Reviews

Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown

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bluestarfish's review against another edition

4.0

Dreams and history intertwine in the imaginary world of Thorfinn Ragnarson and his daily life on the island of Norday (in the Orkneys). The first few chapters with the boy are deceptively naive and I read through them wondering what was going on, but halfway through things pick up and the boy grows into a man and the twentieth century happens to the island. A great title too.

burgsandbeans's review

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adventurous reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

aclassicalmess's review

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The life of a man, thought Thorfinn, is a brief voyage, with the ocean of eternity, the many-voiced sea, all around.

veronikarih's review

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emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

aisling21's review

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lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

My first George Mackay Brown novel and I loved to read a reasonably accurate capturing of life in the Orkney Islands - my homeland. I like the writing style, however, I found certain sections of the book dragged on, or were complicated to keep track of what was a dream and what was not. I would be interested to read more of his books.