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_inge's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Initially I couldn’t really get into this. The prose is heavily literary (the acknowledgements mention two poets who contributed, which doesn’t surprise me) and the inclusion of (to me) unknown Irish words made it a confusing read at times. On top of that, the story was very slow-paced and didn’t seem to have a clear direction. For a while I contemplated DNF’ing it, but when I’d put the book down after 40 pages or so I noticed I could easily remember every character afterwards. The Hill was easy to imagine, and I could still hear these characters in my head, which is usually my sign to keep on reading. After the 100 page mark, things started picking up more. I’d gotten used to Irish and the general writing style by that time as well. From that point onwards, I flew through this. I really appreciated that this novel stayed true to the time-period in particular. That might mean that these characters don’t do what we want them to do, but it does mean they’re very realistic.
It weirdly reminds me of Shuggie Bain? No one is particularly likeable, but their circumstances aren't either so you do understand why. Family dynamics and communities play a part here, too. The overall atmosphere might be a bit depressing at times, and yet there's always a flicker of hope that keeps you reading.
It weirdly reminds me of Shuggie Bain? No one is particularly likeable, but their circumstances aren't either so you do understand why. Family dynamics and communities play a part here, too. The overall atmosphere might be a bit depressing at times, and yet there's always a flicker of hope that keeps you reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Rape, Child abuse, Misogyny, Animal death, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Grief, Death, and Child death
liannaengland's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
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