done。 I felt like I had travelled a great distance inside Aroon's （the narrator's） mind and I honestly still don't know what to make of it。 I felt like I got to know her completely， and yet， I can neither imagine her or describe her。 It's very discomforting actually， even though the book itself was hilarious。 Also， complete relatability at all the "big girl" bits。 Very， very well articulated。 Definitely one of the best books I have ever read， and needless to say， I will be getting my hands on more of Keane whenever I can。 It's so rare that I find an author I want to stick to， into whose bibliography I want to do a complete deep dive。 And it's even more special when it's an underrated woman。 #blessed 。。。more

Geertje ，

My parents let me buy some books to reward me for getting my MA。 I bought some that had been on my TBR for a while， and then I also bought some of the Virago Designer Collection hardcovers; I normally don't buy hardcovers， because they are expensive， and so I thougth I might as well use this moment to treat myself。 I had heard of some of the books I bought （e。g。 A Far Cry From Kensington）， had even wanted to read some of them （e。g。 The Magic Toyshop）， but there are also a number I bought just fo My parents let me buy some books to reward me for getting my MA。 I bought some that had been on my TBR for a while， and then I also bought some of the Virago Designer Collection hardcovers; I normally don't buy hardcovers， because they are expensive， and so I thougth I might as well use this moment to treat myself。 I had heard of some of the books I bought （e。g。 A Far Cry From Kensington）， had even wanted to read some of them （e。g。 The Magic Toyshop）， but there are also a number I bought just for liking the cover。 Obviously we are always told not to judge a book by its cover， but I figured I might as well take a leap of faith for once。Good Behaviour was such a leap of faith， and a lucky one it has proven to be。 It's a strange tale， full of the cruelty and hurt that come from small family interactions。 Initially I was not sure whether I would like it， but the writing is absolutely superb， and once I got past the first fifty pages I was hooked。 I shall definitely check out more of Molly Keane's work in the future。 Also， I stan Mrs Brock， poor bisexual disaster that she is。 。。。more

Angela Raguso ，

Quando ho sentito parlare per la prima volta di questo libro mi ha incuriosito per due motivi: gli anni '20 di cui adoro l'atmosfera elegante e l'intrigo che è sempre stuzzicante。Mi sono trovata davanti a un libro molto difficile e opprimente。Una breve nota sul linguaggio: tante parole mai sentite prima （nemmeno da mio marito che è madrelingua inglese）， forse desuete o proprie dell'epoca e dell'Irlanda。 Sono state uno scoglio all'inizio， ma a lungo andare hanno contribuito a creare quell'atmosfe Quando ho sentito parlare per la prima volta di questo libro mi ha incuriosito per due motivi: gli anni '20 di cui adoro l'atmosfera elegante e l'intrigo che è sempre stuzzicante。Mi sono trovata davanti a un libro molto difficile e opprimente。Una breve nota sul linguaggio: tante parole mai sentite prima （nemmeno da mio marito che è madrelingua inglese）， forse desuete o proprie dell'epoca e dell'Irlanda。 Sono state uno scoglio all'inizio， ma a lungo andare hanno contribuito a creare quell'atmosfera nebulosa e soffocante che si addice al romanzo。La voce narrante è Miss Aaron， la figlia negletta， quando non derisa， di un'aristocratica famiglia irlandese in decadenza。 Mai narratore fu meno affidabile。Aaron vive intrappolata in un corpo troppo grande per lei， che si sente leggiadra come una farfalla e balla il charleston con trasporto， e in una famiglia in cui il rispetto delle apparenze è l'unica regola di vita。 Aaron è ingenua come una bambina， assetata d'amore e continuamente in cerca di approvazione， della madre， del padre， del fratello e del mancato amante。 Passa da un'umiliazione a un disinganno e la sentiamo soffrire immensamente。 Eppure， non si riesce mai a simpatizzare con lei fino in fondo perché nel momento in cui si è sul punto di impietosirsi， lei si rivela superba e algida， quasi quanto sua madre。Del resto l'apertura del romanzo non ci dispone bene nei confronti della narratrice che si presenta in tutta la sua statuaria autorità offrendo perentoriamente alla madre invalida un piatto a base di coniglio che farà precipitare gli eventi e darà il via al racconto a ritroso。Se siete in vena di un noir psicologico e amate le atmosfere anni '20， questo romanzo fa al caso vostro。http://lettureedintorni。blogspot。com/。。。 。。。more

