On the Edge of the Loch: A Psychological Novel set in Ireland

by Joseph Éamon Cummins

  Nonetheless, the use of personification, metaphor, and motif can imbue inanimate objects – a mountain, an island, countryside – with human-like qualities that make them seem like characters. We routinely say ‘the sun won’t shine’ or ‘that mountain steals lives’ or ‘that devil whirlpool’ as though the sun or mountain or whirlpool possesses intention, a human mind. This attribution of ‘character qualities’ to non-human elements is part of the richness and colour of our language, especially in writing.

  Apart from the main characters, which other character are you most fond of?

  Keep in mind that writers love villains as easily as saints. But, more important than simple badness or goodness is credibility and depth: is the character believable, palpable, breathing, motivated to act.

  In terms of fondness, Leo Reffo is absent from the story for long periods but his influence hangs over all thirty-five years of the novel period. He is powerful and quiet, and like others has made big mistakes. Lenny’s friend Emer, appears in only two chapters but it’s hard not to like her neediness and warmth, and her wittiness as a younger woman. Paddy McCann is a rich character; he’s charming and has a silver tongue but is fundamentally a brooding type. Paddy’s wife, Eilis, is a minor character I would have been happy to develop had the story required it. And Gus, the old down-and-out guy in Dublin, is one of my favourites, for his heart.

  The women in your story drive much of the action. Is there a message in this?

  Not a political message, no. I set out to reflect female nature as I see it. And to be loyal to the female characters I created. In life, though maybe not so much in literature, women are often the stronger sex, despite not having the platform men enjoy. Their strength is often missed in the day-to-day grind, but is nonetheless catalytic.

  Characters like Lenny, Róisín and Cilla, even Kate and Peggy and Emer, may not seem like role models to some readers, but each is decisive, each makes things happen, and so they shape outcomes in the story, as so often women do in life.

  Tony is obviously searching for redemption. But what does this mean?

  We can see living as having three possible conditions. One is existence, where people acquiesce and rationalise and never commit to worthy goals; many get stuck here. The second is conviction, when people strive to grow, to express their talents and skills; a minority commit to this. And finally there’s redemption, when conscience or courage drives the person to atonement or fulfilment, respectively. For most of the story, Tony is in this last category, driven by conscience. He might not agree, but that’s not for him to say; that’s for the reader to judge.

  You let the reader see inside Tony’s mind but no one else’s. Why did you limit point of view to this one character? Did it make the book more difficult to write?

  For readers, a single character point of view is least confusing; it feels authentic, truer to how they experience life, through just one perspective. And yes, it’s harder to write this way because the author must put all the other characters on stage and get them to do and say things that reveal who they are and how they think; he cannot tell their inner stories. When it’s done well, this method allows for better control of pacing and helps build suspense.

  Interestingly, I wrote the early drafts almost entirely in Tony’s stream-of-consciousness, just to get to know his mind intimately. Stream of consciousness, similar to interior monologue, is the voice we each speak to ourselves with, the voice no one else hears. But I always knew I would limit the novel’s point of view to Tony. It’s his story, after all.

  Had I let the reader inside Lenny’s head, into an often chaotic mind, it would have become her story. As I’ve written it, the reader’s challenge is exactly the same as Tony’s, to understand Lenny from her behaviour and her words, and from sketchy details others provide about her that may not be reliable. Reader understanding is meant to come incrementally as the pieces fit together. Therefore, the reader gets to figure things out only as Tony does, not before.

  On the other hand, it’s relatively easy to write using the omniscient or ‘God’ point of view. Most fiction writing students begin this way; some are totally unconscious of the concept of point of view in literature.

  Omniscient point of view is where the reader is a fly on the wall, potentially inside the heads of any or all the characters, knowing their innermost thoughts, past and present. So, the writer can reveal hopes, secrets, memories, the characters’ loves, hates, and deepest feelings. In the past this was popular; today it is less common in serious fiction.

  But, remember, point of view is a writer’s tool, readers do not need to know anything about it to understand and enjoy a novel.

  The main characters are atypical; at times they’re clearly unbalanced, except for Cilla, perhaps. They’re also all psychologically different. What was your thinking on this?

  Flawed, unbalanced, yes; in given circumstances each is a misfit, as Tony accuses Aidan, ironically. Yet each protagonist is extraordinary in at least one positive way. In real life it’s no different, though many don’t see it.

  For authenticity, I built a psychological profile for each protagonist. Ninety-five percent of this information was not intended for inclusion in the book. For the characters to be credible, I needed to know their intimate backstories in detail, so I did a case study analysis of each.

  Lenny’s condition, for example, as presented, is clinically accurate, with its origins in trauma. The mentalities of Tony and Aidan are just as true.

