#BookReview of #ThisIsHappiness by Niall Williams

Shortlisted for Best Novel in the Irish Book Awards
Longlisted for the 2020 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction
From the acclaimed author of Man Booker-longlisted History of the Rain

‘Harking back to a simpler time, This Is Happiness is a tender portrait of a community
– its idiosyncrasies and traditions, its paradoxes and kindnesses, its failures and triumphs
– and a coming-of-age tale like no other.‘ (Publisher Quote)

[ About This is Happiness ]

Change is coming to Faha, a small Irish parish that hasn’t changed in a thousand years.

For one thing, the rain is stopping. Nobody remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard is a condition of living. But now – just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of the electricity – the rain clouds are lifting. Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is idling in the unexpected sunshine when Christy makes his first entrance into Faha, bringing secrets he needs to atone for. Though he can’t explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed.

As the people of Faha anticipate the endlessly procrastinated advent of the electricity, and Noel navigates his own coming-of-age and his fallings in and out of love, Christy’s past gradually comes to light, casting a new glow on a small world.

[ My Review ]

This Is Happiness by Niall Williams published in September 2019 with Bloomsbury and is described as ‘luminous and lyrical, yet anchored by roots running deep into the earthy and everyday, it is about the power of stories: their invisible currents that run through all we do, writing and rewriting us, and the transforming light that they throw onto our world.‘ Having heard Niall Williams in a recent radio interview discussing his latest novel, Time of The Child, which sees him return to Faha, the fictional West Clare village that features in This Is Happiness, I knew that this was the right time to pick up my copy. I distinctly recall many readers referring to This Is Happiness as a remarkable read and, within the first few pages, I was smitten by the pure magic of Niall Williams’ prose.

Set in the late 1950s, in a small rural parish, the reader is transported back to a simpler time just as electricity is being rolled out across the country. As the network spread like a giant web across the land not everyone was invested in this new fangled idea. Many wished for life to remain as it was. New ideas bring change and with change comes fear. Narrated by Noel (Noe) Crowe, now seventy-eight years of age, as he recounts his early years in Faha as a teenager, Williams treats the reader to a tale that is packed full of warmth and nostalgia as we look back at a different time through the eyes of Noe.

By 1958 Noe had abandoned the seminary and was living with his grandparents in Faha. Noe observes life around him offering snippets into his own life in Dublin and his relationship with his own parents. This is a time of discontent for Noe as he tries to figure out his path in life. As Noe struggles with his choices, Christy moves in with the family. Christy is of more mature years and his reasons for being in Faha are initially unclear. It is known that he is working with the Electricity Board but Christy also has his own secrets and a past he wishes to atone for.

As the clouds clear for the first time in forever and the sun comes out, the salesman from the Electricity Board comes calling while an unlikely bond develops between Noe and Christy. The community rattles through their days with some more accepting of the prospective change that’s coming and the air in the village shifts. With the buzzing flies and the unexpected heat, lorries arrive laden with poles, electricity apparatus and workmen. Paperwork is handed out, rights of way encouraged and demonstrations set up with the intention of showing folk the advantages of upgrading to electricity. Meanwhile Noe and Christy set off every evening in search of an almost mythical musician, and, along the way, Christy begins to reveal his intentions, giving Noe insights into a life well lived.

With exquisite prose, stunning visuals and an eloquent hand, Williams’ has created a wondrous tale that is a completely immersive experience. The descriptive nature of This Is Happiness is a pure joy with spectacular dialogue littered with Irish humour and warmth. In the 1950s Ireland was a very different place, in particular rural Ireland. People lived simpler lives, very much remaining within the confines of their parish. The electrification of communities changed how people lived and this upheaval was enormous. Homes with rough uneven walls were decorated with sockets and wiring, all very alien to the inhabitants, leaving the Faha folk bowled over by the drastic alterations to both their landscape and their lives.

As Noe traversed those months, experiencing a coming-of-age, he also bears witness to change and comes to an understanding of what happiness can truly mean. Christy is a fabulously drawn character with his past always lingering in the background, never completely being revealed. He is a man of great depth, a lonesome soul and his role as a confident for Noe is beautifully portrayed, like that of an aged warrior passing on his knowledge to the young.

This Is Happiness is an unforgettable tale, a quiet novel, that will leave any reader wanting more so it really is quite simply wonderful that there is more. Time of The Child has just been published taking us back to Faha in 1962, so no guesses what I’m reading next!

This Is Happiness is an extraordinary book that captivates the mind and stirs the soul. It has, justifiably, received incredible acclaim and is a book I beg you to read. You will laugh out loud, you will experience empathy, you will feel a sense of stillness and you will turn the final page knowing that you really have read something very, very special indeed.

[ Bio ]

Niall Williams was born in Dublin. He is the author of nine novels, including History of the Rain, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize and Four Letters of Love, which will soon be a major motion picture starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter, and Gabriel Byrne. His most recent novel, This Is Happiness was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Book of the Year and longlisted for The Walter Scott Prize. He lives in Kiltumper in County Clare, Ireland.