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elspethel_'s review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sadhbhaine's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
dilchh's review
2.0
You know what? Never, ever, trust blurbs or just synopsis. I was very intrigue by this book’s synopsis, but as soon as I read the first chapter (literally, just the first chapter) I was already having a hard time to like or enjoy the story. The flow was just weird and felt forced; I just can’t seem to follow where the story was going or even who was doing the talking, it seems that everyone was just talking at the same time. I have to admit that comes the second chapter, I felt like I would actually like the book because Dan’s background story was definitely interesting (this was way before I realised how pretentious he could be). There was something about Dan’s background story that reminded of The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells.
The book was divided into two parts, with the first part tells the story of each of the Madigan children and their mother, Rosaleen. I have to be honest that just to finish the first part of the book was a hard work. It was really tiring to see each and everyone of this Madigan children complaining and whining as if their life has got to be the most horrible life ever lived by any human being in this earth. I kept on commenting, “gee, whiny much, aren’t we?”, the whole time I read the first part of the book. The most annoying thing is that not only are they’re very whiny, but they can be obnoxiously selfish and they seem to be always blaming other people about their miserable lives, which was an occurrence on their mother also (apparently apple really don’t fall far from its tree). One thing I’m grateful about the Madigan family and their whiny attitude, it opened my eyes that I might have been living my life like the Madigan family. I was so beyond ashamed at how whiny I was, and how I seem to always capable of blaming other people for my failure or of how miserable (or what I thought to be miserable) my life is. It was disgusting to see that kind of attitude on someone else, I hope I can change that attitude of mine also. Thank you, Madigan children!
Okay, now let’s talk about Rosaleen. Good God, she is unbearable, isn’t she? No wonder her kids are like that; having a mother like Rosaleen must’ve been a hard thing growing up. How she’s very open about which kid she likes the most, how she constantly trying to push every button on Constance (her first child) just to see when she would snap and broke, how she kept on pushing Emmer (the third child) because he was no Dan (the second child), and how Hanna (the fourth child) was sort of forced to understand Rosaleen during her breakdown when Dan left the house; that’s just something no kids, especially during their angsty teenage years, are capable to live through. Even as the kids are all grown up, Rosaleen kept on being Rosaleen, a woman who is just so hard to please and yet kept on asking to be pleased over and over again. There was a line in the book that described Rosaleen as,
A woman who did nothing and expected everything.
Frankly speaking, I think that is the true explanation and definition on who Rosaleen really is. I think that most of the stuff that the Madigan children are complaining about or are struggling through, that was the fruit that Rosaleen planted herself on her children when they were young.
In conclusion, it amazes me (and not the good kind of amazing) that the author manage to write a story that I’ve read up to page 174 and I still can’t grasp the whole point of the story. Every single thing that’s being said in this book are just an endless pointless details of things that are irrelevant. Take for the example when the author was telling the story of when Rosaleen left the kids on Christmas dinner, why in the world would be relevant for the reader to know whether or not Rosaleen’s jacket had a fur trimming? I can’t, for the life of me, see any relevancy in that sentence. And stuff like this appeared for most of the whole book.
I guess, what I can say about this book is that this was a book about everything and nothing. It ended with a weird tone and it felt forced. I felt that even the author was being unfair to Constance and Emmet, at how their story was never elaborate enough, compared to Dan and Hanna’s. It was such an unpleasant book for me, and if you like a book about everything and nothing, then maybe you can try to read this book; if you, like me, don’t like pointless book, then just go and try some other book.
The book was divided into two parts, with the first part tells the story of each of the Madigan children and their mother, Rosaleen. I have to be honest that just to finish the first part of the book was a hard work. It was really tiring to see each and everyone of this Madigan children complaining and whining as if their life has got to be the most horrible life ever lived by any human being in this earth. I kept on commenting, “gee, whiny much, aren’t we?”, the whole time I read the first part of the book. The most annoying thing is that not only are they’re very whiny, but they can be obnoxiously selfish and they seem to be always blaming other people about their miserable lives, which was an occurrence on their mother also (apparently apple really don’t fall far from its tree). One thing I’m grateful about the Madigan family and their whiny attitude, it opened my eyes that I might have been living my life like the Madigan family. I was so beyond ashamed at how whiny I was, and how I seem to always capable of blaming other people for my failure or of how miserable (or what I thought to be miserable) my life is. It was disgusting to see that kind of attitude on someone else, I hope I can change that attitude of mine also. Thank you, Madigan children!
