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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
sad
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The All of It is a very quiet book, one with an almost old-fashioned feel about it. It’s a slim novella whose size belies its impact. Father Declan is shocked by the deathbed confession of Kevin, one of his parishioners. After Kevin’s death, his wife Enda provides a fuller account, one with much more background and some harrowing details. This is a poignant look at sin, morality, compassion, understanding and forgiveness, of the importance of not judging quickly or harshly, of the need for connection. Father Declan mulls over what Kevin and Enda have told him, and untangles his own feeling about it, while fly fishing and these scenes reminded me of The Old Man and the Sea. They were also notable for the humour, especially with regard to the hapless ghillie, or fishing guide. Imbued with a traditional Irish feeling, and lovely this book is a charming, understated gem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
More like 3.5 stars.
First off, let me say that I liked this book much more as I was finishing it than I did while I was reading it. At its heart, it's about the relationship between a lonely parish priest in a small village in Ireland and a recent widow, Enda. A complex relationship.
The novel has two threads. One is the deeply intimate story Edna shares with the priest, immediately after her husband dies, explaining how and why she and her husband had lived a lie throughout their 48 years together. The second thread is about the priest's passion for salmon fishing, the activity where he feels most alive.
The impact Enda's story has on the priest and the way in which he reacts to that story, in turn, impacts her -- and that's what this book is really about.
The language of the book is beautiful, particularly if you happen to be Irish. And the detailed descriptions of fishing under horrible conditions make it a fun read for fans of the sport.
First off, let me say that I liked this book much more as I was finishing it than I did while I was reading it. At its heart, it's about the relationship between a lonely parish priest in a small village in Ireland and a recent widow, Enda. A complex relationship.
The novel has two threads. One is the deeply intimate story Edna shares with the priest, immediately after her husband dies, explaining how and why she and her husband had lived a lie throughout their 48 years together. The second thread is about the priest's passion for salmon fishing, the activity where he feels most alive.
The impact Enda's story has on the priest and the way in which he reacts to that story, in turn, impacts her -- and that's what this book is really about.
The language of the book is beautiful, particularly if you happen to be Irish. And the detailed descriptions of fishing under horrible conditions make it a fun read for fans of the sport.
Bought this at Parnassus on the recommendation of Ann Patchett (who also wrote the foreword). It definitely qualifies as good literature but is a little dark for my taste. At around 150 large-type pages, it's more like a long short story than a short novel. A good choice if you're in the mood to consider some heavy stuff but don't want to commit to a thousand-page Russian drama.
The plot was interesting, I liked setting, and the writing style was elegant. It just isn't one I fell in love with, but stories that are more literaturesque I can be very picky about.