Happiness: The Simple Truth That You Are Alive

Title: This is Happiness

Author: Niall Williams 

 

From the publisher:

"The rain is stopping. Nobody in the small, forgotten village of Faha remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard was a condition of living. Now--just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of electricity--it is stopping. Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is standing outside his grandparents' house shortly after the rain has stopped when he encounters Christy for the first time. Though he can't explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed.

 

This is the story of all that was to follow: Christy's long-lost love and why he had come to Faha, Noel's own experiences falling in and out of love, and the endlessly postponed arrival of electricity--a development that, once complete, would leave behind a world that had not changed for centuries." 

 

Insights and Opinions

Margy and John opened their beautiful porch and sunroom to host our festive group. In the Irish spirit of the book, we snacked on Vicky’s “just from the oven” Irish Soda Bread, meatballs, Linda’s Irish chocolate, and Chris’ homemade gingersnaps with Irish butter. Our conversation included news of book festivals in California and our approval of Minnesota banning book banning.

 

In a somber moment, we mourned the loss of another book club member. In honor of our dear Joanne, Margy read the classic Irish blessing, “May the road rise to meet you…. Until we meet again, my God hold you in the palm of his hand.” 

 

We also reflected on the beautiful service to honor Frank.

 

+ Chris appreciated that the novel provided no formula to happiness but rather, offered that life with all its small details is happiness.

 

+ Vicky told us about the three-day writing workshop with Niall Williams she attended which was focused on craft. Each morning, they would start by considering a piece of literature and then each worked on an assignment. Vicky remembered Niall Williams’ intense focus and charm.  

 

+ Steve loved the audio book with the magical Irish accent.

 

+ We discussed how the book reminded us of Foster as the children were sent to their grandparents when another child was born.

 

+ Vicky wondered how much autobiography is filtered into the novel. And Chris asked if there was a plot – as a test she tried to open random pages and discover a story. Margy thought the book was about storytelling. Lois admitted to not wanting leave the book to cook dinner. Others were also frustrated by the lack of plot. Liz reported via Italy, “I did not enjoy this book. In fact, I wound up calling it ‘This is Interminable.’ I was…too impatient to enjoy it.  Although he is a wonderful writer, the surfeit of quirky characters and the many side trips he takes to essentially wind up nowhere….well, it’s probably better that I won’t be there.” Those were fighting words to Vicky and others who defended the love story as driving the plot. (Jocey, who is the author of this blog post, could not weigh in but may have agreed with Liz. She could not get into the book.)

 

+ The ability to see the world from others’ viewpoint, as fiction writers do, is the hope for humanity. Williams believes plot comes out in habitual details. He asks the question, “What is it about this particular character that makes them unique?”

 

+ Margy was so taken with the language she littered the book with green post-it notes. Steve was drawn by the details which kept drawing him in such as, “Christy steadied me which was like leaning on a wave.” He then wanted to know what character most grabbed us. For Margy, that was Doady – a horrible cook married to an Irish dreamer. “Married into a hopeless situation.” Shirley noted Williams’ distrust of institutions.

 

The Plot Thickens

But wait, was there a plot? Chris wanted to return to this question.There were many plots, Christy’s story, Doady and her husband’s stories, and others. Steve was struck with the circularity of the language, “It started with 'it has stopped raining,'” and ended with 'it has started raining.'"

 

“To realize you are inside the story… you can bear the twists along the way.” 

 

“The story must never arrive and risk conclusion.”

 

Q: What makes plot or story happen? A: Lots of little stories.

 

+ Steve brought up the humor. The group thought the book was hilarious. “After a liquid lunch, he found the margins of the road poorly drawn.” All of us then started jumping in with funny lines. “I was early until I was late,” read Lois.

 

“Religion lasted longer in Ireland because we are an imaginative people.”  - Linda

 

+ The novel was like Ireland -- people were imaginative, and they would just talk. It took Chris a while to surrender to the pace of the book.

 

+ Vicky observed, Williams was interested in point of view. Who is watching and who is telling the story and from what perspective?

 

+ Younger people miss out when old people live isolated from them. Steve thought all the characters where pathetic but also wise. This is emblematic of the human condition. It is a book of life lessons. Margy reflected, “This is happiness …. this simple truth that you are alive.”   

 

Indeed. May the road rise to meet you dear Gail, Joanne, and Frank. 

  

Our long-lost Vicky and her soda bread.

 

The lovely themed spread.

An excellent group of smart people.