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An Apology For Roses

An Apology For Roses

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Author: John Broderick
€11,95 EUR
€11,95 EUR
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‘She had been born with a greater capacity for love and pleasure than most people; and her nature had very early on found itself at war with the primitive, property-ridden society in which she was reared.’

The story of Marie Fogerty, a young girl caught between two lovers, exposes the social and religious hypocrisy of an Irish town in the 1970s. Marie has grown dissatisfied with her affair with Fr Tom Moran, a loveless relationship condoned by her parents, observed by the town, and borne from mutual listlessness. However, the arrival of Brian Langley, a salesman from Galway, offers Marie glimpses of a new and passionate life. Brian’s suspicions about Marie’s past loves, and the dwindling health of Marie’s father threaten to tear apart a relationship that stands outside of a small town’s social norms. A meditation on love and possession, ‘An Apology for Roses’ remains as relevant today as it was when it first appeared in print.

Details

ISBN: 9781843516927

Extent: 230

Published:

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Praise and Reviews

  • ‘In 1973 An Apology for Roses was a daring book by any standards. It was considered then to be a ‘dirty book.’ That it is being reprinted in 2016, forty-three years after it was first after it was first seized by the customs and submitted to the rigours of the censorship board, is refreshing. It sold over 30,000 copies in the first week of publication.’ - Gearoid O’Brien.

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About the Author

The novelist John Broderick was born in Connaught Street, Athlone in 1924. Among his 12 published novels, his best known is The Pilgrimage (1961). His bestseller, An Apology for Roses (1973), sold 30,000 copies in the first week of its publication in 1973.

 He died in Bath, England where he had lived for eight years. Following his death, he bequeathed his estate to the Arts Council of Ireland for ‘the benefit and enhancement of the Arts in Athlone’.

 His writer in residency series, supported by this fund and based in Athlone, is run in partnership with Westmeath County Council. This 2024 publication of The Waking of Willie Ryan, celebrating the centenary of John Broderick's birth, has been funded through the John Broderick Bequest.

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