The cover of Edna O’Brien’s 17th novel sports a handsome quote from Philip Roth: ‘The great Edna O’Brien has written her masterpiece.’ Late Roth and late O’Brien have something in common. In The Plot Against America (2004), Roth provided an alternative history of the 20th century: what if Roosevelt had been defeated by the anti-Semitic Charles Lindbergh? O’Brien, whose stellar career began 55 years ago with her wonderful debut, The Country Girls (1960), is increasingly interested in exploring real-life events. Down by the River (1997) fictionalised the true story of a 14-year-old rape victim, while In the Forest (2002) was inspired by the Cregg Wood murders of 1994.
In The Little Red Chairs, the real-life starting point is Radovan Karadzic, indicted in 2008 for his role in the Bosnian genocide. Karadzic’s alias during his years as a fugitive was Dr Dragan David Dabi. O’Brien’s version of Karadzic calls himself Dr Vladimir Dragan. While in hiding, Karadzic practised alternative medicine; O’Brien’s Dr Vladimir opens a clinic called ‘Holistic Healing in Eastern and Western Disciplines’. The crucial difference is that Dr Vlad is hiding not in Belgrade but in the sleepy Irish town of Cloonoila. It’s no coincidence that both his names recall Count Dracula. Before we know Vlad is a war criminal, he is a suave yet vampiric figure, preying on Cloonoila because he senses ‘that primal innocence, lost to most places in the world’.
The novel describes the town’s initial seduction by Dr Vlad. The draper’s wife Fidelma is particularly mesmerised, and they begin an affair with the express intention of helping fortysomething Fidelma conceive. By the time the authorities catch up with Vlad, Fidelma is pregnant. Three of Vlad’s old enemies kidnap Fidelma and rape her with a crowbar to kill her unborn child.
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