Jan Laney ，

Set in the dying days of the Anglo-Irish upper classes， this is a brilliant and biting satire on the modes and manners of the time。 "Good behaviour" is behaviour which shows little emotion and conforms to the socially acceptable。 Unloved and unlovely， Aroon grows in an environment both physically and emotionally cold。 She is excluded by both of her parents who prefer her brother but especially by her mother who cares more for her plants and dogs than her children。 Their care is dismissively give Set in the dying days of the Anglo-Irish upper classes， this is a brilliant and biting satire on the modes and manners of the time。 "Good behaviour" is behaviour which shows little emotion and conforms to the socially acceptable。 Unloved and unlovely， Aroon grows in an environment both physically and emotionally cold。 She is excluded by both of her parents who prefer her brother but especially by her mother who cares more for her plants and dogs than her children。 Their care is dismissively given over to a series of nannies and governesses。 In tight and precise language， she avoids any situation which could lead to a scene- including the serial philanderings of her husband。 She abhors the overt displays of faith from the Catholic servants。 Even at the funerals of close family members she avoids any display of feeling。 Anything undesirable is brushed neatly under the carpet with the faintest of gestures， including the sexual preferences of her son。 The novel is carefully structured to take the reader from present to past and back again to present to slowly reveal the the nature of the relationships， allowing the reader an insight into the characters of which they themselves are ignorant。 Keane's language is rich in imagery and well observed。 Breda， the maid "reared her head like an insulted hen"- brilliant！ And poor Aroon has breasts like"two swinging sacks of jelly"。 Keane takes you seamlessly from comic to tragic。The characters are all so deeply unhappy that one can scarcely think of a satisfactory ending for them but Keane manages this also with an unexpected twist and the sharpest of wit。 This a case of just deserts。 。。。more

Carole Stott ，

A beautifully written novel that is also a real page turner。 I felt totally immersed in the Anglo Irish household of the 1920s and the complex relationships within the family and household。 The central character Aroon and her relationship with her mother is very finely and subtly exposed， as is the rather poignant relationship with her father。 We see how the character of Aroon has developed through her interactions with her family， the Anglo Irish community and wider community which she inhabits A beautifully written novel that is also a real page turner。 I felt totally immersed in the Anglo Irish household of the 1920s and the complex relationships within the family and household。 The central character Aroon and her relationship with her mother is very finely and subtly exposed， as is the rather poignant relationship with her father。 We see how the character of Aroon has developed through her interactions with her family， the Anglo Irish community and wider community which she inhabits。 I also thought the title was very clever。 As you read you see how notions of what constitutes good behaviour can become a force- and sometimes an excuse- that drives， constrains and distorts people's choices and behaviours。 A brilliant read。 。。。more

Poornima Vijayan ，

What a phenomenal book。 The opening lines are: 'Rose smelt the air， considering what she smelt; a miasma of unspoken criticism and disparagement fogged the distance between us' and you know you're in for a treat。The book gets better every passing chapter and concludes with delicious evil。 Told from the point of view of Aroon， a large girl who yearns for love and affection and approval of her family; Good Behaviour is an often sad story told brilliantly by Molly Keane。 A faintly derisive mother， What a phenomenal book。 The opening lines are: 'Rose smelt the air， considering what she smelt; a miasma of unspoken criticism and disparagement fogged the distance between us' and you know you're in for a treat。The book gets better every passing chapter and concludes with delicious evil。 Told from the point of view of Aroon， a large girl who yearns for love and affection and approval of her family; Good Behaviour is an often sad story told brilliantly by Molly Keane。 A faintly derisive mother， a charming and alcoholic father， a brother who dies- the story is also about overall helplessness of the people who had 'class' and no head for economy。 。。。more

