I had time to consider how the punctual observance of the usual importances is the only way to behave at such times as these. Aroon’s response to her mother’s death is what her response to all the tragedy in her life has been. Or a hastened death as Aroon’s mother passes away following an unfortunate encounter with a rabbit mousse. The book opens with what could be seen as a murder. Discretion is valued above all else in Aroon’s world, it is always necessary to do the right thing. The novel is one long cri de coeur of Aroon St Charles, daughter and resident of the ‘big house’ Temple Alice, where she lives with her distant parents, beloved brother and assorted servants and where the only thing frowned upon is not adhering to the rules of good behaviour. Good Behaviour is a great book, at turns funny and heartbreaking, with a searing dark humour, a keen satirical eye and a warm beating heart. To say that Molly Keane is a good writer is an understatement and to say that Good Behaviour is a good book does it a great disservice. I think the shape her modesty took was simply not feeling that being a very good writer was all that important. Molly was essentially modest, but like all good writers she knew deep down that she was good. With Good Behaviour it was instantly clear to me that she ought to step forth as herself, and her own hesitation about it was very slight. Her friend, and editor, Diana Athill speaking to The Guardian had a clear idea. She was almost 80 years old when she published the book in 1981 and it’s interesting to wonder why she waited so long to write as herself.
Good Behaviour was Molly Keane’s first book written under her own name despite having published many of her novels as MJ Farrell.
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