a lot of interesting characters and plot lines here, very enjoyable touches on the culture shock of moving from rural community to college in Dublin, ma lot of interesting characters and plot lines here, very enjoyable touches on the culture shock of moving from rural community to college in Dublin, mix in fears regarding family history, mental health, edges of magical realism, hiding trauma behind erudition just that the whole feels like slightly less than the sum of its parts for me they never quite coalesced ...more
coming of age, maturity and cynicism for a young man growing up in Dublin city in the late 19th century background of extreme classism from British Empcoming of age, maturity and cynicism for a young man growing up in Dublin city in the late 19th century background of extreme classism from British Empire, mixed with provincial and nationalistic Ireland, and the overbearing repressive presence of the Catholic church descended into too much philosophising in the later stages for me, may have been in keeping with Stephen's character at that point, but....more
centering on adolescent boys in boarding school, bulliying, drugs, coming of age confusion, making sense of the world, string theory, First World War centering on adolescent boys in boarding school, bulliying, drugs, coming of age confusion, making sense of the world, string theory, First World War excitement, fear, safety in the past high energy mix that worls really well all the characters, even the adults seem juvenile, but not inaccurately so...more
great sense of time and place - 1990s north of Ireland, music scene and drugs. Coming of age with little opportunity against backdrop of sectarianism,great sense of time and place - 1990s north of Ireland, music scene and drugs. Coming of age with little opportunity against backdrop of sectarianism, violence and some hope action and dialogue both fast paced and exciting...more
darkly funny modern irish family tale really builds and builds from multiple character perspectives moves from mundane small town life and weariness anddarkly funny modern irish family tale really builds and builds from multiple character perspectives moves from mundane small town life and weariness and failure to existential musings to family and self preservation and identity...more
insightful, slow story of small town student and teacher, variously dealing with losses in childhood, and outsider status and estrangement, appearing insightful, slow story of small town student and teacher, variously dealing with losses in childhood, and outsider status and estrangement, appearing as part of autistic experience for one of the characters storyline did drift at times, but overall beautifully told...more
set in a near future, very like our own except ecosystems collapsing and massive species extinctions young Irish woman with serious mental health issueset in a near future, very like our own except ecosystems collapsing and massive species extinctions young Irish woman with serious mental health issues and disintergated family is chasing the final known arctic terns hoping they will manage to travel the world and identify remanant fish stocks in barren oceans. ends up on one of the last remaining fishing trawlers with a motley crew lots of potentially interesting characters, but only main protaganist gets any real development university professor husband, married after one day relationship seems unnecessary and unbelievable main storyline well told...more
80s Dublin, deprived neighbourhood, two teenagers navigating life and growing up in world of social discrimination and religious in doctrination and d80s Dublin, deprived neighbourhood, two teenagers navigating life and growing up in world of social discrimination and religious in doctrination and domination great sense of place and time and two well developed characters. Mix of hope and despair, loss and mutual support ...more
unusual take on woman recovering from extraordinary trauma in childhood, previously isolated from society by parents to protect her fragile state, nowunusual take on woman recovering from extraordinary trauma in childhood, previously isolated from society by parents to protect her fragile state, now fully exposed to it after her father's death very engaging characters, good mix of moralities and motivations, and storyline works well (view spoiler)[does seem to be moving to a happy, engaged in society and the goodness of the community ending, but then a lot of that falls apart, and the struggle to survive continues (hide spoiler)]...more
exquisite tale from perspective of a young girl spending a summer fostered to farming couple in Wexford Builds a tentative hope and a sense of being hoexquisite tale from perspective of a young girl spending a summer fostered to farming couple in Wexford Builds a tentative hope and a sense of being home heart breaking with deprivation, endurance, love, loss and rural suspicions great narration from Aoife McMahon...more
great paced crime thriller based around ireland plenty of action and imaginative plot and some laughs did lose me a little because every character had tgreat paced crime thriller based around ireland plenty of action and imaginative plot and some laughs did lose me a little because every character had to be larger than life - took it to an extreme - but would be interested in rest of series...more
spanning the 20th century in rural cork, as ascendancy protestant family deal with fall out from attack on home as Ireland becomes independent, familyspanning the 20th century in rural cork, as ascendancy protestant family deal with fall out from attack on home as Ireland becomes independent, family flees, but daughter remains quiet but emotional, dealing with loss and guilt and forgiveness and endurance lives on hold...more
beautiful short book, hints of Claire Keegan rural priest, hears the secret story of local couple, from the wife on her husband's death, they were brotbeautiful short book, hints of Claire Keegan rural priest, hears the secret story of local couple, from the wife on her husband's death, they were brother and sister, had endured abusive childhood and fled to build a safe life for themselves this is interlaced with the priest's own sense of loneliness, and his foolhardy fishing trip on one of the worst days of the season poetic, slow, insightful...more
extraordinary, brutal, visceral, right from the start
at time difficult to read
deals with a young woman, raised in isolation, ostracized by her islandextraordinary, brutal, visceral, right from the start
at time difficult to read
deals with a young woman, raised in isolation, ostracized by her island community, helping her grandmother in caring for her vegetative-state mother, finding an outlet and potential for escape when an artist and her new baby arrive for a residency
despite everything inflicted on her, author manages to snuff out sympathies for the protagonist as they arise.
day in the life, woven through Dublin city, echo of Ulysses a women, therapist, dealing with failing of marriage after multiple attempts at fertility tday in the life, woven through Dublin city, echo of Ulysses a women, therapist, dealing with failing of marriage after multiple attempts at fertility treatments, the distance and unwillingness to endure further treatments a girl dealing with her burgeoning sexuality in context of her autism, attraction to best friend, attending an environmental protest brief intersection of the two stories interesting characters and engaging stories...more
two 'colonial' males descend on depopulating island of west coast of Ireland a French linguist trying to preserve the unAnglicised native Irish languagtwo 'colonial' males descend on depopulating island of west coast of Ireland a French linguist trying to preserve the unAnglicised native Irish language before it is too late, seeking to establish his academic credentials and perhaps make amends for his own Moroccan French childhood an English painter, seeking to prove himself, initially painting the cliff landscapes, but finding inspiration in the populace and in particular a young man who shows artistic promise. Artist motivated by desire to re-establish his relationship with wife who apparently is in process of leaving him for another man both seek to take what they need or desire from the people on the island short interjections of matter of fact descriptions of various victims of killings during escalating troubles in the north...more
exquisite short novella set in New Ross, Wexford in the 1980's local coal merchant, settled in heart of community and raising young family in run up toexquisite short novella set in New Ross, Wexford in the 1980's local coal merchant, settled in heart of community and raising young family in run up to Christmas confronts some of his own history, born out of wedlock to mother working for local aristocracy, as he encounters one of the young women held in the local convent and Magdalene laundry
mixture of hope as he struggles to find the courage to intervene, and despair in the face of power and influence of the church in the community
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