Cruel Summer

Edna O'Brien's novella August is a Wicked Month (1965) is a modern classic on the 1001 books you should read before you die list. Banned in several countries, including the author's homeland of Ireland, it would have been considered provocative at the time for portraying women as having sexual desire.

Ellen Sage longs for connection. Separated from her husband, she lives alone in London with her young son whom she adores. But at 28 she is not ready to give up the possibility of finding love again. She has a passionate encounter with a handsome man who is in another relationship and not truly available to her. So when her ex takes their son on a camping holiday to Wales, Ellen decides to go on an adventure of her own.

The French Riviera is a playground for the rich and famous, and here Ellen can transform into someone other than wife/mother. After her oppressive Irish Catholic upbringing, where the threat of ending up in the Magdalen Laundries ensured her sexual repression, she has flung off her faith and is seeking sexual freedom.  From bellboys to violinists, opportunities for sex are everywhere, but when she finds them they are awkward, clumsy and unfulfilling. Plus, whenever she is propositioned or has the opportunity for sex, she suddenly thinks of her son and her maternal responsibilities. 

During her stay there is a tragedy back home that she cannot bear to face, so she stays on in France to numb her grief and drain her limited resources. When she eventually goes home, will she return to her old life or will she be someone new?

While some of the situations Ellen finds herself in feel a bit contrived, O'Brien has created an authentic character. Flawed, dull and naive, Ellen makes some terrible choices in her quest to carve out a new identity for herself. There are some lovely moments, such as when she shops for 'honeymoon' clothes and takes delight in wearing trousers - Ellen is literally reinventing herself through changing her wardrobe for this trip. Indeed, this scene reminded me of Muriel Spark's The Driver's Seat (1970) where Lise buys new clothes for her holiday. While the two novellas both feature women on solo holidays, the two protagonists could not be more different. 

August is a Wicked Month feels a bit dated now but one can imagine how controversial it would have been upon publication. Unfortunately sexual repression and double standards for women continue fifty years later. Reading this novel I regularly thought of Lisa Taddeo's Three Women (2019) and the unfulfilled sexual longings of the young women in that book, and how Ellen could have easily been one of the three.

My review of Edna O'Brien's Down by the River (1996) is also on this blog.