C Louise ，

If you suspect that not all aristocratic families were as high functioning as those in Downton Abbey， you need to find this book。 It's a grim look at how money and privilege eventually come to rot。Excellent writing， interesting characters。 Painful realities， awkward indiscretions， stoic duty and beautiful moments of grace。 I was pleased that the main character has a happy ending in her own twisted miserable way。 If you suspect that not all aristocratic families were as high functioning as those in Downton Abbey， you need to find this book。 It's a grim look at how money and privilege eventually come to rot。Excellent writing， interesting characters。 Painful realities， awkward indiscretions， stoic duty and beautiful moments of grace。 I was pleased that the main character has a happy ending in her own twisted miserable way。 。。。more

Tom Rowley ，

Wow， absolutely astonishing work - deep characterisation， wonderful dark wit， swift smart writing。 Loved it。

Claire ，

The protagonist of Good Behaviour is Iris Aroon St Charles， daughter of an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family， who grows up with her brother Hubert in ‘Temple Alice’ one of the ‘Big Houses’， built by an ancestor as his temporary residence until inheriting his titles and estates。Now the title extinct and estates entirely dissipated， Temple Alice， after several generations as a dower house （a house intended as the residence of a widow）， came to Mummie when her mother died。 Papa farmed the miserably f The protagonist of Good Behaviour is Iris Aroon St Charles， daughter of an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family， who grows up with her brother Hubert in ‘Temple Alice’ one of the ‘Big Houses’， built by an ancestor as his temporary residence until inheriting his titles and estates。Now the title extinct and estates entirely dissipated， Temple Alice， after several generations as a dower house （a house intended as the residence of a widow）， came to Mummie when her mother died。 Papa farmed the miserably few hundred acres that remained of the property。 While the novel opens with a chapter when she is fifty-seven-years old at her mother’s death-bed， the remainder of the novel focuses on their life under the tutelage of a governess Mrs Brock up until her sudden departure through to her twenties when she is an unhappy， overweight， unmarried daughter without prospect， living a life of gross deception and delusion。 Seeds of her discontent are sown early on， with a mother lacking in maternal feeling。She simply did not want to know what was going on in the nursery。 She had had us and she longed to forget the horror of it once and for all。 She didn’t really like children; she didn’t like dogs either， and she had no enjoyment of food， for she ate almost nothing。 Animals， food and her brother are her consolation， her mother rarely responds even when Aroon reports that she thinks her baby brother is dead， she enquires where the staff are。 Her father responds and inspires hope。 She seeks out his company， a kind word， favour， he seeks comfort elsewhere。We adored Papa， and his hopeless disapproval paralysed any scrap of confidence or pleasure we had ever had in ourselves or our ponies。 When Mrs Brock intervenes and with kindness and encouragement succeeds in endowing them with the necessary confidence， he turns away shaking his head。In those days one did not quite admit the possibility of cowardice， even in young children。 The tough were the ones who mattered; their courage was fitting and credible。 A cowardly child was a hidden sore， and a child driven to admit hatred of his pony was something of a leper in our society。 It appeared to Papa that Mrs Brock has rescued our honour and his credit。 An awkward teen she revels in her brother’s company and his friend Richard。 The time the three spend together is the height of her happiness， little realising they too are indulging in ‘good behaviour’ masking an ulterior motive， using her as an alibi。 Her self-deception knows no bounds。Here， to my delight ， Hubert and Richard danced with me in turn。 I almost preferred dancing with Hubert because I loved showing off to Richard…I was fulfilled by them。 I felt complete。 There was no more to ask。 Aroon is constantly striving for connection and endlessly blind to reality， and when connection is possible， where genuine friendship might have a chance to flourish， she is locked into the conventions of her class that forbid it。 She lacks empathy and is unaware of her own bitterness， so we have little sympathy for her predicament。The family live in denial of their escalating debt， living beyond their means and incapable of doing anything for themselves。 When her father returns from war injured， Aroon tries to get close to him and is thwarted once again。 Without prospect of marriage， her mother closing her out， her father’s attentions elsewhere， she seems doomed。And then a final twist。And yet。 The thirty years in-between the beginning and the end leave a lot more unsaid。Selina Guiness in the Irish Times says Keane writes the most spectacularly “nasty” black comedies in Irish Big House fiction and Keane herself request her daughter to make the biography she wrote about her more like a novel adding， “I’m afraid you won’t be nasty enough。”Perhaps it is this that so disturbs， I like a book in which a character can in some way redeem themself， can change or transform， ‘nasty， black comedies’ and characters that take pleasure in using their wounds as weapons against another isn’t entertaining for me， I am unable to wear a mask and pretend otherwise。So utterly did I dislike the story and the characters， I questioned my understanding of the word behaviour， there wasn’t any good behaviour， even when the characters denied their true thoughts and said things to cover them， the behaviour remained appalling。 The only exception being the maid Rose who kept the household going， working and caring her way through the narrative， shifting her alliances towards whichever household member required her attention。 。。。more

