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dustysummers's review
4.0
The tunnels of our lives connect, coming to daylight at the oddest moments, and then plunge us into the dark again. We return to the lives of those who have gone before us, a perplexing mobius strip until we come home, eventually, to ourselves.
ilegnealle's review against another edition
3.0
It's very difficult for me to rate this book because while I found it strangely touching, I would not be able to describe what it is actually about. 3/5 stars then. But the writing is incredibly beautiful, and this was my favourite passage:
"Some days he wishes that he could empty the chambers of the men, fill the halls instead with women: the short sharp shock of three thousand two hundred mothers. The ones who picked through the supermarket debris for pieces of their dead husbands. The ones who still laundered their gone son's bed sheets by hand. The ones who kept an extra teacup at the end of the table, in case of miracles. The elegant ones, the angry ones, the clever ones, the ones in hairnets, the ones exhausted by all the dying. They carried their sorrow - not with photos under their arms, or with public wailing, or by beating their chests, but with a weariness around the eyes. Mothers and daughters and children and grandmothers, too. They never fought the wars, but they suffered them, blood and bone. How many times has he heard it? How often were there two ways to say the one thing? My son died. His name was Seamus. My son died. His name was James. My son died. His name was Peader. My son died. His name was Pete. My son died. His name was Billy. My son died. His name was Liam. My son died. His name was Charles. My son died. His name was Cathal. My son's name is Andrew."
"Some days he wishes that he could empty the chambers of the men, fill the halls instead with women: the short sharp shock of three thousand two hundred mothers. The ones who picked through the supermarket debris for pieces of their dead husbands. The ones who still laundered their gone son's bed sheets by hand. The ones who kept an extra teacup at the end of the table, in case of miracles. The elegant ones, the angry ones, the clever ones, the ones in hairnets, the ones exhausted by all the dying. They carried their sorrow - not with photos under their arms, or with public wailing, or by beating their chests, but with a weariness around the eyes. Mothers and daughters and children and grandmothers, too. They never fought the wars, but they suffered them, blood and bone. How many times has he heard it? How often were there two ways to say the one thing? My son died. His name was Seamus. My son died. His name was James. My son died. His name was Peader. My son died. His name was Pete. My son died. His name was Billy. My son died. His name was Liam. My son died. His name was Charles. My son died. His name was Cathal. My son's name is Andrew."
beka_bear's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
nlgeorge73's review
4.0
Colum McCann has created a highly engaging novel with "TransAtlantic." He was able to masterfully depict the magnitude of a moment in a character's life to such a palpable degree as to transport the reader to be physically present with that person. The lives of all the central characters are interconnected in such an artful manner, yet each figure in each storyline is portrayed in a multidimensional way to portray their own very real humanity.
TransAtlantic is worth a second read and inspires an interest in his other works, including "Let the Great Word Spin", winning the National Book Award in 2009.
TransAtlantic is worth a second read and inspires an interest in his other works, including "Let the Great Word Spin", winning the National Book Award in 2009.
bickie's review
3.0
I really liked the exploration of history and who writes it, who influences it, who defines its interpretation. I liked thinking about the unacknowledged connections among people, such as Douglass' effect on Lily. My attention lagged in some sections, but this is a rich, deeply layered book worth a read all the way through. One of my favorite quotes from the book: "How far from real the truth is" (p. 259 of 2014 Random House Trade Paperback edition).
megangraff's review
3.0
I have not read this book yet but I happened to touch a star while reading reviews on my phone and now I can't clear them. :(
anna_sun's review
Summary indicates novel is about "...three iconic crossings between Ireland and North America are connected by a series of remarkable women..." yet more than 100 pages in and it's still just about men. I loved McCann's Let the Great World Spin and his writing is impressive, but the story just didn't pull me in. The story was kind of interesting, but I went in expecting one thing--a story centered on women--and found another. Not invested enough to keep reading and see if women ever show up.
dobbydoo22's review
4.0
Reading McCann makes you realize the difference between someone who just writes books and someone who has really mastered words and storytelling--he definitely falls into the latter category.
babyruth510's review
4.0
I loved Let the Great World Spin so I was excited to receive an advanced copy of TransAtlantic through a goodreads giveaway. Although it was a bit of a slow start McCann's new novel did not disappoint.
The novel was narrated by four generations of women who were each connected in some way to the following men who crossed the Atlantic to Ireland: Brown and Alcock, early aviators, Frederick Douglas, a former slave turned activist and George Mitchell, an American politician involved with the Irish peace talks. McCann beautifully weaves together fictional narratives of historical people with fictional characters. TransAtlantic was both an interesting and enjoyable read.
The novel was narrated by four generations of women who were each connected in some way to the following men who crossed the Atlantic to Ireland: Brown and Alcock, early aviators, Frederick Douglas, a former slave turned activist and George Mitchell, an American politician involved with the Irish peace talks. McCann beautifully weaves together fictional narratives of historical people with fictional characters. TransAtlantic was both an interesting and enjoyable read.
duparker's review
4.0
McCann had two main skills. He writes a beautifully written book, with intelligent prose and a command of language. It feels like literature, and not fiction. Secondly, his ability to weave multiple stories together with a common thread that may not initially seem apparent is fantastic.
I loved the way the story is told with a vibe and pace that matches the delicacy of the stories while drilling down to a single page turner. Bravo.
I loved the way the story is told with a vibe and pace that matches the delicacy of the stories while drilling down to a single page turner. Bravo.