+34
A debut novel that attempts to nail marriage and the commercial wedding industry as a suffocating experience for women
A debut novel that attempts to nail marriage and the commercial wedding industry as a suffocating experience for womenThe success of Oscar-winning film The Substance has led to a proliferation – or should that be an ooze?
– of so-called “femgore”. London-based author Ruthy Mason’s debut novel, Death Do Usfalls into this category as it sets out to skewer marriage and the commercial wedding industry as a suffocating experience for women. It begins with Bea, an archaeologist who is newly engaged to the handsome, kind and wealthy Jake. Everyone tells her how lucky she is, but Bea seems to be having an adverse reaction to the family heirloom engagement ring that Jake has given her.
Her ring finger is swollen and painful, and as the weeks and months go by, and the hunt for the perfect wedding dress and preparations for a giant hen party intensify, her symptoms increase to include hair loss, tooth loss and scaly skin patches. The novel is a dual-timeline story, switching between the unsettling present-day mystery of what is happening to Bea, and a historic college relationship with a possessive boyfriend. Sebastian Barry: ‘My mother was interesting, extravagant.
It was difficult to be a child of such a person’ For the Dead Remember: The Life of MR James by Darryl Jones – Horror upon horror, from public school to the pageIn an era where the tradwife hashtag has more than 300 million views on TikTok, the metaphor of marriage as a slow, painful death for women’s personal agency and professional ambitions is a compelling one. The story is engaging to begin with, creepy and mysterious, with sharp commentary on modern matrimony, and the opening and closing sections in particular crackle with atmosphere, energy and tension.
These sections are the strongest, showing what this young writer is capable of. But after the initial excitement of the opening chapters, the story loses momentum and becomes bogged down. The historical storyline doesn’t quite deliver. This is partly due to the fact that this strand of the story needed to be kept deliberately vague for far too long.
Instead of heightening the tension, it has the opposite effect. Femgore is supposed to be about women regaining their autonomy, often through liberating, righteous and sometimes even self-destructive anger – think Stephen King’s Carrie – but Bea is a mystifyingly passive and disempowered protagonist until the very end. Her lack of agency might accurately reflect the experience of brides-to-be caught in a consumerist wedding culture, but it comes at a cost to the reading experience.
Edel Coffey, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a journalist and broadcaster. Her first novel, Breaking Point, is published by SphereFor the Dead Remember: The Life of MR James by Darryl Jones – Horror upon horror, from public school to the pagePatrick Bergin, co-star of Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy, seeks buyer for Offaly castleTroy Parrott goal sends Real Betis to victory against Real Madrid ‘I had an episode bigger than usual’: Patrick O’Donovan says life has changed ‘dramatically’ since falling ill in BrusselsSebastian Barry: ‘My mother was interesting, extravagant. It was difficult to be a child of such a person’
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Johnny Kenny’s move from Celtic to Preston the pick of quiet transfer window for Irish playersChiedozie Ogbene joins Mason Melia at Lincoln City in loan deal from Ipswich Town; Séamus Coleman and Will Smallbone remain without clubs
Read more »
Recent News Updates: Trump Visit, Gloria Steinem Death and E-Scooter RulesDonald Trump is scheduled for a courtesy visit with President Connolly in Ireland, the world mourns the passing of feminist activist Gloria Steinem at age 92, and new e-scooter safety regulations are being implemented.
Read more »
Why Katie Taylor's Career Deserves Celebration Even If Boxing Itself Remains DivisiveAs Katie Taylor prepares for what promises to be an emotional final fight on Saturday night, the article reflects on her revolutionary impact on women's boxing while honestly confronting the moral discomfort many feel about the sport. From her early amateur dominance that made the contest appear almost artistic to her brutal later battles against Persoon, Serrano and Cameron, the piece traces how Taylor's brilliance forced even boxing's harshest critics to separate the player from the game. Drawing on the reflections of legendary boxing writers Donald McRae and Hugh McIlvanney, the article acknowledges the savage toll the sport has taken, including the tragic death of Johnny Owen and the estimated 2,000 boxers lost since the Queensbury Rules. Ultimately, it argues that while the sport raises profound ethical questions, Taylor's choice to fight and her historic influence deserve recognition regardless of one's view on boxing itself.
Read more »
Review: Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason - a beguiling tragicomic novel about loneliness and obsessionMeg Mason's new novel Sophie, Standing There follows its protagonist, a sound technician at a literary festival who becomes obsessed with a famous author. Blending gentle satire of the publishing world with a profound exploration of loneliness, shame, and parasocial relationships, the book evolves from a lightly comic outsider's view into a deeply empathetic tragicomic portrait. Mason's sharp wit and keen eye for life's dark comedy and mortifying details make this a defining, surprising, and utterly convincing read.
Read more »