There Goes the Bride

A group of aristocratic Irish families prepare for the marriage of their children Angela and Piggy in 1930s Ireland. The carefully laid plans begin to crumble when Angela shows signs of uncertainty just days before the wedding. The story centers on the O'Riordan and Considine families as they navigate the pressures of tradition, social obligations, and personal desires. Supporting characters emerge with their own motives and conflicts that intersect with the main wedding drama. Rural Irish life forms the backdrop for this comedy of manners, with hunting scenes, grand houses, and village dynamics playing key roles. The characters move through a world of landed gentry that stands at the edge of major social change. The novel examines tensions between duty and personal freedom, while exploring how tradition and expectation can mask deeper truths about human nature. M.J. Farrell presents these themes through a mix of wit and social observation.

Limited reader reviews exist online for this 1931 novel. Most reviews note that it contains wit and humor typical of M.J. Farrell's (Molly Keane's) early works. Readers liked: - Portrayal of Anglo-Irish society and hunting culture - Comic dialogue and social observations - Character interaction between the protagonist and her family Readers disliked: - Plot predictability - Limited emotional depth - Dated social attitudes Reviews and ratings are scarce: Goodreads: Insufficient ratings to generate average Amazon: No current listings or reviews AbeBooks: Listed but no reader reviews Several readers noted this book's rarity, as it went out of print for many years after initial publication. One reader on a vintage book forum described it as "an entertaining but light early effort from Keane, showing hints of her later satirical style." Note: This book has very minimal online presence, making a comprehensive review summary difficult.

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🔸 M.J. Farrell was a pen name for Molly Keane, an Irish writer who kept her identity secret for decades because writing novels was considered unbecoming for women of her social class in early 20th century Ireland. 🔸 The book was published in 1931 during the golden age of Anglo-Irish literature, capturing the declining world of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. 🔸 The author drew heavily from her own experiences in the Irish hunting scene and country house society, bringing authenticity to the novel's depiction of upper-class Irish life. 🔸 The pen name M.J. Farrell was chosen after Keane spotted it on a pub sign while out hunting - a fitting origin for an author whose works frequently featured horses and hunting culture. 🔸 After publishing successfully as M.J. Farrell for nearly 30 years, Molly Keane stopped writing following her husband's death in 1946, only to make a triumphant return under her real name in 1981 with "Good Behaviour."