Zee & Co

by Edna O'Brien

London 1971 first edition. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. hardcover small octavo. Fine in VG plus dj. no owner marks.

Genres: Fiction

127 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Edna O’Brien was an award-winning Irish author of novels, plays, and short stories. She has been hailed as one of the greatest chroniclers of the female experience in the twentieth century. She was the 2011 recipient of the Frank O’Connor Prize, awarded for her short story collection Saints and Sinners. She also received, among other honors, the Irish PEN Award for Literature, the Ulysses Medal from University College Dublin, and a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Literary Academy. Her 1960 debut novel, The Country Girls, was banned in her native Ireland for its groundbreaking depictions of female sexuality. Notable works also include August Is a Wicked Month (1965), A Pagan Place (1970), Lantern Slides (1990), and The Light of Evening (2006). O’Brien lived in London until her death.

Reviews

[Jenny]

This is really a screenplay so its missing the beautiful narrative voice present in her other books. A strange one...

[Illiterate · Rating 1 out of 5]

On volatile marriages and the dangers they pose to others who become involved. Slight and unconvincing.

[Phyllis Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have just read Zee&Co and woke up this morning realizing I'd seen the film about half a century ago, somewhat changed from the original, but recognisable, after all. Elizabeth Taylor and .... Michael Caine (according to internet search). Not one I would read again. But still qualifies as a good book since it does give some insight into her characters, and people like them. People to avoid: Zee and her husband both.

[Rosaleen Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having Elizabeth Taylor in my mind as Zee (from the cover shot of the film) did this book no good. Essentially a play, it was a quick read, delving into the intricacies of a love triangle but only to a superficial degree. This might make it brilliant as the depth of a relationship seemed to be high on the agenda of O'Brien if not that of her characters. All flawed, they are unable to have 1:1 relationships, perhaps as there is something missing that they can't fix, and require a third person to fill the gaps and plaster over the cracks.

[Keith Astbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novelised version of a film script. Two awful people fall out with each other. Continually x

[Shatterlings · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has probably not stood the test of time well. Trigger warnings for domestic violence and suicide attempts.

[Reader Clarence · Rating 3 out of 5]

ZEE & CO, the book (1971) and the film (1972).
- It is interesting to note the different scores for both book and film: a first under 3 (2.88 to be precise) for the book, and nearly a double at 5.8 for the film. I think this is understandable, in view of the fact that the book is basically a skeleton in order to be fleshed out by the production of a film: the direction, costumes, scenery and dramatic action by very competent actors, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Sir Michael Caine, and the charming Miss Susannah York. Furthermore, since the screenplay comprises mainly of dialogue, it naturally misses out on the narrative voice, the almost poetic language of the O’Brien novels. Albeit having said this, I thoroughly enjoyed the smooth flow of the text, and the clever and witty dialogue. For me this in itself deserved a 3.5+ at least. What I found wanting, though, was the motivation, or rather lack of motivation in some of the actions: Robert’s knife fight with Stella’s children when he had been invited for supper with them, and him trying to push Zee out of the running car in frustration, rather contrived actions, in my opinion.
- As an after thought: I have not seen the film, but in the trailer of the Imdb review I noticed the similarity of Dame Taylor’s performance here and that of her Oscar winning one in Albert Albee’s ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf’ of 1966. This just, btw.

[Itzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

70s Challengers

[Kynan Clarke-Chancellor · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can tell this was not intended to be a book.

[Isobel]

Another purchase from Lincolnshire Church Craft Fair - absolute rubbish