Talk of Angels

Mary Lavelle, a neglected masterpiece first published in 1936 by Irish writer O'Brien, is republished for the 1990s as Talk of Angels, in conjunction with a new film of that name. A graceful and exceptionally poignant coming-of-age story years ahead of its time in its observations on the position of women in Catholic Ireland, the novel begins with a simple enough premise: Mary Lavelle, a young Irish woman, leaves her provincial town for a year abroad in 1922 to work as a governess for an aristocratic Spanish family. Upon her arrival in Altorno, she is described as a ""quite exceptional simpleton,"" which is fairly accurate, given that this is how she was reared. Her father considered third-level education ""an absolute waste, unless the girl is downright plain;"" and John, her fiance, hopes Mary will not come home with her ""pretty head full of nonsense."" But Mary is an exceptional creature, described by one character as being of a beauty ""mythical, innocent and shameless."" While the other governesses she encounters in Spain cocoon themselves in their ""violent and terrible Irish purity,"" Mary welcomes the opportunities of a world that extends far beyond the confines of her convent-school education, becoming the lover of Juanito, the married son of the household, and the object of desire of Agatha, another Irish governess who becomes her confidante and introduces her to the bull fights. Ultimately, Mary leaves Altorno with no fixed destination, determined to live a life unbound by convention. Banned in Ireland upon its publication (O'Brien died in poverty in 1974), the novel is well worth reading in this new edition, which includes an introduction by Mary Gordon. (Apr.) FYI: The Miramax Films version of Talk of Angels will open in June 1997.