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The Mammy

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 1,742 ratings · 281 reviews

"Mammy" is what Irish children call their mothers and The Mammy is Agnes Browne--a widow struggling to raise seven children in a North Dublin neighborhood in the 1960s. Popular Irish comedian Brendan O'Carroll chronicles the comic misadventures of this large and lively family with raw humor and great affection. Forced to be mother, father, and referee to her battling clan,...more

ebook, 176 pages

Published May 1st 1999 by Plume Books (first published 1994)

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Aug 07, 2008 Trilby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, ireland

Despite recommendations from Roddy Doyle and Malachy McCourt, this book disappointed me. It's funny, but not so nearly as funny as the works of many other Irishmen (e.g., Frank McCourt,
James Joyce, Brian Friel, Roddy Doyle). For one, much of the humor is in the working class characters' malapropisms. Over a hundred pages of this is ninety too many.

A personal bete noir for me is the overuse of exclamation points. Shelley scholar Neville Rogers used to tell his composition students that God has o...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Savvy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A humorously quirky tale of life in an Irish family struggling to survive with dignity and humanity.
Mammy is left with seven children to raise alone after her husband's encounter with a Hunter(!?!?)
Her ineffable spirit in the face of constant struggle is told with a witty levity and strong believable characters.
If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh out loud...I highly recommend The Mammy.
She is a highly lovable protagonist with no fear of tackling roadblocks or any adversity alo...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 17, 2011 uiuisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Carino, molto natalizio. Non solo per il finale. Mi ha lasciato quella sensazione zuccherosa da film di natale strappalacrime, che non è male come sapore, ma non è neanche alta cucina. In particolare non ho visto la tanto sbandierata ironia. Quella che c'era mi ha dato anche un pò fastidio, perché faceva leva solo sull'ignoranza dei protagonisti, poveracci che pronunciano male le parole e non conoscono il significato di quelle difficili. E' una posizione un pò ambigua quella dell'autore a pensar...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-2

I considered giving this 5 stars because it is a delight, y'all. I would even call it a hoot.

The first paragraph made me feel like, Oh, gracious, we are going to blahblah all about Ireland and Dublin and blaaahhhh, but you only get one second of that. It jumps from describing the neighborhood to a conversation between the mammy, Agnes, her best friend Marion, and a lady at some office situation where they are signing up Marion for widow's benefits. It doesn't matter that Redser has just died (se...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Fiona added it · review of another edition

#3The Mammy-Brendan O’Carroll
The Story
Agnes Brown single mother with seven children living in the poor part of Dublin, Ireland in the 1960’s. With a husband that passed away a few weeks ago and her best friends health scare they still find ways to laugh and make ends meet. Their family will not be taken down, not even by the awful Sister Magdalen at the school. The family goes through some insane things together but they stick together in the end.
My Opinion
This was the funniest book that I hav...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Rev. Mysterium rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-humour, adult-themed, brutally-honest, cant-wait-for-more, catholic-faith-issues-history, celtic-reads, classics, consistantly-great-author, family-portraits, favourites, growing-up, hard-to-put-down, humour, laugh-out-loud, live-and-learn, nuns, parenting, personable-author, quick-read, relationships, sociology, teach-your-children-well, twisted-humour, twisted-when-not-meant-to-be, ya-appeal, ireland-my-home, those-damn-irish, gotta-be-irish-to-understand

The Mammy is a brilliant funny tale of an Irish family set in working class Dublin. This is the first novel in O'Carroll's Mrs. Browne Trilogy and a wonderful introduction to his sharp wit and writing skills. As not only a survivor of the Catholic Church, but growing up on the old mossy rock, the story often brought laughter and tears to my eyes. We are a rare people in how we view the world. Once all of the shite of Irish Spring commercials, Riverdance, and green beer is laid aside, our depth a...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Mandy Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: éirinn-go-brách

This week’s headline? in The Jarro

Why this book? gift from boyfriend

Which book format? new trade paperback

Primary reading environment? bedtime, Saturday morning

Any preconceived notions? braced for squalor

Identify most with? Frenchie or Jewman

Three little words? “Good morning, God”

Goes well with? mug of bovril

Recommend this to? gave him recap

It's really hard to think up comments for this book, because the Entertainment Weekly blurb on the first page sums it up so perfectly:

...reads like Frank M...more

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May 11, 2010 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Legend has it that if you capture a leprechaun, he will bring you good luck. Brendan O'Carroll must have had the luck of the wee people with him when he wrote The Mammy, a truly hilarious book.
O'Carroll, who acted in the film Angela's Ashes, wrote The Mammy as the first in an upcoming series of three. His debut novel hits its mark with every joke and captures the essence of working-class Ireland.

