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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this book. It's such a sharp, clever character study told in pure, crystal clear prose. It was a delight.
emotional
funny
reflective
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
The Green Road is a profound and compelling story set among the relational dynamics of a west Clare family, culminating in a turbulent and colourful final Christmas Day in the family home. Irish writers are particularly adept at portraying family dynamics, something at which Ann Enright excels. The ageing matriarch Rosaleen is perceptively and dynamically drawn, down to expressive vernacular and mannerisms. The narrative style is rich and descriptive, the characters of the adult children are drawn with much detail and kindness.
This book was okay, but sadly no the "beautiful fiction about family" that I was expecting and told about.
The writing was good, not the best nor the worse I read.
The story itself was okay, the characters mediocre.
Nothing really stood out to me or made me want to pick the book up.
Nothing made me want to finish the story.
It kind of felt a bit like walking though mud and waiting for it to turn into something more exciting.
I kept expecting something to actually happen, but it just didn't?
It felt very much like book about family that has it actually pretty good -I mean they are all healthy and are able to live their individual lives- but are constantly complaining about the stupidest littlest things that they just... I kind of wanted to give the family a real problem to complain about! Which sounds very mean. But it just... They complained about nothing! So that got old fast for me.
I do think that most of the boringness of this book is my own fold.
I am just not a fan of family fiction where really nothing happened. I mean I like family fiction where something has happened a person tries to move on or something of that nature, but if it is just a typical everyday family live where nothing happens? Especially from a family that never seems happy with what they are having?
Yeah just not my kind of book.
So I think I am the problem. Not the book.
If you like family fiction where there is nothing really happening other then a family growing older -together and apart- you might like this.
If you are like me and need a bit of something happening? Might want to skip this one. Decide for yourself.
The writing was good, not the best nor the worse I read.
The story itself was okay, the characters mediocre.
Nothing really stood out to me or made me want to pick the book up.
Nothing made me want to finish the story.
It kind of felt a bit like walking though mud and waiting for it to turn into something more exciting.
I kept expecting something to actually happen, but it just didn't?
It felt very much like book about family that has it actually pretty good -I mean they are all healthy and are able to live their individual lives- but are constantly complaining about the stupidest littlest things that they just... I kind of wanted to give the family a real problem to complain about! Which sounds very mean. But it just... They complained about nothing! So that got old fast for me.
I do think that most of the boringness of this book is my own fold.
I am just not a fan of family fiction where really nothing happened. I mean I like family fiction where something has happened a person tries to move on or something of that nature, but if it is just a typical everyday family live where nothing happens? Especially from a family that never seems happy with what they are having?
Yeah just not my kind of book.
So I think I am the problem. Not the book.
If you like family fiction where there is nothing really happening other then a family growing older -together and apart- you might like this.
If you are like me and need a bit of something happening? Might want to skip this one. Decide for yourself.
The writing here is stunning and powerful, and most of the characters will stay with you for a long time. For me the weakest character was Rosaleen, the mother, who is supposed to be at the center of the family. I cared less about her than I did about any of the children--adult children for most of the story--and that's why I give this book 4 stars instead of 5. But Enright is an incredibly talented writer. I look forward to reading her other books now that I've read this one.
Looking back, I see that in 2008 I gave Enright's The Gathering 5 stars. So what's different this time?
Well, the family is now based, not in Dublin, but on the west coast of Ireland - although the kids have fluttered to Dublin, USA, Canada and Africa from there, returning all to the family home for the conclusion. But this remains a quintessentially Irish novel. Riding hard through the book is the failed homosexual candidate priest, the endearing rural ways, and the Celtic Tiger which takes over - brought back to the bygone green road. The children are conflicted, confused, desperate to be worthy, stuck in rut, frustrated, and alcoholic - so a normal family, then, at least for an Irish novel.
Enright is a superb writer:
Family is strong - strong enough to bring everyone home eventually, despite their desperate escapes.
I liked this book, partly because I have visited that part of Ireland many times over the timeframe of the story, and I think I have some understanding of the changes wrought during it. Enright seems to find the whole thing a bit of an unsalvageable tragedy. I am not sure I fully agree, but then, I'm not from County Clare, and nevertheless I think she has a point.
This is 4.5 from 5, so I'll round that up. If you are interested in contemporary Irish fiction, and the vogue of Sally Rooney is anathema, then this is recommended.
Well, the family is now based, not in Dublin, but on the west coast of Ireland - although the kids have fluttered to Dublin, USA, Canada and Africa from there, returning all to the family home for the conclusion. But this remains a quintessentially Irish novel. Riding hard through the book is the failed homosexual candidate priest, the endearing rural ways, and the Celtic Tiger which takes over - brought back to the bygone green road. The children are conflicted, confused, desperate to be worthy, stuck in rut, frustrated, and alcoholic - so a normal family, then, at least for an Irish novel.
Enright is a superb writer:
Billy looked Isabelle over, when they moved through the double doors for coffee: the unreliable little ribcage, with a pair of those flat little triangular breasts like flesh origami: also lumpy bits from waist to hip where her underwear was a bit too pragmatic – she would look better without, he thought, though Isabelle was not the sort of girl who would ever go without. The most surprising thing about her were the shoes, which were black to match the rest of the outfit, but with fabulous, bloody red soles. She walked in them like a child playing dress-up.
Family is strong - strong enough to bring everyone home eventually, despite their desperate escapes.
Even now, he wondered at the home movie of his memory. His father shrugging him away on Fanore beach – the slow motion feel to it. Who had pressed the mute button on his childhood? His father’s hands were wet and cold. His mother was foolish. His grandmother had three hats. And, yet, everywhere he looked, the house held memory and meaning that his heart could not. The house was full of detail, interest, love.
I liked this book, partly because I have visited that part of Ireland many times over the timeframe of the story, and I think I have some understanding of the changes wrought during it. Enright seems to find the whole thing a bit of an unsalvageable tragedy. I am not sure I fully agree, but then, I'm not from County Clare, and nevertheless I think she has a point.
This is 4.5 from 5, so I'll round that up. If you are interested in contemporary Irish fiction, and the vogue of Sally Rooney is anathema, then this is recommended.
The final sentence of this book made me think of the Ikea ads on attention making everything more beautiful, but it is true. The mother in this book does pay too little attention to everything. Like many other Irish novels, it has a psychological depth to it. It is set around a family reunion and you can see how much all the family members have grown apart, become independent people. They reunite for christmas and though not everything runs smoothly, they do start to realise they are a family and do care for each other. Ultimately, this is a book about what it means to be a modern family, have your own life still, but the book also shows that these people do care too little for each other, or listen too little. I do not think this family is necessarily representative really. I liked it, though that only came fully together at the very end. The earlier part read like short stories, which made it very hard to fully get into it. All in all a good read, though I sometimes did have to force myself to pick it up again.