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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Made all the more enjoyable to read having walked the Burren way. What a beautiful place.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Dit was zo mooi geschreven, een klassiek Iers familiedrama dat zich langzaamaan afwikkelt met de Celtic Tiger (?) slapend op de achtergrond. Vreselijk egocentrische mensen, maar je snapt ze zo goed, waar ze vandaan komen waarom ze zo zijn, en hoe het toch kan, hartverscheurend.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Her writing is beautifully
This was a good story. Intriguing and encapsulating. The ending was a bit abrupt though. It was left on a contemplative cliff-hanger. It left you wondering where the characters would go from here. The characters were all well developed and had flaws as well as some redeeming qualities. They made mistakes, and sometimes fixed those mistakes and sometimes did not.
I did enjoy it and was kept interested in the story throughout the book. I give it a 8/10. Two points lost for the occasional confusion due to not fully understanding what is happening the odd time only to re-read and get a clearer picture.
I did enjoy it and was kept interested in the story throughout the book. I give it a 8/10. Two points lost for the occasional confusion due to not fully understanding what is happening the odd time only to re-read and get a clearer picture.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Anne Enright's The Green Road tells the story of the Madigan family. Readers see snapshots of the family member's individual lives – spanning across time and location, from Ireland to New York to Mali – before the family comes together as Rosaleen, the matriarch, decides to sell the family home.
This is another astounding novel from author Anne Enright. I enjoyed reading this immensely and loved the whole thing from beginning to end. That said, I did find myself being a bit bewildered by the narrative at times and thinking that it could have been a much richer story with some expansion.
The first half of the book, where we see Rosaleen's children living their lives mostly independent from each other, made me feel like I was reading a series of short stories that were all loosely connected. This is no more apparent than the jump between the first and second chapters. The first chapter features Hanna as a child reacting to a house in turmoil after her brother Dan announces he's joining the priesthood. The second chapter then jumps into the future and is told from the perspective of a character we never meet again, but features Dan, having abandoned the priesthood and now engaged to a woman, slowly acknowledging his homosexuality.
There is a huge jump in time and plot between the two chapters and there's no development between the two chapters. If I hadn't caught a reference to Dan having left the priesthood in the second chapter and if I hadn't known this was a novel, I would've thought I was reading a collection of short stories.
I also struggled to work out and remember what exactly the relationships between characters were. Who was related to who and how did they all know each other? Thankfully the concluding chapter of the first part did help to set me straight, but it came a little late for my liking.
The second section is enthralling, taking Rosaleen's children from their diverse but no less challenging circumstances in the first half and show them confronting their mother and her decision to sell the family home. Much is revealed and the tensions are raised dramatically before the story begins to wind down.
However, I do wonder if there isn't room for a third part to the story or, perhaps, an epilogue that takes what is revealed about these characters and provides a little more certainty. Where, for example, does Rosaleen end up? What about Dan? Does Emmett reconcile with Alice? I do think that the continued uncertainty is fitting with Enright's style and The Green Road provides a generally more positive conclusion than I usually expect from Enright.
Altogether, this is a good book that I loved, but the story itself feels somewhat unfinished and incomplete. 3.5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for review.
This is another astounding novel from author Anne Enright. I enjoyed reading this immensely and loved the whole thing from beginning to end. That said, I did find myself being a bit bewildered by the narrative at times and thinking that it could have been a much richer story with some expansion.
The first half of the book, where we see Rosaleen's children living their lives mostly independent from each other, made me feel like I was reading a series of short stories that were all loosely connected. This is no more apparent than the jump between the first and second chapters. The first chapter features Hanna as a child reacting to a house in turmoil after her brother Dan announces he's joining the priesthood. The second chapter then jumps into the future and is told from the perspective of a character we never meet again, but features Dan, having abandoned the priesthood and now engaged to a woman, slowly acknowledging his homosexuality.
There is a huge jump in time and plot between the two chapters and there's no development between the two chapters. If I hadn't caught a reference to Dan having left the priesthood in the second chapter and if I hadn't known this was a novel, I would've thought I was reading a collection of short stories.
I also struggled to work out and remember what exactly the relationships between characters were. Who was related to who and how did they all know each other? Thankfully the concluding chapter of the first part did help to set me straight, but it came a little late for my liking.
The second section is enthralling, taking Rosaleen's children from their diverse but no less challenging circumstances in the first half and show them confronting their mother and her decision to sell the family home. Much is revealed and the tensions are raised dramatically before the story begins to wind down.
However, I do wonder if there isn't room for a third part to the story or, perhaps, an epilogue that takes what is revealed about these characters and provides a little more certainty. Where, for example, does Rosaleen end up? What about Dan? Does Emmett reconcile with Alice? I do think that the continued uncertainty is fitting with Enright's style and The Green Road provides a generally more positive conclusion than I usually expect from Enright.
Altogether, this is a good book that I loved, but the story itself feels somewhat unfinished and incomplete. 3.5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for review.
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book club book:
This was an interesting character study but it was also kind of boring not in the sense that I was bored but in the sense that I struggled to pay attention when I was reading it. Like honestly if you ask me for something other than the main plot outline I would really struggle. I'm interested to discuss this though and see what other people think about it!
This was an interesting character study but it was also kind of boring not in the sense that I was bored but in the sense that I struggled to pay attention when I was reading it. Like honestly if you ask me for something other than the main plot outline I would really struggle. I'm interested to discuss this though and see what other people think about it!
