The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll
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Book Reviews of The Chisellers
Book Review: Don't be fooled by the cute photo on the cover!
Summary: 2 Stars
This book was advertised in some of the American Irish Papers and the photo looked very cute, and frankly, I could have been one of the kids on the cover, so I picked it up. The novel is PURE pulp set with some cute characters, but this author 'jazzez' up the storyline and makes it 'modern' in a way that is subtle to the modern mind but a fraud and a trick on the reader. This book follows teen and late teen working class (comparitively) large family living in a Dublin apartment. In the tradition of a trite modern movie, good things happen to this 'single mother' 'Agnes' who never had an 'organism' with her late husband because he was like ice upon her back. You gotta throw in the single-mom and sexually underutilized 1970's housewife to sell a novel these days you know. She however, finds fulfillment in a French transplanted pizza maker.
This all the while her oldest son, who works for an Austrian Jewish holocau$t refugee and survivor (gotta throw the holocau$t reference in there to make a modern novel you know) and saves the survivors old fashioned handcrafted furniture factory when the English clients want cheap disposable furniture, by making . . . cheap disposable furniture. Along the way, he finds a girlfriend and gets married.
The second older son becomes a hairdresser and a homosexual, but Agnes, being the stupid woman, never cathces on even when her gay son dances with his randy boyfriend at the other son's wedding. But the son actually married says the modernist 'Whatever makes you happy?'
But the third older son is a skinhead punk (gotta throw the nazi rascism reference in there to sell a modern novel ya' know) He steals money from Agnes, gambles, and helps beat her gay son almost to death with his other skinhead punk friends. We all know that there were *so many* skinheads and beatings in Dublin circa 1973. That is why the whole country, below the 6 counties, had 2 murders a year.
The other kid is a shoplifter, the other daughter races a go-kart, all summing up into a completely false and unbelievable tale wrapped in quaint language with some true references to way people act, and still act in some quarters. I think this book's cover is its only high point. I have cut the cover off, by the way. Buy this book with the hopes of scoring a picture, do not expect writing in the style of the McCourts, or as accurately truthful as 'Its a long way from Penny Apples'
Book Review: Chiselled
Summary: 1 Stars
I wanted very much to like this book, having been quite disappointed with "The Mammy", because my wife is from Stonybatter in Dublin, where Brendan O'Carroll also hails from. However, the decline that began midway through "The Mammy" continues apace in this sequel. The Browne family is growing up into steretypes industrious or shiftless, artistic or bumbling, straight or gay, while the quality of the writing sinks to the amateurish. The author's attempts at humour become pathetic and the attempts at pathos humorous. I shudder to think to what levels "The Granny" might sink to if the slide continues. I rate "The Chisellers" one star only because of the wonderful cover photograph, and I must add that my Stonybatter wife liked this book a whole lot more than I did, but even she agrees that the promise of "The Mammy" is not fulfilled.Book Review: Disappointing at Best
Summary: 1 Stars
After so thoroughly enjoying The Mammy, I looked forward with great anticipation to the arrival of The Chisellers. I found it a pale sequel to its predecessor. Predictable and plodding, it lacks the robust characterization that brought The Mammy to life. Do read the first novel; avoid disappointment and leave the second on the bookstore shelf.