  The message is that it’s time to normalise and better treat mental ill-health. Few people get through life unscathed.

  Why did you end the story the way you did, the final chapter?

  This is a question I prefer not to answer. In one sense it is the chapter I am most happy with, the way in which it achieves what I set out to write. The first critic to review the book saw exactly what I intended, which delighted me because I knew it would not be obvious to all.

  What I am alluding to is something the reader will sense by carefully reading those last few pages. I am being vague now because there is something in the final chapter that is best discovered rather than being told about. The emotional overhang from the previous chapter, the final train station scene, leaves the reader in a mild state of shock and with a lot of mental pictures. Consequently, for some, the ‘secret’ of the final chapter may be too much to take in on the first reading. So, re-read. I don’t want to say more than that, for the readers’ benefit.

  You are sending the reader back for a second read?

  Yes. At least of that final chapter. Many readers re-read literary novels anyway. One critic commenting on On the Edge of the Loch said he would enjoy the second read even more than the first, that he’d still feel anxious but a little more relaxed, and this would enable him to notice more. There’s a hint in that in relation to the final chapter.

  What are you planning next?

  A number of reviewers have suggested Book Two of the story. That was never my plan. Others said they see it as a film or TV series. I created a pared-down film script as I wrote the story, but only to embed the pictures in my brain and thereby add vividness to my writing. I do agree though; it is a visual novel.

  But the answer to your question is, I don’t know what will have my priority next. I am always working on more than one project.

  Let’s wait and see . . .

  Be sure you read the book before you read this section!

  On the Edge of the Loch

  A Psychological Novel set in Ireland

  A Guide for Book Clubs,

  Teachers and Writing Students

  On the Edge of the Loch explores a range of themes, both contemporary and timeless. Each theme can be a separate focus for discussion, or two or more can be combined for a more in-depth session. Whether you are an avid book club member, a writer, writing teacher, or a student of literature, you’ll recognise issues humans have been grappling with – and debating – since the time of Socrates, and probably much e
arlier.

  Themes you might discuss include: love, identity, belonging, resilience, justice, suicide, self-regulation, passion, childhood vulnerability, rebirth.

  In the category of serious fiction, what a book ‘means’ is rarely told to us directly; we dig out meanings by going beneath the surface, by noticing clues that tell us more than is on the page. Reading like this enriches our appreciation and increases our enjoyment of a story. In fact, the biggest reward we get from literary work comes from this ‘subtext’ and our associated interpretations. You move beyond being an observer when you bring to a story the qualities you use to navigate your way in the world: your wisdom, life experience, discernment, and emotional intelligence, to name just a few.

  But don’t for a moment think you need to notice all the subtleties or interpret the story exactly as someone else. You don’t. Within any book club or study group you’ll have a range of viewpoints. This is what makes exchanging ideas and insights so enjoyable and instructive, and why literature is such a precious gift. Books, like people, are infinitely variable and intriguing.

  Below you’ll find lists of questions I created to help you to think about particular aspects of this novel. These are largely the questions that occupied my mind as I wrote the book. Focus on those aspects that seem most relevant, pose your own questions, and explore your hunches. Most likely, you’ll find connections and allusions that I did not even recognise. After all, all writing connects to the author’s unconscious, usually without the conscious mind being aware of it. This is what Picasso was getting at (though he may not have realised it in the moment) when responding to a questioner asking what one of his paintings meant: ‘My job is to create,’ he reportedly said, ‘the viewer’s, to interpret.’

  If your assignment is to write a book report, I suggest you create first a broad story summary, then identify the plot points (events that initiate or change the direction of the story). This way, you have a framework that links the major events before exploring the nuances of structure, setting, characters, relationships, plot twists, dialogue, exposition, and so on.

  And finally, if you’re a book club chairperson, teacher, or study group leader, you’ll create the richest possible experience for all concerned if you invoke a simple set of discussion rules, starting with acknowledgement of all participant viewpoints.

  On the Edge of the Loch

  Suggested Discussion Points

  Let’s not be stuffy about this; it doesn’t matter very much where or how you begin a book discussion. The most important thing you can do is express your views, then be willing to listen and learn from others. And keep in mind that it’s not about another person’s opinion being ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.

  Saying what kind of story it is, is a good place to start, and what genre you feel it belongs in. Then perhaps commenting on the structure, settings, time period, the main characters and their goals and relationships, etc.

  Or, begin with exploring broader aspects of the novel, such as the impression or effect the story had on you. You decide: work with my suggestions below or develop your own approach. And remember, you’ll encourage others if you begin with questions rather than opinions.

  THE STORY AND THE WRITING

  What are two or three themes in this book that stood out for you? (Themes are important ideas that repeat in the story.)