The series centers on a widowed mother, Agnes Browne, and her seven children, all living in Dublin,...more Legend has it that if you capture a leprechaun, he will bring you good luck. Brendan O'Carroll must have had the luck of the wee people with him when he wrote The Mammy, a truly hilarious book.
O'Carroll, who acted in the film Angela's Ashes, wrote The Mammy as the first in an upcoming series of three. His debut novel hits its mark with every joke and captures the essence of working-class Ireland.

The series centers on a widowed mother, Agnes Browne, and her seven children, all living in Dublin, Ireland in the 1960s. Her youngest son, a toddler, speaks little but repeats every curse word he hears. Her oldest son tries to seduce girls with licorice and finds himself plagued by a number of puberty-related problems.

The Mammy opens with what could be a heartbreaking scene of loss and sorrow: the death of Browne's husband. But with apt amounts of Irish wit, O'Carroll turns the funeral scene into a hilarious escapade that leaves Browne cursing her late spouse.

The funeral parties get backed up entering the cemetery, so Browne loses track of which coffin belongs to her husband. Without realizing it, she follows the wrong body and is surprised when she sees another woman crying by the gravesite. Without a second's thought, Browne assumes the grieving woman is her late husband's mistress and mutters "'Yeh dirty bastard" under her breath.

Another comical scene ensues when Browne attacks a nun with a cucumber and ends up in court - all because of a pair of knickers. The tale itself is nearly as funny as when Browne has to explain it to the judge. Soon, her only daughter takes the stand and, with a little Irish luck, Browne wins the case.

In The Mammy, Agnes Browne becomes an every-woman, the ultimate mother and friend. She manages her children (a wild brood), helps her friend through cancer and handles her husband's death with grace. And through O'Carroll's imaginative writing, just about everything Browne does is funny.

In the end, the book itself becomes a little treasure lying at the end of an Irish rainbow. (less)

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Mar 05, 2012 Kate Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved, loved, loved it. I'm Irish descent so feel like I'm near home reading this trilogy ( "The Chisslers" and "The Granny" follow). On the very first page I had tears of laughter and somehow, that seams to make you cry more at the sad bits.
It is fantastically written and is the story of Agnes Brown from when her husband Redser has died. It is worth mentioning, if you have seen "Mrs Brown's Boys" on T.V., this is the set of books that the show was based on. Although it is about the same person,...more

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Mar 04, 2013 David Savage rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having watched the hugely popular Mrs Brown’s Boys on TV and I was thrilled to receive The Mammy by Brendan O’Carroll (Mrs Brown himself) to review.

The Mammy is the first book in the Mrs Browne trilogy and is the inspiration for character Agnes Brown as seen on TV and stage.

The Mammy is Agnes Browne, a 34 year old widow with 7 children. After the death of her husband Agnes is left with 7 kids and lives on the poor side of Dublin. To make ends meet she works on the market selling fruit and veget...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Sean Kennedy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(3.5 / 5)

My mother is a huge fan of these books, and became a fan of the television series when she realised it was based on them. Although my family is from Belfast, and Mrs. Browne and her boys are from Dublin, I chuckled often at the very-Irish sense of humour and sayings that were on display. It reminded me of my mum and dad with their Irish friends and their natural way of storytelling and turning even the mundane into a hilarious tale.

I did feel the end of the story was a bit of a stretch...more

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Aug 29, 2008 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This trilogy, and the later addition of the Young Wan, is absolutely HILARIOUS, particularly if you enjoy Irish literature. Reminiscent of Angela's Ashes, but much less depressing. You'll love all of them: the Mammy, the Chisellers, and the Granny. I don't remember which one you should read first.

