Items related to The Banyan Tree
Synopsis
A richly textured tale of rural Ireland chronicles the life and times of eightysomething-year-old Minnie O'Brien as she struggles to preserve the farm left to her by her husband, while awaiting the return of her prodigal younger son. A first novel. By the author of Under the Eye of the Clock. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
The renowned winner of the 1987 Whitbread Award, Christopher Nolan, has fashioned an extraordinary epic set in rural Ireland, spanning three generations of the O'Briens who own a small dairy farm in Westmeath. Minnie O'Brien stubbornly clings on to life, her five fields and her "long-agos" which take root like a banyan tree and feed her lonely old age. Her husband Peter is long dead and her three children scattered in a typical Irish diaspora--Brendan is a priest in Africa, Sheila, a nurse in London and Frankie, a sheep-shearer in Australia and odd-jobber around the globe. Will Frankie return in time to save the farm from the avaricious grasping of the next door neighbour, Jude Fortune and will Minnie discover the betrayal Peter has kept hidden from her?
In many ways, The Banyan Tree is a conventional tale of births, weddings and death set against the land and the lure of emigration. What makes it unusual however is Nolan's flexible, fickle and often fantastical use of the English language. Not only does he use colloquialisms to locate the characters very specifically, but he invents verbs from adjectives, making them come sparklingly alive. The butter churn is a "druidic dark drum" that comes "Sundaying into life".Minnie's memories are noisy things that clutter her mind like "local attaboys" at the races. On the day after her wedding, "morning songed the reading of the streets" as Minnie experienced her "vulved awareness" and "funky heart". Some of Nolan's alliterations and hyphenated words bring the whimsical beauty of Gerald Manley Hopkins to the novel, but occasionally his inventions collapse into the absurd.
When he describes a pony drinking for example, he writes, "slurping her grizzled credentials, she effected a long draught". Although these circumlocutions can trip up the meaning, the narrative works up to a moving climax that will have any offspring far from home reaching for the phone or a plane ticket. --Cherry Smyth
Review
A heart-rending novel.
Moving . . . sparklingly original.
"Richly--even baroquely--told . . . Nolan writes with verve." --"The New York Times Book Review"
"A work of genius. Everything in this story simmers with life."--"Christian Science Monitor"
"Beautifully Written. Nolan mesmerizes us from the opening passage . . . His descriptive prowess reminds one of Joyce."--"Boston Sunday Globe"
Richlyeven baroquelytold . . . Nolan writes with verve. "The New York Times Book Review"
"A work of genius. Everything in this story simmers with life."--"Christian Science Monitor"
"Beautifully Written. Nolan mesmerizes us from the opening passage . . . His descriptive prowess reminds one of Joyce."--"Boston Sunday Globe""
Richlyeven baroquelytold . . . Nolan writes with verve. The New York Times Book Review
"A work of genius. Everything in this story simmers with life."--Christian Science Monitor
"Beautifully Written. Nolan mesmerizes us from the opening passage . . . His descriptive prowess reminds one of Joyce."--Boston Sunday Globe"
"Richly--even baroquely--told . . . Nolan writes with verve." --The New York Times Book Review
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherAnchor Books
- Publication date2002
- ISBN 10 0385720688
- ISBN 13 9780385720687
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages374
Buy New
Learn more about this copy
£ 15.65
Shipping:
£ 2.25
Within U.S.A.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree: A Novel
Seller: More Than Words, Waltham, MA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Before placing your order for please contact us for confirmation on the book's binding. Check out our other listings to add to your order for discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # WAL-Z-1c-2098
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree: A Novel
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Acceptable. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00069433552
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree: A Novel
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00074522277
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree: A Novel
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 19-0385720688-G
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree: A Novel
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # F27E-01248
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree: A Novel
Seller: HPB Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_359668276
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.66. Seller Inventory # G0385720688I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.66. Seller Inventory # G0385720688I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree: A Novel
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_410300069
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Banyan Tree
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR009125348
Quantity: 1 available