August Is a Wicked Month

August Is a Wicked Month
First edition (publ. Jonathan Cape)
Cover by Lord Snowdon
AuthorEdna O'Brien
PublisherJonathan Cape
Publication date
December 1, 1965
ISBN978-2-246-09920-8

August Is a Wicked Month is the 1965 novel by Edna O'Brien, her fourth.

The New York Times claims it featured "one of the best author photographs of the 20th century."[1] That cover was reprinted on the cover of her 2012 memoir Country Girl.

Upon publication August Is a Wicked Month, as with most of O'Brien's early books, was banned in several jurisdictions, including by Ireland's strict Catholic rulers.[2][3]

The title is regularly mentioned to this day by commentators on topics ranging from business and politics to fashion and weather.[4][5][6][7]

  1. ^ Garner, Dwight (29 April 2013). "Seeking the Ardent Life, Finding It and Sharing It: Edna O'Brien's Memoir, 'Country Girl'". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  2. ^ Carlson, Julia (1990). Banned in Ireland: Censorship and the Irish Writer. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780415054140.
  3. ^ Veitch, Jock (15 March 1970). "Miss O'Brien takes a look at the country that banned her". The Sydney Morning Herald. pp. 22 August 2024 – via Google News.
  4. ^ Fitzpatrick, Martin (28 August 2005). "Fingers crossed as sun sets on August". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2005. When the month started, we noted that Edna O'Brien once labelled August as a 'wicked month' - and as the month comes to a close, it must be admitted that it has fully lived up to its billing.
  5. ^ McNally, Frank (6 April 2011). "An Irishman's Diary". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 April 2011. I can't remember now why Edna O'Brien thought August was a wicked month. But it can hardly have been the weather.
  6. ^ Coleman, Marc (7 August 2011). "Predators pounce as politicians dither: With the very survival of the euro in doubt, Ireland's fiscal position is heading in a very Italian direction warns Marc Coleman". Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 August 2011. Edna O'Brien was right: August is indeed a wicked month.
  7. ^ "When It Comes To Style, August Can Be Beautiful". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 August 1981. August may be a wicked month for Miss Edna o'brien [sic] but it's one of the busiest in the calendar for local fashion watchers.