You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
All the characters in this novel are dead and buried, but they are not quiet. There is no peace or silence in the graveyard. In fact, death holds no enlightenment at all, and the residents are just as petty, jealous and gossipy as they were above ground. Insults and half-truths are hurled back and forth as only the Irish can do. The story is not so much about what happens below ground, but anxiously awaiting news about what's happening above it. Unfortunately, the narrators are liars, morons and culture whores. Reading this book, I felt I were one of the residents of the cemetery, forced to listen to my bickering neighbors. The character wqe are first introduced to, Caitriona Paudeen, says it best. "Christ's cross protect me! Am I alive or dead? Are the people here alive or dead? They are all rabbiting on exactly the same way as they were above the ground!" A highly recommended novel, told only in dialogue. It took a moment to adjust to the ebb and flow of interruptions, missed conversations and ramblings to nobody in particular. Once that happened, I was hooked. The translation from Irish loses none of what I assume to be a ferocious wall of language and dialogue inherent to Cadhain's books (I do not speak Irish).
At times I laughed aloud at the uproarious language. Many times I would cringe at those complaining about disparaging "the faith" while embodying the point that they were wrong in that very faith. There is a Frenchman, a pilot who crashed nearby, trapped without the benefit of knowing Irish, pleading with those to explain what they are saying. Elections are held (why not, what else are they going to do). Many times I had to put the book down because, unlike the characters, I needed everyone to just shut up a minute.
A brilliant book.
At times I laughed aloud at the uproarious language. Many times I would cringe at those complaining about disparaging "the faith" while embodying the point that they were wrong in that very faith. There is a Frenchman, a pilot who crashed nearby, trapped without the benefit of knowing Irish, pleading with those to explain what they are saying. Elections are held (why not, what else are they going to do). Many times I had to put the book down because, unlike the characters, I needed everyone to just shut up a minute.
A brilliant book.
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
challenging
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Irish literature (especially in the Irish language) has a reputation for misery as most stories focus on poverty and death. As this book is set in a graveyard, I was afraid that this would be more of the same. It has received high praise from critics, but this made me fear that it would be full of fancy literary words that you can't understand. As the whole book is comprised of dialogue, I wasn't sure if I would understand what was going on.
To my delight, it was a hilarious and easy to read book. It's essentially about people bitching and moaning about each other, sharing stories, gossip and grudges. It's highly entertaining and if you're from rural Ireland, you will definitely recognise the way people act. The lack of indication of who was talking was no problem, as people mostly repeated themselves and you don't need to know who is talking half the time. The language used is very accurate and relatable, the translation really captured how people speak. There is a lot of foul language and curses which is a good living representation of Irish and counters the idea of it being too stale and flat.
To my delight, it was a hilarious and easy to read book. It's essentially about people bitching and moaning about each other, sharing stories, gossip and grudges. It's highly entertaining and if you're from rural Ireland, you will definitely recognise the way people act. The lack of indication of who was talking was no problem, as people mostly repeated themselves and you don't need to know who is talking half the time. The language used is very accurate and relatable, the translation really captured how people speak. There is a lot of foul language and curses which is a good living representation of Irish and counters the idea of it being too stale and flat.
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Thank God I finished it . I really wanted to like this novel but for the most part it was extremely boring. I really got tired of dead people still complaining about the the things they complained about when they were alive . Not a nice outlook about the afterlife and I don't believe there was a point to novel at all ...
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A little difficult to read at times but once you get into the flow absolutely brilliant. So funny at times and really enlightening - a triumphant anthropological piece of literature that deserves its place among the classics
Hard to follow at first but you get into the swing of things dark and light, humorous and insightful. It’s an interesting contrast of the relationships of people and their interactions and the stories we tell others versus the reality. Interesting questions about the mask we wear for others and the things we are concerned with in death.