Molly Keane's books
are dark comedies, not for those looking for an uplifting read. She
wrote about the Anglo-Irish gentry that was in decline in the early
20th century in her native Ireland. In Queen Lear, Nicandra,
the only child of Sir Dermot and Lady Forester, is eight on
the fateful day at the novel's opening when her mother runs off with
the land stewart at Deer Forest, the family estate. Nicandra is brought
up by her widowed Aunt Tossie, who was already living at Deer Forest.
The story unfolds in sporadic episodes, with eager-to-please Nicandra
seeking a purpose in loving and caring (the book was originally called Loving and Giving)
and being rejected at every turn — by parents, husband, and
finally even Aunt Tossie, who in her old age prefers to be dependent on
a family servant.
Having growing up in the leisure class, Keane satirizes it convincingly. Sir Dermot named
Nicandra after his favorite horse, and only horses seem to rouse his
interest. Before her disappearance, Mamam doesn't dirty her pretty
little hands to actually take care of Nicandra. Aunt Tossie has her
beloved parrot stuffed and returned to his cage, where he accumulates
lice.
In Keane's portrayal of these useless lives, she strikes a balance
between humor and melancholy. But she knew where the future lay. At the
end, the lower class confronts the gentry — Silly-Willy, the
slow-witted servant boy whom Nicandra had tormented as a girl, defies
Nicandra over Aunt Tossie's care — and the no-longer-elegant family home is
literally the instrument of Nicandra's downfall.
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