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Apr 18, 2009 Janet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading "The Mammy," by Brendan O'Carroll, and I enjoyed every word of it. I ordered a deeply discounted used copy of it after Goodreads recommended it around St. Patrick's Day. The characters in the story are crude and undereducated products of "The Jarro," or the neighborhoods surrounding St. Jarleths in Dublin. They're anything but low-class though! The newly widowed mother of seven youngsters will make you laugh, become sentimental, and laugh again as she unfailingly cares fo...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: movies-or-tv, adult-fiction, better-than-expected, books-i-own, cultural, read-in-2012, realistic-fiction, historical, favourites, lasting-impression

I'm a big fan of Mrs Brown's Boys, a very popular comedy here in England with Brendan O'Carroll acting as the lead character, Agnes Brown. It will probably be a surprise for quite a few people that the series is based on a trilogy of books written by O'Carroll himself. It was definitely a (very pleasant) surprise to me when I saw the trilogy in the bookshop. I knew I just had to pick them up!

Agnes Browne (With an e, unlike the TV show) is a loud, funny (though often not intentionally) and caring...more I'm a big fan of Mrs Brown's Boys, a very popular comedy here in England with Brendan O'Carroll acting as the lead character, Agnes Brown. It will probably be a surprise for quite a few people that the series is based on a trilogy of books written by O'Carroll himself. It was definitely a (very pleasant) surprise to me when I saw the trilogy in the bookshop. I knew I just had to pick them up!

Agnes Browne (With an e, unlike the TV show) is a loud, funny (though often not intentionally) and caring (in her own way, at least) Irish mother of seven children, struggling but trying her best to get through life after the death of her husband and a loss of income. To be honest, I couldn't tell you what a Northern Dublin neighbourhood would've been like in the 1960's, but it's the place and time period portrayed in this book and it seemed quite realistic. I have been to Dublin a couple of times and it was great to see a lot of popular places referenced - anybody who has been will recognise some of the mentioned locations. I thought that the atmosphere and the working-class struggle of Dublin was very well described and I really got into the setting.

Mrs Brown's Boys, as I've said, is a comedy and it is guaranteed to make me laugh out loud (often for quite a while afterwards, too!) every time. I was worried that the book wouldn't be as humorous after seeing it acted out, but oh, how wrong was I! I absolutely loved the humour in this book and was laughing nearly throughout each page. I instantly warmed to Agnes Browne and found her absolutely hilarious. Her connection with the other characters was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading about Agnes and her best friend Marion, their relationship was especially touching. Although the book was, for the most part, amusing, it also touched on some rather sensitive subjects, including love and loss. There was a real sense of community as everyone helped each other and even though times were difficult, good relationships and positivity helped to get them through.

I really commend O'Carroll for executing this book so well. This was a very quick read as it was a short book at less than 180 pages, but it felt as though the author packed a lot in during that space. Without being overly descriptive, a very vivid scene was set and the personality of each character shone from the pages. I still have the next books, The Chisellers and The Granny to read and frankly, I can't wait! This is definitely a book that I'll keep hold of and can already see myself wanting to revisit it in the future! (less)

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Sep 03, 2009 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ireland

This book was so witty and charming. I laughed out loud while reading it. Frequently. It's not at all what I was expecting from a book set in the tenements of working class Dublin in the 1960s. I was picturing an "Angela's Ashes" style tale of death and despair, which was not at all what I discovered in the pages of this book.

Agnes Browne (the "mammy"/mother of young Mark and his siblings) works at a fruit and vegetable stand, a job she enjoys for the comedy of interacting with the public and th...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Valetta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comico, irlanda, contemporanei

"Nessuno fa lo stronzo con i figli di Agnes Browne".

Parole sante. Altrimenti si rischia di fare la fine di Suor Magdalene, sconfitta con ignominia da un ortaggio in barba alla sua austera fermezza, in una delle scene più esilaranti di questo raccontino proletario che si divora in poche ore e lascia a fine lettura quel senso di serenità delle storie semplici e schiette.O'Carrol pesca a piene mani nei ricordi della propria infanzia nei quartieri popolari di Dublino, la cui vita fatta di povertà, m...more "Nessuno fa lo stronzo con i figli di Agnes Browne".

