We’re reading The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Brien during the month of April, 2026.
“When a wanted war criminal from the Balkans, masquerading as a faith healer, settles in a small west coast Irish village, the community are in thrall. One woman, Fidelma McBride, falls under his spell and in this astonishing novel, Edna O’Brien charts the consequences of that fatal attraction. (320 pp)”
This discussion thread will open on May 1.
This topic is now open for your commenting pleasure!
I’m behind, but I’ll be starting this one in audiobook format as soon as I finish up my current novel (I have about 2 hours left).
This book wouldn’t have been on my radar without our book group. Prior to picking up the book I had no knowledge of the Red Chair Memorial so the significance of the title was initially lost on me.
Also, I believe I would have been less invested in the book, especially in the beginning, if I hadn’t read elsewhere that Vuk (Vlad) was based on Radovan Karadzic, the Butcher of Bosnia. Knowing this gave me some context for the early parts of the book where it was a little murky as to the stranger. While this was likely intentional on the part of O’Brien, I don’t know how interested I would have been with sticking with the story.
After reading the book, I was looking through reviews and saw a comment in The New Yorker (April 25, 2016) describing the book as a “realist novel—almost a historical novel.” I felt this description fit as it wasn’t really historical fiction but much of what was shared was on point with regard to Karadzic.
At times the writing felt chaotic. First there was a focus on Vald, then on Fidelma, and then on refugees, plus a constant shift in narrative perspectives, but the story still flowed. And, there were so many character introductions, with varying degrees of personal details, and yet, all helped to shape the story.
Did I enjoy the book? I still don’t know but I did appreciate the book. It was a powerful read and definitely evoked a lot of emotions. Also, I spent quite a bit of time trying to untangle the backstory - the fall of Yugoslavia, the relationship between Milosevic and Karadzic, the 1990s timeline, etc. I like when books make me want to be smarter.
For me the book also had a tangentially personal component. One of my good friends is Bosnian (now American). She and her mother eventually came to the US as refugees via Switzerland via a UN refugee camp. Their story is much like the horrors shared in this book. Her Dad and most of her male family members were rounded up from their homes by Serbs never to be seen again, murdered and only years later were her Dad’s remains identified in a mass grave. I will never forget when on a day in July (2008) my friend learned of Karadzic’s capture. A myriad of extreme emotions overwhelmed my young friend at that moment, ranging from relief at his capture to sadness reliving all that was lost. (As an aside, my friend, her Mom, and her Grandma are three of the most beautiful human beings I have the pleasure of knowing. They are strong, grateful, and extremely positive in their outlook. They are not victims —- they are survivors.)
Thank you for the excellent write-up, Gabi! I haven’t started yet, but I will soon. What kind of Googling do you suggest I do before I start, to make the book more meaningful?
For expediency, googling Karadzic would give you a feel for the man and enough background for the book. However, I like adventures down rabbit holes. I looked up Radovan Karadvic, Milosevic, Siege of Sarajevo, and Bosnian War. I also found this link helpful Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations - Office of the Historian .
FYI…in the book a Mr K is referenced. I believe that was meant to be Koljevic.
Thank you! I hope I’ll be familiar with some of it from reading The Cellist of Sarajevo several years ago. Looking forward to this one!
I just added the Cellist of Sarajevo to my list after reading this one. You will have enough background.
It was a good one. I still remember it even though it’s been 18 years (!) since I reviewed it.
One could argue that it’s an old war - that the world has moved on - but the aspects of living in a war zone that the author writes about are timeless. This could just as easily be about Gazans or Iraqis or Lebanese.
I felt Gabri-J did an excellent summary of my perspective of the book. I definitely agree with her opinions. I did research other reviews and some people believed this book was Edna O’Brien masterpiece maybe on an historical basis.
The Little Red Chairs left me feeling depressed and as a woman I felt violated, abandoned, and assaulted in every way possible.
My sentiments were eloquently expressed by Gabi. Additionally, I thought Vlad resembled Grigori Rasputin as they both carried airs of a mystic and faith healer. They charmed women, and yet a mask surrounded their true essence and hidden immorality, much so for Vlad (Karadzic).