  How is the story structured (chronology, tense, narrative, style, etc)?

  Which character or characters are most responsible for driving the plot?

  What is clearly different about this story from other books you can compare it with?

  How would you categorise this novel (in which section does it belong in a library)?

  What did you discover or learn from reading this book? Identify three things.

  What recurring metaphors did you notice, and how did you interpret them? (A metaphor is a word or phrase used to stand for something else. For example, a mountain might represent a challenge).

  Why do you think the author used flashback chapters?

  What did you notice about the dialog, how people talk?

  What did you learn or feel about the geographic cultures featured: Arizona, Aranroe, Baghdad, Dublin, prison, etc?

  Could you picture Aranroe village? Claire Abbey? Mweelrea? Intinn Island? Rock Cottage? Devil’s Cove? Finger Rock? The water scenes? Yablonski’s prison office? The Amiriya shelter? What was easiest to visualise?

  What stood out particularly about village life in Aranroe?

  Could you see the characters, how they looked and dressed and moved? If so, why was that?

  How do Tony, Lenny, Cilla and Aidan compare? Do they have traits in common? Elaborate.

  Which character was easiest to picture, and which was hardest?

  Tony’s was the only mind you were allowed to see into directly: his self-talk, memories, dreams, fears, hopes, ravings, mental stability, etc. With all other characters you were asked to try understand them based on what they did and said, or what someone, accurately or inaccurately, said about them. How did this contribute to the story?

  Did sound help you experience particular scenes? If so, pick out one. For example, could you hear the ocean and storm? The sliding steel door of Yablonski’s prison office? The train station? The sound of footsteps?

  Significant events in Tony’s and Lenny’s pasts are not revealed until later in the story. How did this affect your experience of the book?

  What similarities, if any, did you find between particular pairs of characters? For example, Emer and Tony? Tony and Leo? Emer and Cilla? Gussie and Tony? Aidan and Liam Foley, or any other pairs?

  What specific emotions did reading the story arouse in you?

  Which character did you care most about?

  Which character caused you most negative feelings? Identify the feelings and say why?

  Was Róisín’s suicide justified, given her grave illness? Why do you think as you do?

  Was anyone else responsible, even partly, for Róisín’s suicide? Why do you think as you do?

  In what way was Lenny’s childhood abnormal? What do you feel was lacking? Elaborate.

  Did one or more characters who did not actually appear in the book have a bearing on events? Elaborate.

  Is Liam Foley what you see as a typical cleric? If not, how is he different?

  How did you interpret the final chapter with Tony and Cilla? Did you notice anything ‘different’ about it? Should you re-read it?

  THE MAIN CHARACTERS

  Tony

  Why do you think Tony, at fourteen, was so disturbed by the idea of emigrating?

  What traits characterised Tony’s pre-prison period in Newark?

  How would you describe Tony’s personality?

  In your opinion, what drove Tony so hard?

  How would you describe Tony’s state of mind? (pick any stage or time period)

  What do you think was Tony’s most redeeming quality?

  Why did Tony seem afraid of intimacy?

  Which of Tony’s strengths might also have worked against him?

  What was Tony’s biggest weakness or flaw?

  Why was it that Tony found Cilla so attractive?

  Would you have made a friend of Tony. Why? Explain your answer.

  In what major ways did Tony and Aidan differ?

  Can you identify similarities between Tony and Aidan?

  Which character did Tony learn most from?

  How did Tony view Aidan?

  Which events in Ireland caused Tony, in his adult years, to grow as a person?

  Describe how and why Tony’s thinking in relation to his mission changed late in the story?

  Did Tony sacrifice his dream to allow Aidan to recapture the love he, Aidan, had lost? Explain.

  Where did Tony ‘end up’?

  Lenny

  What factors or events had the biggest bearing on how Lenny saw the world?

  How would you describe Lenny’s behaviour as an adult? (pick any stage or pe
riod)

  What did Lenny want most in life? If you feel this changed along the way, please explain.

  What reasons caused Lenny to want to escape Aranroe?

  Why did Lenny get into so much trouble as a child in school?

  Why was the relationship between Charles and Lenny so problematic?

  Lenny and Tony made a perfect couple: what do you think?

  Looking at Lenny’s whole life, who let her down most?

  How did you view the friendship between Lenny and Emer?

  How would you characterise the relationship between Lenny and Cilla?

  Why was Lenny eager to abandon everything in New York and go to Iraq with Aidan?

  Who was Lenny’s best friend(s)? Give reasons for your answer.

  What qualities did you admire most in Lenny? Explain.

  Why were people generally so loyal to Lenny?

  Given that Aidan was ‘dead’, why did Lenny keep visiting the train station?