Cabbie ，

Poor Aroon St Charles。 In the opening chapter of Molly Keane's Good Behaviour she insists， "I do know how to behave [-]。 All my life so far I have done everything for the best reasons and the most unselfish motives。" She reminisces on why so many people she knew have been unhappy， even her bed-ridden Mummie， to whom she's taking a dish of rabbit quenelles for luncheon。 What follows is a memoir of Aroon's life at Temple Alice in Ireland， the grand house owned by Mummie when the family had money。 Poor Aroon St Charles。 In the opening chapter of Molly Keane's Good Behaviour she insists， "I do know how to behave [-]。 All my life so far I have done everything for the best reasons and the most unselfish motives。" She reminisces on why so many people she knew have been unhappy， even her bed-ridden Mummie， to whom she's taking a dish of rabbit quenelles for luncheon。 What follows is a memoir of Aroon's life at Temple Alice in Ireland， the grand house owned by Mummie when the family had money。 She documents relationships between family and friends， as well as those that work for them， shining a light on expectations of behaviour and propriety within the fast collapsing Anglo-Irish society of the early 20th century。Throughout the book Aroon constantly seeks reassurance and praise。 In one bitter-sweet memory of swimming with her brother she says she "stayed up four strokes longer than Hubert and nobody said， 'Nothing to crow about， is there， Aroon？ He's three years younger than you， after all。'" We're never told who would have said this， but we can guess。 Papa "was the one who patted me and kissed me"， whereas Mummie "didn't really like children，" but sometimes "would touch Hubert"。Aroon also suffers from insecurity about her looks。 Aged 57， she says "how nice that bosoms are all right to have now; in the twenties when I grew up I used to tie them down with a sort of binder。 Bosoms didn't do then。"Boys at that time were raised to be boisterous and enjoy the outdoor life。 When her brother introduces Aroon to his friend Richard， she relates some of his childhood experiences， which include a flogging by his father。 This was not because he told "quite a big fib"， which was considered to be natural， but rather for being caught reading a book of verse， since "it's this poetry that bothers me。"Of the other characters， Mrs Brock the governess was the most admirable， the one who seemed to show genuine affection for her charges and "accepted without comment my grotesque， unsentimental fixation on Mummie。" Mr Kiely the solicitor was indeed solicitous， but perhaps had a hidden agenda， and one longs to know a bit more about Mister Hamish and Miss Enid， Aroon's cousin with the "hedgehog kiss"。You can't help feeling sorry for Aroon。 She seems to be oblivious to the shenanigans that those around her get up to。 Can she really be so naive， or is she wilfully ignorant and extending her good behaviour even to her own memories？ In her world of emotional repression and Victorian values， "There was to be no sentimentality"， even in the depths of despair， "It was the worst kind of bad manners to mourn and grovel in grief。" 。。。more

Pam ，

oh those Brits。 Exactly 'the tone'。 Enjoyed it IMMENSELY oh those Brits。 Exactly 'the tone'。 Enjoyed it IMMENSELY 。。。more

Ruth Tough ，

Fascinating novel set in the dying days of the old aristocracy in Ireland。 It charts the emotional life of a girl born into an aristocratic but impoverished family。 If I tell you more， it will spoil this subtle， clever， horrifying book for you。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Good Behaviour

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Good Behaviour&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Good Behaviour&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0