The Lake

"The Lake" by George Moore is a story about a priest named Father Oliver Gogarty who lives in Ireland and is thinking deeply about his life. Father Oliver goes for a walk by a lake and remembers important times, like his childhood with his sister, Eliza. He also thinks about Nora Glynn, a woman who used to be a schoolteacher, and how her leaving affected him. The book brings up ideas of missing someone, feeling sorry for things that happened, and dealing with the hard parts of being a priest. As Father Oliver walks, he seems to want to get away from his regular, boring life and maybe go on an adventure. This sets the scene for a tale full of feelings and questions about what is important in life and in faith.

George Augustus Moore was an Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a Roman Catholic landed family who lived at Moore Hall in Carra, County Mayo. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s. There, he befriended many of the leading French artists and writers of the day.