With no hope for affection from her mother, Aroon becomes greatly attached to her brother Hubert and their father, who, in fragmentary moments, does display kindness towards her. Throughout the novel Aroon is always at the fringes, longing to belong, to be included, to be loved. It is no surprise then that Aroon grows to love her father more, as her mother remains cold and indifferent towards her. She is largely withdrawn, preferring to lose herself in her hobbies – painting, gardening and even collecting antique furniture. She cherishes the intimate moments with her husband, but does not care much for running the household or looking after her children. That said, despite the affection he has for his wife, he is prone to drinking and having extra-marital affairs, which Aroon’s mother strangely does not mind too much.Īroon’s mother is just the opposite. And then a dramatic event happens but in such an understated way that it sets the tone for the events leading up to this moment.Īfter the first chapter, the rest of the novel goes back several years when Aroon is a child living in the estate called Temple Alice in the Irish countryside with her younger brother Hubert and her parents.Īroon’s father is a gentleman, extroverted, who loves horses and manages the affairs of the estate. In the starting chapter, it is hinted that Aroon has been dominating over the household – especially her mother and Rose – making life difficult for them. When the book opens, Aroon is fifty seven and is living with her aged mother and their housemaid cum cook Rose in Gulls’ Cry, a gothic house built on the edge of a cliff. Good Behaviour is narrated in the first person by Aroon St Charles, the main protagonist in the novel. Frontispiece in the Folio Society Edition Just last week, I wrote about The Great Fortune, the first book in Olivia Manning’s stellar The Balkan Trilogy.Įarlier this year, I had also loved The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark, The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer and The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter.Īnd now Molly Keane joins this strong list as another wonderful discovery with her novel Good Behaviour. My fascination with early 20 th century women writers continues.

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