Parole sante. Altrimenti si rischia di fare la fine di Suor Magdalene, sconfitta con ignominia da un ortaggio in barba alla sua austera fermezza, in una delle scene più esilaranti di questo raccontino proletario che si divora in poche ore e lascia a fine lettura quel senso di serenità delle storie semplici e schiette.O'Carrol pesca a piene mani nei ricordi della propria infanzia nei quartieri popolari di Dublino, la cui vita fatta di povertà, mariti ubriaconi, miriadi di figli e l'onnipresente chiesa cattolica è stata più volte immortalata dagli autori irlandesi negli ultimi cinquant'anni. Qui la prospettiva è però meno melodrammatica e maggiormente interessata a puntare i riflettori sugli aspetti (involontariamente) comici degli eventi; la volontà è quella di far ridere e l'autore ci riesce raccontando la sua storia con onestà e genuinità, esprimendo con poche efficaci parole sia l'ilarità che la drammaticità di certe situazioni. Il rischio è quello di varcare il confine tra la narrazione di un fatto buffo e la presa in giro delle classi popolari, additando con sarcasmo le ingenuità che danno origine a certi equivoci esilaranti. Mi pare però che l'autore esca indenne da questo pericolo, grazie all'evidente complicità che lo lega ai suoi personaggi e al loro mondo, di cui si sente evidentemente ancora parte. Se a volte c'è della condiscendenza nel narrare gli exploit di Agnes, questa è più che altro la bonaria condiscendenza di un figlio verso una mamma che a volte fa cose strambe, piuttosto che il sarcastico paternalismo di chi ha più cultura verso chi non ce l'ha. Intendiamoci poi: Agnes Browne non è una melensa Pollyanna che sprona sempre a guardare il lato positivo delle cose, è semplicemente una donna di carattere, pratica e sognatrice, un accattivante mix di saggezza e ingenuità popolare, che con tanta forza di volontà tiene a galla la barca e si guadagna anche un piccolo premio perché alla fine nella vita tante cose non vanno bene ma non va nemmeno tutto male e concedersi qualche sogno ogni tanto male non fa. Si consiglia la lettura sotto Natale, quando l'eccesso zuccheroso del finale è più tollerabile!

http://ghettodeilettori.blogspot.com/...(less)

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Dec 05, 2012 Terri Tinkel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, family, female-friends, marriage

I just finished the first of a trilogy. The author is an Irish lad and I am sure many of the stories in this book relate to his own family. The Mammy is the mother of 7 children and a recent widow. There are several funny stories about what went on in her little town involving her best friend and her children. As most Irish tales go, there is a lot of laughter and merriment within the 174 pages. I am happy that I have the next two books ready to read.

In some ways this series of books remind me o...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this funny book, and it made me want to read the other two in the series. One cannot have enough of Agnes Browne. Agnes loves things: her children, her best pal Marian, Cliff Richards and she loves to laugh. There is nothing that will stand in the way of Agnes Browne and the things she seeks to accomplish.

I related most to her friendship with Marian. The love between best friends who have been best friends for a long time should have a special name.. the times they cried with laughter br...more

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Jan 12, 2009 Gail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Even though my father's relatives have been here in America for about a century, there remains that sense of "irishness" that comes through when we tell a story. The enjoyment one gets from the telling, as well as the listening. Reading this book reminded me of listening to stories that my father would tell when we were growing up - if that can make sense, since this book is not a series of stories, but a well crafted, loose reflection of the author's youth in Ireland.
At any rate. even though th...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Sweetman Sweetman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: yes I woul, heartily

Recommended to Sweetman by: library find

Shelves: irish-literature, library-find

Why, you should really ask, am I utterly intolerant of patronizing Suthun' patois--won't even finish the book because it's so sickening! yet I can sing praises to Brendan O'Carroll for his literary presentation of the Browne family of Dublin, Ireland? I guess because it rings true, because he's not proselytizing and because he's a great story teller.
You must read all of the Agnes Browne Trilogy: The Mammy, The Chisellers and The Granny. Take them all out at the same time! You'll be finished in...more

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Jan 14, 2008 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mary

Unique, funny, heartbreaking, hilarious...as any good Irish tale should be. I loved this whole series and I wish there were more!

