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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
This book was quite a ride. I struggled to get into the first few pages and then was swept along at great pace. I loved how well the author wrote about the 70s - my first memories are of the same time and I loved all the references to clothing, textiles, materials, cars, and fashions of the time. So much brown, tan and cream!
I was glad I read this book on Kindle as I frequently had to look up the various characters and their partisan leanings. It's a confusing book, as confusing as the Troubles in Ireland were for outsiders. I was going to say it makes perfect sense to the people who lived through it but that is a central theme in this novel - the hatred, prejudice and injustice ultimately didn't make sense to the characters in this book and it was all so tragic.
I lived through Apartheid South Africa and studied interpersonal violence with a focus on both Apartheid and genocide in the Balkans and Rwanda. The divisions, stereotyping and persecution portrayed in this book (relating to the Troubles) has several parallels to those events and I greatly respect the author's nuance in capturing the insidious nature of bigotry and how it is instilled in children in their formative years.
I wish I could write a better review - in fact, all my reviews lately have been stilted - but I'm new to reading literary fiction again after decades of reading YA, and I struggle to put into words my thoughts on all of the massive topics I'm reading about
I was glad I read this book on Kindle as I frequently had to look up the various characters and their partisan leanings. It's a confusing book, as confusing as the Troubles in Ireland were for outsiders. I was going to say it makes perfect sense to the people who lived through it but that is a central theme in this novel - the hatred, prejudice and injustice ultimately didn't make sense to the characters in this book and it was all so tragic.
I lived through Apartheid South Africa and studied interpersonal violence with a focus on both Apartheid and genocide in the Balkans and Rwanda. The divisions, stereotyping and persecution portrayed in this book (relating to the Troubles) has several parallels to those events and I greatly respect the author's nuance in capturing the insidious nature of bigotry and how it is instilled in children in their formative years.
I wish I could write a better review - in fact, all my reviews lately have been stilted - but I'm new to reading literary fiction again after decades of reading YA, and I struggle to put into words my thoughts on all of the massive topics I'm reading about
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
I loved listening to the Irish narrator of this novel. Set in difficult times, it is both beautiful and devastating. I stayed awake until some ridiculous hour listening to the final hours of this novel. But I didn't regret it in the morning. I will now read everything that Louise Kennedy writes. No idea why it has taken me so long to get to it.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4,25. Intressant skildring av Nordirland på 70-talet. Det är en bok utan jättetydlig handling, men den var aldrig tråkig. Jag tror att denna är fem stjärnor om man har mer kunskap om Irland och de aktuella konflikterna.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes