Reviews with content warning for Animal death - The Wren, the Wren

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright

10 reviews

deedireads's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.0

The Wren, The Wren was on my radar anyway, but its placement on the Women’s Prize shortlist bumped it to the top of my TBR. This one is a little tough for me to review because I recognized how good it was, but it just didn’t hold my attention very well or stick with me once I’d finished it. But I think that was because of me, not the book.

The book switches between two primary POVs: Nell, a young woman descending into an abusive relationship while romanticizing the poetry of her famous late grandfather; and Carmel, her mother, who’s still dealing with the emotional repercussions of her (scoundrel) father’s abandonment. Enright gives us a poignant look at how our generational scars persist and affect our relationships for years and years. I also appreciated the poetry she included throughout.

As I mentioned, it just felt like this book when in one side of my brain and out the other, even as I recognized its merits. To be fair, I read most of it on a plane AND I was 34 weeks pregnant, so I really do think this was me and not the book. I have nothing objectively critical to say of it, and Enright remains one of the greats.

If you love a beautifully written Irish novel that’s all character and little plot, you’re going to eat this one up.

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kfish's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad 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? Yes

4.5

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alexhaydon's review against another edition

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It started off well but went slowly downhill. Its probably due to a mix of me not getting on with contemporary lit generally and also just the sheer amount this book tries to cover, ultimately without really saying much to conclude. The book feels as if it surrounds the legacy of a poet Phil McDaragh, and how his daughter Carmel and then her daughter Nell navigate their own lives with him and his work being a point of return. The perspective changes in this book were interesting but the tone of each character didn't feel very consistent. It became chaotic when I think it could have been more sensical in its trajectory. That being said, there was some nice poetry throughout and some of the scenes of nature were depicted nicely but overall not a story or cast I cared much for.

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inkylabyrinth's review

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emotional reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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hannah2896's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A beautifully written book which captivated me in parts. I loved the poetry and bird references throughout, and Nell's chapters when she is abroad. Some parts were difficult to read and weren't enjoyable - I do wish I skipped those pages.

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