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Aug 24, 2009 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. The story takes place in Ireland and follows a woman named Agnes whose abusive husband has just died, who has 6 children, who runs a fruit stand, who has a best friend named Marion...who is a total riot.

Tee humor in this story has its laugh your face off moments and truly endears the characters to the reader. Agnes experiences joy and sadness, but through all of it, she is a great mother in spite of her uneducated background.

Se...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Claudia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Il capitolo 16 credo che racchiuda la vera essenza di tutto il libro. In sole due pagine trovi la comicità, il puro divertimento tra due amiche e la loro complicità, e alla fine il duro scontro con la vita reale e triste. Un libro che leggi velocemente perché è scorrevole, semplice e rilassante, ma forse perché il sentimento che prevale dalla prima all'ultima pagina è l'ottimismo. Peccato che in alcuni passaggi si va ben oltre l'ottimismo sfociando nel lieto fine a tutti i costi che poco ha a ch...more

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Jul 15, 2008 Maureen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

These Three go with the Young Wan.
Enjoy!!!!

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Jan 20, 2013 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"First in a trilogy of books about Agnes Brown, highly recommended by Karen. I quickly realized I had seen the movie, Agnes Brown, which tells the basic story of the first book, so I was not instantly enthralled, finding it so familiar. It is similar in theme also to Angela's Ashes. I found it a bit frustrating at first, how Agnes can seem at once so ignorant and yet so savvy, but it is fun and funny, while also sad at times. I liked getting to know the kids and am happy to see we will learn mor...more

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Jan 06, 2010 Sarah Sammis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: released, read-in-2009, challenge

The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll is the first book of the Agnes Browne trilogy. The other two books are The Chisellers and The Granny. There's also a radio show, Mrs. Browne's Boys.

The book starts off with Agnes being newly widowed. Her husband was abusive but he never hit the kids. Agnes misses the brute but knows she has to stay strong for her seven kids.

These opening chapters are written with an oddly light touch. From the notes I took while reading the book, I compared The Mammy to the Georgia...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Etnagigante rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Il libro è divertentissimo e già dall'inizio si può capire che genere di donna sia Agnes Browne, irlandese tutta d'un pezzo ma anche abbastanza ingenua.
La storia ci porta indietro in una Dublino degli anni '60, tra famiglie numerose come quella dei Browne, con sette figli, e le difficoltà economiche che alla fine vengono sempre risolte.
Tra alti e bassi Agnes viene sempre fuori, donna capace di sognare un ballo con Cliff Richard e di accettare senza troppi problemi la sua nuova vedovanza.
Si ride...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Tonya Holwadel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I worked at Joseph Beth Booksellers over 12 years ago. One of my co-workers read an advanced copy of this book and we quickly passed it around. Then we put it on our "Read This " display. Within a short period of time, Brendan O"Carroll made a detour on his book signing tour to visit our store because we had sold so many copies. He was a delight to meet. I felt like he jumped out of the Agnes Brown Trilogy. I will always treasure that chance meeting. Thank you Mr. Carroll for the fond memories.

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May 02, 2011 La Stamberga dei Lettori added it · review of another edition

Shelves: valetta97

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Jun 26, 2012 Piperitapitta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

commovente e divertente, ma non comico: ma come si fa a definirlo un libro comico? parla di vita, di lavoro, di malattia, di morte, di donne, di figli e di famiglia: ma cosa c'�� di comico in tutto ci��? ma chi �� quell'idiota che sulla copertina ha scritto"un capolavoro della comicit��, uno strepitoso ritratto di donna, un inno alla dublino proletaria, tra pinte di birra, battute, affetti e tenerezze"? (tutto il resto naturalmente �� vero!).

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About Brendan O'Carroll

Brendan O'Carroll is a comedian, writer, actor and director from Finglas, Dublin, Ireland.

O'Carroll has written six novels, including The Mammy, The Chisslers, The Granny and The Young Wan; a number of these have become best sellers and have been published in other languages

He has also written four films and seven stage plays. These include The Course (1995), Grandad's Sure Lilly's Still Alive(199...more

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Agnes Browne Trilogy Boxed Set--The Mammy, The Chisellers, The Granny

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