There is absolutely no such thing as a normal family. Everyone's family is a bit crazy though some are crazier than others. The Madigan's are one of those special kinds of Irish crazy though I'm sure there's families like them everywhere. The self centred mother, the long suffering eldest daughter trying to take care of everyone, the sons who have fecked off, and the rather dramatic somewhat spoilt youngest child. But they are also the kind of family that when the chips are down will appear over the hill to help.
While reading it I couldn't help but think of the poem by Phillip Larkin:
“They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you." - This be the Verse by Phillip Larkin
It is certainly a book about how our childhood and the things we are taught by are parents shape our later life. Rosaleen is undoubtedly a women dissatisfied with her life and with tendency to depression. She believes that she married beneath her in marrying a poor local farmer. She failed to live up to her potential. She is also extremely fond of that great Irish tradition of taking to the bed when things get too much. Her children too are dissatisfied with their lives. None of them seem overly happy at how things have panned out.
The book is also an interesting portrayal of a changing Ireland over a course of 30 years and it's changing social structures. Rosaleen's father ran the local pharmacy. In mid 20th century Ireland he, and by extension Rosaleen, would have commanded power and respect in the town as am important local business man. They belonged to the middle classes. When the book opens that power is waning and by the modern sections of the book (set in 2005 while the Celtic Tiger is its peak) we see the rise of a new wealthy class - the developer - a group into which Constance has married. Every member of her husbands family seem to be involved in the construction sector in some way. The brashness of this new found wealth is most evident when Constance is doing the Christmas shopping. She buy's her mother an expensive scarf, strongly suspecting she won't like it because that is the kind of woman her mother is, and manages to spend €400 on the Christmas food shop, which we are informed is a record and a fact apparently Dessie will be very proud of. Ah the craziness of the Celtic Tiger!!
The social changes occuring in Ireland during the course of the book, however are perhaps most evident in relation to Dan. The book open's with Dan informing his family he wants to become a priest. Rosaleen, who is far from happy at this news promptly takes to the bed. 20 or 30 years previously she would have been singing such news from the rooftops, but even by the 1980's having a son in the priesthood no longer carried the prestige it once did. Dan is in fact gay, and in the end never becomes a priest. We witness both he and his family struggle with his sexuality. Even in the later sections set in 2005 (notably 12 years after homosexuality was officially decriminalised in Ireland and 10 years before the historic vote to allow gay marriage) it is clear some members of the family struggle with it. It is not something they discuss, but rather ignore as one of the many things they leave unsaid. The rural - urban divide, and the generational gap are both evident in how different members of the family deal with Dan's sexuality. Emmet and Hanna living in Dublin are clearly far more comfortable with it than Rosaleen or Constance still living in rural Clare, equally Constance's children are more comfortable with it than their parents. It is a clear example of a changing Ireland.
This is an excellent book about the Irish family, the legacies we carry and how much Ireland changed in a relatively short period of time. I found it a surprisingly compelling read. For anyone interested in Irish literature this is a must read.
Note on the Author:
Anne Enright is currently Ireland's inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction
While reading it I couldn't help but think of the poem by Phillip Larkin:
“They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you." - This be the Verse by Phillip Larkin
It is certainly a book about how our childhood and the things we are taught by are parents shape our later life. Rosaleen is undoubtedly a women dissatisfied with her life and with tendency to depression. She believes that she married beneath her in marrying a poor local farmer. She failed to live up to her potential. She is also extremely fond of that great Irish tradition of taking to the bed when things get too much. Her children too are dissatisfied with their lives. None of them seem overly happy at how things have panned out.
The book is also an interesting portrayal of a changing Ireland over a course of 30 years and it's changing social structures. Rosaleen's father ran the local pharmacy. In mid 20th century Ireland he, and by extension Rosaleen, would have commanded power and respect in the town as am important local business man. They belonged to the middle classes. When the book opens that power is waning and by the modern sections of the book (set in 2005 while the Celtic Tiger is its peak) we see the rise of a new wealthy class - the developer - a group into which Constance has married. Every member of her husbands family seem to be involved in the construction sector in some way. The brashness of this new found wealth is most evident when Constance is doing the Christmas shopping. She buy's her mother an expensive scarf, strongly suspecting she won't like it because that is the kind of woman her mother is, and manages to spend €400 on the Christmas food shop, which we are informed is a record and a fact apparently Dessie will be very proud of. Ah the craziness of the Celtic Tiger!!
The social changes occuring in Ireland during the course of the book, however are perhaps most evident in relation to Dan. The book open's with Dan informing his family he wants to become a priest. Rosaleen, who is far from happy at this news promptly takes to the bed. 20 or 30 years previously she would have been singing such news from the rooftops, but even by the 1980's having a son in the priesthood no longer carried the prestige it once did. Dan is in fact gay, and in the end never becomes a priest. We witness both he and his family struggle with his sexuality. Even in the later sections set in 2005 (notably 12 years after homosexuality was officially decriminalised in Ireland and 10 years before the historic vote to allow gay marriage) it is clear some members of the family struggle with it. It is not something they discuss, but rather ignore as one of the many things they leave unsaid. The rural - urban divide, and the generational gap are both evident in how different members of the family deal with Dan's sexuality. Emmet and Hanna living in Dublin are clearly far more comfortable with it than Rosaleen or Constance still living in rural Clare, equally Constance's children are more comfortable with it than their parents. It is a clear example of a changing Ireland.
This is an excellent book about the Irish family, the legacies we carry and how much Ireland changed in a relatively short period of time. I found it a surprisingly compelling read. For anyone interested in Irish literature this is a must read.
Note on the Author:
Anne Enright is currently Ireland's inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction