Rating: 
Summary: Irish charm can only go so far
Review: I was prepared to like this book and really wanted to. But...It seems such a cliche. Emotionally distant womanizing father who was still very charming; alcoholic mother; neglected children; and a talented daugher (the author)who seemed to repeat the mistakes of her parents. She has an endless string of bad relationships with men, problems with alcohol, and when a younger brother is sent to live with her because of problems in Ireland, she admits that she wasn't there for him. What else is new about Irish memoirs?Because this is Ireland and the Irish love literature and they have such a charming landscape, and that indominable spirit, we're supposed to overlook what I saw was a lack of personal responsbility. Many of the characters just didn't seem to pay attention to their lives and wandered from pub to pub. I don't know, perhaps Ireland was just too dreary in the 1940's and 1950's for anyone to take charge of their lives. I came away from the book feeling rather disheartened. The writing was a disjointed, although I'm sure Ms. O'Faolain is a good writer. I was also frustrated by the name-dropping. I didn't know who many of the people were to whom she referred.
Rating: 
Summary: Read this one with an open mind
Review: It isn't very often that such honesty about oneself appears in print. As someone studying the lived experience of middle-aged women living alone, I found this book engaging and enlightening, particularly the final chapters. I admire the courage it took to share so much about herself with such an enormous audience. If you are uncomfortable with stories that detail someone's journeys and struggles through life, take a pass on O'Failon's story. This is a must read for anyone who cares about women in midlife. Brava, Ms O'Failon!
Rating: 
Summary: Why can't we vote with negative stars?
Review: Quite possibly the oddest mixture of self pity and self promotion that it's ever been my misfortune to read. Here's a quick tip for Nuala - being screwed up doesn't make you deep and mysterious. Or even interesting.
Rating:
Summary: I could barely finish this book.
Review: After reading pages of pages of description(too much details at times) of author's acquaintances(4,5 people in one page!) of who they are, how she came to know, etc., I just get tired. It also seems like the topic jumps around, and I found it hard to follow.
Rating: 
Summary: much ado about nuala
Review: I enjoyed reading this although I found it disjointed as other reviewers have noted. The book is not really a memoir (guess that's what Nuala means by accidental). In fact, I'm hard-pressed to say what this book IS or what it is about. It's a string of events and musings, sort of a highly erudite journal. It is compelling in the way listening to a very smart friend can be compelling. The end becomes much more personal and intimate than the rest of the book. One question: Who is the woman on the cover? Is it Nuala? In what year? I couldn't find a photo credit or caption.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to get through...
Review: I found this book's subject matter to be interesting (growing up in Ireland, growing up in general) but I found the narrative disjointed. A tracable story line, connectedness for characters throughout the book and explanatory notes on just who some people and what some places are (I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't know) would have helped this book a great deal. I think that the author is a good WRITER...but the book to big, sprawling and disconnected.
Rating:
Summary: It was ok
Review: I wished Are You Somebody would have had a much clearer feminist autobiographical voice. I think O'Faolian's writing was too choppy and I couldn't keep up with her thoughts on Bob. She jumped around and was vague in some parts. It might have been helpful if I knew what some of the geographical places were that she mentioned. I was hoping for more of a personal account of how she felt with the love affairs and what her thoughts on love and life were. I think it would be hard to write a biography on here because there are not many secondary sources available~ that is not helpful for my assignment in college.
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I also was quite disappointed with this book. I'm one of those readers who never aborts finishing a book once I've started, but I really have had to force myself to continue with Are You Somebody and it's taken forever to get through it. The autobiography is extremely dis-jointed, I thought, with no apparent attempts by Ms. O'Faolain to provide context for the events she describes. This frustrating style made it impossible to connect with the author. Not an enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Whingings of a WestBrit wannabe
Review: Just another long winded whinge about the 'sins of our fathers'(and mothers). I'll give it 2 stars for the occasional artful turn of a phrase but there is no great read here. Do yourself a favor and spend your money on a Dilbert cartoon book, or the like.
Rating:
Summary: Flat and boring
Review: I can't understand how this became a bestseller. It is not much of a memoir, but mostly a tiresome, pointless, self-serving account of the odds and ends of life; and the style is not strong enough to carry the weak material.
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