title: J.G. Farrell in His Own Words: Selected Letters and Diaries
author:  Lavinia Greacen 
description: "A moving and memorable portrait, one that his many fans will want to have; and not only fans but, increasingly, students. [His] was an unusual voice, speculative and whimsical [and] its very timbre is audible here." (<i>Derek Mahon, Irish Times</i>)<br /><br />"John Banville, in his introduction to this engrossing and haunting book, describes Farrells loss as 'little short of a disaster for English fiction'; he is surely right. For anyone interested in what makes a person a writer, and how the life of a professional writer is lived, it is matchless." (<i>Robert Harris, Sunday Times</i>)<br /><br />"Lavinia Greacen, Farrell's biographer, has put together an illuminating selection of personal writings full of elegance and charm... As a correspondednt he is both direct and diverting. His singluar voice is geared to conciseness, and to creating an entertaining effect." (Patricia Craig <i>TLS</i>)<br /><br />"Must Reads - 'Our choice of the best recent books' <i>J.G. Farrell in His own Words</i>: the diaries and letters of British literature's great lost hope." (<i>Sunday Times</i>)
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  The Fortunes of the Farrells
  
  
  
  
  
  [CHAPTER ONE. FROM PRETENCE TO REALITY.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWO. AN EVENING AT HOME.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER THREE. A PROPOSAL AND A REFUSAL.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FOUR. A MEETING.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FIVE. AN INVITATION.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SIX. AT THE COURT.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SEVEN. MR. FARRELL'S PLAN.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER EIGHT. SPECULATIONS.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER NINE. MR. JACK MELLAND.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TEN. INTRODUCTIONS.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER ELEVEN. AN EARLY DECISION.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWELVE. A NOVEL EXPERIENCE.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER THIRTEEN. LEARNING TO RIDE.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FOURTEEN. MOLLIE DEFENDS HER UNCLE.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FIFTEEN. IN THE VILLAGE CHURCH.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SIXTEEN. KISMET.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. NEW EXPERIENCES.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. MOLLIE'S REVENGE.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER NINETEEN. “THE OGRE.”  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWENTY. RECEIVING AND PAYING CALLS.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. PREPARING FOR THE GARDEN-PARTY.  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. MR. FARRELL MAK