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maryroseish's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mlottermoser's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully lyrical episodes from Irish history. A family mystery. Deception. Family drama. Dark. The episodes seemed haphazard. Some of them seemed completely unnecessary.
alyx30's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
megmro's review against another edition
5.0
I'm always scared when I can't find an audio version of a book club book; will I finish? I should not have worried about this one -- it was absolutely mesmerizing to me.
The author tells the story in a series of brief memories that occur over many years. From these shorter stories -- which range from 1- or 2-page vignettes to much longer chapters -- the reader pieces together the lies and deception that have occurred within the narrator's family before he was born. A very interesting look at the fragmented nature of truth, with each character believing that he or she has the largest or complete idea of what has happened.
The writing is just amazing. At book club, I learned that this was the author's only novel, and that he mainly wrote poetry, which totally makes sense because his prose is incredibly poetic. The text is filled with lots of emotional and sensory impressions. Just beautiful.
I loved the idea of haunting that ran throughout the novel. The first chapter is such a captivating introduction to this family with dark ghosts and hidden places. All the haunting is tied to specific places, and it is so intriguing to learn why each site is haunted for each individual.
Loved it. Highly recommend.
The author tells the story in a series of brief memories that occur over many years. From these shorter stories -- which range from 1- or 2-page vignettes to much longer chapters -- the reader pieces together the lies and deception that have occurred within the narrator's family before he was born. A very interesting look at the fragmented nature of truth, with each character believing that he or she has the largest or complete idea of what has happened.
The writing is just amazing. At book club, I learned that this was the author's only novel, and that he mainly wrote poetry, which totally makes sense because his prose is incredibly poetic. The text is filled with lots of emotional and sensory impressions. Just beautiful.
I loved the idea of haunting that ran throughout the novel. The first chapter is such a captivating introduction to this family with dark ghosts and hidden places. All the haunting is tied to specific places, and it is so intriguing to learn why each site is haunted for each individual.
Loved it. Highly recommend.
mfrank's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
julia_w_m_a's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure how this book got into my personal library. But there it was, and I felt the need to read it, as I feel about all the books on my shelves. It was ok, but I can definitely tell that this was not something I would have picked out for myself.
A young boy grows up in Ireland. At this time there is much talk about informers and war and other things that are a family secret. A secret he is determined to figure out although it will take him years and he'll only get it in snippets. With a mother who is a little bit crazy he also has a troubled homelife as well. But really, the essence of this book is what life was like in Ireland in the 1940's and beyond. It shows one boy's childhood amidst the troubling time.
Our narrator is ok. He speaks a little old for his age but he's also supposed to be quite smart, so that is forgiveable. He really wants to know secrets and has that childlike curiosity that makes you feel as if he is a worthy character. His poor mother, I just found her a bit odd and crazy and couldn't really understand her. I got the impression that she was supposed to be normal at least part of the time, but I never really felt that way about her. And his father, while silent and strong, isn't given as much time in this book and I thought that he could have really been an important character and used much better. There are several brothers and sisters as well, but they also only play minor roles.
The plot had a definite theme, rooting out the family secret. But it was quite broken up into chunks of months or years, with no real set timeline or consistency. It made it hard to really absorb yourself in the book because you were reading one story when you were immediately thrown into the next. That being said, the actual language of the book was terrific. Very descriptive and almost poetic really. I liked the tone it set. And there are some hard themes in this book. It talks a little bit about war and execution and dark secrets. Nothing is greatly described in detail, but it is implied.
This was just a hard book for me to really sink in to and appreciate. I can't say that I'd seek other books out by Deane, but if they magically appear on my bookshelf again I'll probably read them.
Reading in the Dark
Copyright 1996
246 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
A young boy grows up in Ireland. At this time there is much talk about informers and war and other things that are a family secret. A secret he is determined to figure out although it will take him years and he'll only get it in snippets. With a mother who is a little bit crazy he also has a troubled homelife as well. But really, the essence of this book is what life was like in Ireland in the 1940's and beyond. It shows one boy's childhood amidst the troubling time.
Our narrator is ok. He speaks a little old for his age but he's also supposed to be quite smart, so that is forgiveable. He really wants to know secrets and has that childlike curiosity that makes you feel as if he is a worthy character. His poor mother, I just found her a bit odd and crazy and couldn't really understand her. I got the impression that she was supposed to be normal at least part of the time, but I never really felt that way about her. And his father, while silent and strong, isn't given as much time in this book and I thought that he could have really been an important character and used much better. There are several brothers and sisters as well, but they also only play minor roles.
The plot had a definite theme, rooting out the family secret. But it was quite broken up into chunks of months or years, with no real set timeline or consistency. It made it hard to really absorb yourself in the book because you were reading one story when you were immediately thrown into the next. That being said, the actual language of the book was terrific. Very descriptive and almost poetic really. I liked the tone it set. And there are some hard themes in this book. It talks a little bit about war and execution and dark secrets. Nothing is greatly described in detail, but it is implied.
This was just a hard book for me to really sink in to and appreciate. I can't say that I'd seek other books out by Deane, but if they magically appear on my bookshelf again I'll probably read them.
Reading in the Dark
Copyright 1996
246 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
oogtube's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and War
kirsty147's review against another edition
I usually like Irish novels, but couldn't get through this. The chapters were disjointed and I couldn't give a rat's behind about the characters.