The Gathering – Novel by Anne Enright

The Gathering   is most unexpected winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2007 and is the fourth work of Anne Enright . The prize was a big success for the book as the purchase essay states it had not enjoyed wide popularity and its sales had left much to be desired before the winning announcement. The book describes a family story narrated by a member of Hegarty family and the main character Veronica.
The Gathering amazes with its awkward confidences telling the most secret truths of Hegarty family. The title refers to beginning of the book when the whole family comes to say goodbye to Liam Hegarty; one of nine children in the family who was an alcoholic and committed suicide. His 39-year-old sister, Veronica, was the closest relative to him; that is why she is so grief-stricken. The fact of Liam’s suicide does not give her a moment’s peace and she starts analyzing the causes that could lead to the tragedy. She studies the history of her family relationships and troubles and finds out that Liam’s stay at her grandmother’s house as a child caused his further alcoholism. All mysteries and abuses taken place in the family turn out to be uncovered by Veronica’s research. The narration is mostly sad, full of violence and fury; nevertheless, it is stirring and comic at the same time. The essay writing claims that the book received mixed critical reactions, but it is definitely worth reading.