We are going to Belfast. The year is 1975. She is young, single and Catholic. He is older, and completely wrong. Not only is he married before. He is also a Protestant. And rich. Nevertheless, the two fell for each other. Can it end well? Not if the society around them gets to decide. “Trouble” in Northern Ireland Louise Kennedy has set the scene in her lovely novel, “Offences”, to the painful period known as “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. As if there was a small quarrel going on, when it is actually a serious armed conflict. Firearms. Car bombs. Fire bombs. Paratroopers and special police. Dead people, on both sides of religious and political divides. The people in “Infringements” live in the middle of a smoldering war zone. If the body is not damaged, the soul can soon be damaged. Without going down, Kennedy shows what survival mechanisms people resort to. Sarcasm. Anger. Apathy. Sorrow. The conflict in Northern Ireland “Trouble” is the euphemism used by both sides for the violent conflict over Northern Ireland’s future. The trouble lasted from 1968 to 1998, with roots far back in history. Nationalists stood against unionists. The nationalists were mostly Catholic. They wanted Northern Ireland to become part of Ireland, and free themselves from British (colonial) power. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) and the INLA (Irish National Liberation Army) were two important, but illegal, nationalist organisations. Both used violence. The Unionists were mostly Protestants. They wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, together with Great Britain. The UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) and the UDA (Ulster Defense Association) were important nationalist paramilitary organisations. They also used violence. In addition, Britain sent military forces to support the Unionists. Northern Ireland continued to be part of the United Kingdom even after a ceasefire in 1998. Source: Store Norske Leksikon Kvardag in conflict Louise Kennedy writes clearly and concisely about how absolutely everything is affected by such a conflict. Because the wall seeps in everywhere. First graders who can barely spell their name still have full control of adult topics. Violence and weapons. It is impossible not to take sides. Everyone automatically knows “everything” about you as soon as they hear your name. Catholic or Protestant. Poor or rich. One or the other school. Such or such future prospects. You must always represent your group. Be loyal. Never break the boundaries. Especially not when you’re a partner. BRAKE DEBUT: “Offences” is Northern Irish Louise Kennedy’s debut novel. She had worked as a cook for thirty years when she had a major breakthrough as an author with the collection of short stories “The End of the World is a Cul de Sac”, i.e. “The end of the world is a dead end”. Photo: Patrick Bulger Illegal love This is where the young Catholic woman Cushla fails. She is a primary school teacher, deeply involved in helping a poor student who is struggling at home. The father has been beaten up by thugs. He had the “wrong” religion. This happens. In addition, she helps out at the pub her brother runs. The pub business is probably an exercise in the art of balance. The local regular customers are Northern Irish Catholics. But British Union soldiers also drank there. Cushla and her brother must appear neutral in both camps. RUINAR: A car bomb destroyed a street in a district of Belfast in 1998. In the same year, the Belfast Agreement (The Good Friday Agreement) was signed between the governments of Great Britain and Ireland. Photo: AP At the pub she meets Michael. He is twenty years older. Married, and father of a teenager. Defense attorney, and thus part of Britain’s legal system. Furthermore, as if all this were not enough, he belongs to the wrong religion. Michael is a Protestant. Completely wrong in every way. Yet he is what Cushla wants. She is lonely in life. Father is dead. Mother is an alcoholic. The friends she once had, she has lost contact with. The male colleague who occasionally asks her out, Gerry, is a nice guy. But no one she has feelings for. Sparkling sentences Cushla takes a chance on Michael. It’s wrong, but it feels right. She is young. She wants to feel something! Live out the desire. Discover new things. Live! It is not her fault that everything is wrong. Or that it can hardly end well. Louise Kennedy’s love story is low-key but insistent. She writes precise, good sentences without any clichés, well characterized by salesman Merete Alfsen. “Transgressions” explains little, but digs all the deeper. You learn a little about Northern Ireland, but even more about being human, from this sparkling debut novel. news informs Photo: Aschehoug forlag Title: “Trespasses” Author: Louise Kennedy Translator: Merete Alfsen Original title: “Trespasses” Number of pages: 318 Published: 2024 ISBN: 9788203399909 Hi! I am a literary critic at news, with a particular interest in Norwegian and published fiction . Feel free to read my message about the historical novels “Xiania” by Lotta Elstad and “Skråpånatta” by Lars Mytting, or “Unwanted behavior” by Olaug Nilssen. Feel free to write to me!
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“Transgressions” by Louise Kennedy – Reviews and recommendations