I googled Little Red Chairs, Kim, which you might find of interest. This was an array of thousands of red chairs on Sarajevo’s main street marking the 20th anniversary of the Servian battles. The chairs represented those who died and/or forever unknown whereabouts. This connected me to the permanent Chairs monument at Oklahoma City Memorial; one for each person who died. The smaller chairs signify the children as well.
Edna O’Brien, the author, was 85 when the book was published. I’ve not read any of her other 22 fiction books. The Country Girls is well known. According to online notes, O’Brien often wrote about women and their unjust treatment.
I’m learning that books from the 1000 list need to be read in context, that is, when they were written and copyrighted, world/country sentiments of that time (2015), the author’s bio, and then consider the reasoning behind the book’s selection for this list. And having stated that, this book made me connect as a “realist novel” to a horrific time(s). It’s a thoughtful narrative that resonates across time and very different episodes of history.
I honestly didn’t care for this book because it made me feel stupid. While I love it when a book makes me want to find out more after I’ve read it, this book required that I know more ahead of time. This author made all sorts of allusions she assumed I understood. But I was never sure I did. Reading this book felt like homework to me.
I liked this book. I’m glad I read/listened to it. I’m not sure what to say about it. The writing was beautiful and the characters were extremely well developed. The places were described in such a way that I could easily picture them in my mind. Having read The Cellist of Sarajevo twice in the last 5 years was very helpful in giving a background to the storyline. I did combine reading the hardcover with listening to the narration by Juliet Stevenson. For anyone wanting to read it for the first time, I recommend the audiobook. The narration is outstanding.
Yet, it is a deeply troubling book on many levels. The sexual assault is one of, if not the most, violent scene I have ever read in literature. I avoided the book for a couple of days after reading that section. I cannot fathom how an 83-year-old woman could write it unless she found factual descriptions of it in historical documents. Other troubling aspects were how someone can be inherently evil, how good people can be fall under their spell, and the treatment of immigrants, mentally disturbed, and the poor.
The flow was disjointed and especially with the audiobook, it was often hard to determine who was speaking. The author seemed to throw in every possible topic she could: War crimes, isolation, May-December marriage with growing apart and dementia, middle-age discontent, adultery, new age healing, village life, sexual assault, city life, homelessness, immigrant experience, diversity, extreme violence, etc. Yet somehow, she did manage to pull it off.
I finished the audio version of this a couple of days ago and I’m really happy that I had the chance to “read” it. I thought it was an odd book from the standpoint that the author’s focus kept shifting, so I was never quite sure what her intent was. It started out as a character sketch of people in a small Irish village, ala Niall Williams, with a touch of humor. Then it shifted to a romance/tale of seduction. Bosian war criminal stuff. Immigrant issues. Back to war crimes… Overall I thought it was fascinating. “Enjoyed” probably isn’t the right term for a book this intense, but I was very glad this group chose it.
As someone else mentioned, the narrator, Juliet Stevenson, was amazing. I’m not sure I would have thought as highly of the book as I did if I were just reading it. She really brought the novel to life.
One of the most interesting scenes, to me, was toward the end, where a drunken former tank driver approaches Fidelma in a pub. He accuses her of being one of “Vlad’s” supporters. What hit home for me here was that each of them supported the war criminal in some way, yet each was still his victim. (And granted Fidelma didn’t know he was a war criminal, but she did know the affair was wrong.)
I just want to thank you ladies for hanging in there with me on the 1000 Books side read. My intent when I proposed it was to force myself to read books that weren’t on my radar, and I feel like from that standpoint the goal has been (and hopefully will continue to be) achieved. Of the four books we’ve read to-date, I’ve been thrilled with three out of the four of them, and the fourth - Liar’s Poker - I still enjoyed.
I am really enjoying the opportunity to read these selections as well. While two we’re not my cup of tea, I wouldn’t have known unless I tried!!!
This has been and will be a different challenge. It’s not likely I would have selected any of the books previous to our 1000 journey. While my intention is to read monthly selections, that’s not always going to happen. But, I will follow the threads of the informal discussions!
The moods shifted with the settings, which I thought was masterful. The author was in her 80s when she wrote the book. I imagine she just had to, had to express herself and beliefs regarding the political scenes in an imaginative method.
I am loving reading these books. Reading as many of the 1000 Books… as I can was already one of my reading goals, but I hadn’t brought any focus to it. This group has enabled me to do that. It is wonderful to be able to discuss great literature with serious readers.