The Grey Horse, a review

I didn't know I had found gold when I picked up this unassuming little book. That's the way it is with used books. You descend into the basement of some store, or maybe in a hidden corner. It's inevitable that one should have to go in a dark and dismal space to find treasure. I try to find all the little dark corners of places and go rummaging for used books, the greatest treasure around. When I picked up The Grey Horse, by R. A. MacAvoy, I decided to buy it for one reason: The cover said "R. A. MacAvoy, author of The Book of Kells."

I can't be the only one who watched the magical animated movie, The Book of Kells, can I? Surely not? What a travesty that would be! If you haven't seen it, go do that. I'll wait right here. It's a bit trippy, and feels very foreign, which an Irish tale should feel a bit foreign to an American, shouldn't it? Still, it's beauty in motion. I'll be honest, I hadn't realized it was based on a book at all. I should have known! Regardless, that little line on the cover of this book was enough for me to hand over some paper money for the potential of more beauty in the thin volume.

It's not a very long book. Don't be deceived. In just a matter of a few sentences, the reader is immediately immersed in Ireland up to the elbows. This, unlike the movie, is not a children's story, though nothing particularly violent or vulgar happens. It just clearly is written in a mode meant to entertain adults, with all the weight of adulty concerns at the forefront. Still, I felt like I was reading a fairy tale in many ways. A fairy tale for adults. Heck, yeah.

Let me tell you what this is not. It is not a modern "romantasy" story, though it is both fantasy and romance. It is not a primer on Irish history, though Irish history is like an extra character in the story. It is not a typical hero's journey novel, though there is a hero, the grey horse from the title. It is not a high stakes, high octane adventure, though the stakes are life and death and there is plenty of romping and wit involved.

So what is it? It is an Irish story about a fairy creature who can change from man to horse on a whim, named Ruairi MacEibhir. He takes human form because he's fallen head-over-heels in love with a dark and broad woman in the village, named Maire Standun. She isn't the town beauty, her younger sister is. She can't understand why any man would come courting her, and rebuffs him immediately. She thinks Ruairi is playing a joke on her with his interest.

He isn't. Ruairi is deadly serious. In fact, he goes so far as to get a job, convert to Christianity (an odd conundrum for a fairy creature to tackle, as the priest informs him), and build a house for her. The fairy horse-man is charming in his attempts to court Maire. He is, he is the first to admit, not a clever man, but he makes up the difference in earnestness.

The other main character, aside from this fairy man and his lady love, is an elderly man named Anrai O Reachtaire, who trains horses. He has a stable outside of town, an elderly wife, and somewhat less elderly stable hand. He has a son who has run off, shaming him with his life and his ways. The man has spent his life with horses, and he is the first to encounter the fairy, though in horse form. Much is said about Anrai and his family, and they feel as real on the page as a near neighbor down the street.

Here are some things I really liked about this book. Firstly, I don't think I have ever been so invested in a story about a horse as I was reading about the first encounter between old man and fairy horse. This all before I even knew he was a fairy horse, or could transform into a man. The author has such a poetic way with words that, having little knowledge of horses myself, I was happy to read more and more about horse racing, horse training, and the general trade and care of horses than I have any cause to know or care about.

Secondly, it was such an atypical fairy story. Ruairi isn't trying to trick anyone with clever wording. He repeatedly talks about not being clever, in fact. He doesn't want to steal Maire away to live in a fairy land under a hill. He isn't a prince or lord of the fae. He isn't even conventionally handsome. Though Maire notes liking his appearance, no one else seems to notice much. In fact, he's mostly noted to look a little odd, which horsey eyes that show no whites even when he's in human form.

Maire, the heroine, likewise isn't a conventionally beautiful character. She is tall and broad-shouldered, with dark coloring. Her sister, pale and blonde, is considered by far the beauty, with locals writing songs and poems about her. Maire's father is convinced he'll never be able to marry Maire off, a source of conflict in the story. Maire, however, is smart. She's secretly supporting the Irish nationalists, and she's a linchpin character in their rebellion against the English.

The last thing I'll note is that this story doesn't wrap up in the neat and tidy way that a lot of stories now do. Some characters get the ending they deserve, and some don't. I don't see that often in writing any more. I think that in trying to write for the market, we unwittingly have edged out sad endings for regular people. Not every story ends in joy, or in some cases, spectacularly bad and well-deserved endings for villains. Some stories simply end, and that's okay.

That said, I don't think you'll be in any way disappointed with the ending of The Grey Horse, except to wish there was another book to continue the adventures.

Another aspect I'd like to highlight about this book is the... er... Irish-ness? I'm laughing as I type this. I don't think I've ever read a good Irish story that wasn't colored in some way by that little country's convoluted history. This story is no exception to that, though it isn't really the focus. Another interesting way in which history played a part is that every character has two names, an Irish name and an English name. Ruairi becomes Rory, Maire becomes Mary, and Anrai becomes Henry. I'll admit, it made trying to tangle my American brain around the names a bit easier. However, it is worth considering what it would be like to have to change your very name to please your landlord, as was the case in this story, and I imagine, a good number of real people in history.

The Grey Horse was published in 1987 by Bantam Books. The cover art is by Charles DeMar. I'm not sure how well this same cover would do in today's market, but I'm a little in love with it. Ruairi looks pretty dashing, reaching down for his dark-haired love.

R.A. MacAvoy wrote books from 1983-1992, then took a long break from writing and public attention due to a chronic illness. She reappeared around 2009 or so to start publishing again, but I can't find anything more recent than 2018. While it appears she is still alive, she doesn't appear to be publishing any more. I have no doubt, from the couple of interviews I found, that she is still writing, just maybe for herself now. That's something I can understand, as someone who can't seem to stop writing either. She has won numerous awards with her writing, now sporting the kind of writing resume that an aspiring author can only dream about. The Grey Horse is her fifth book, and a stand-alone novel. Ruairi, her fairy horse, was inspired mostly by a very real Connemara pony named Emmett.

What do you think? Would you read this Irish fairy-tale-for-adults? I recommend it highly. If you are interested in owning my somewhat damaged copy, you can find the link here.

Otherwise, you can find copies with the links below.

Thriftbooks

Better World Books

Ebay