Okay, now let’s talk about Rosaleen. Good God, she is unbearable, isn’t she? No wonder her kids are like that; having a mother like Rosaleen must’ve been a hard thing growing up. How she’s very open about which kid she likes the most, how she constantly trying to push every button on Constance (her first child) just to see when she would snap and broke, how she kept on pushing Emmer (the third child) because he was no Dan (the second child), and how Hanna (the fourth child) was sort of forced to understand Rosaleen during her breakdown when Dan left the house; that’s just something no kids, especially during their angsty teenage years, are capable to live through. Even as the kids are all grown up, Rosaleen kept on being Rosaleen, a woman who is just so hard to please and yet kept on asking to be pleased over and over again. There was a line in the book that described Rosaleen as,
A woman who did nothing and expected everything.
Frankly speaking, I think that is the true explanation and definition on who Rosaleen really is. I think that most of the stuff that the Madigan children are complaining about or are struggling through, that was the fruit that Rosaleen planted herself on her children when they were young.
In conclusion, it amazes me (and not the good kind of amazing) that the author manage to write a story that I’ve read up to page 174 and I still can’t grasp the whole point of the story. Every single thing that’s being said in this book are just an endless pointless details of things that are irrelevant. Take for the example when the author was telling the story of when Rosaleen left the kids on Christmas dinner, why in the world would be relevant for the reader to know whether or not Rosaleen’s jacket had a fur trimming? I can’t, for the life of me, see any relevancy in that sentence. And stuff like this appeared for most of the whole book.
I guess, what I can say about this book is that this was a book about everything and nothing. It ended with a weird tone and it felt forced. I felt that even the author was being unfair to Constance and Emmet, at how their story was never elaborate enough, compared to Dan and Hanna’s. It was such an unpleasant book for me, and if you like a book about everything and nothing, then maybe you can try to read this book; if you, like me, don’t like pointless book, then just go and try some other book.
hay_jude's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I had read 'The Gathering' by Anne Enright previously so knew I would be in safe hands with this novel. As in that book, she writes brilliantly about the complexity of family relationships and how parents and childhood experiences can shape people as adults. Rosaleen, the mother of four children growing up in Ireland is difficult to like at the beginning of the novel, with her unpredictable moods and sulks and manipulative behaviour towards her children. In some ways she seems more the child than the parent. You get the sense that all four children are keen to leave the family home and it was fascinating to follow them as adults and find out how their lives were impacted by their difficult upbringing. I particularly enjoyed Dan's story where Enright writes so movingly about his coming to terms with his homosexuality against the background of AIDS ravaging the lives of gay men in New York, but each of the children's lives is described sensitively and beautifully and they emerge as fully rounded, believable characters. The last part of the novel, when the family comes back together in Ireland is seen more from Rosaleen's point of view, and I did view her more sympathetically by the end. Enright's writing is understated and unshowy. She writes with humour and is a master at dialogue. Like other Irish writers such as Claire Keegan and Colm Toíbín, she is a brilliant storyteller.
tarrowood's review against another edition
4.0
What is family? Why is perspective important? Is love an obligation or is it something natural that becomes twisted through pain and memory? Just some questions I had with this book.
I was charmed seeing the perspectives of Rosaleen and Dan in this book. These characters popped out in 3D during their moments at the forefront
I was charmed seeing the perspectives of Rosaleen and Dan in this book. These characters popped out in 3D during their moments at the forefront
kittkat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ein wirklich super interessantes Buch. Es hat sich angefühlt, als ob jemand mein Gehirn rausgenommen und ihn gut durchgeknetet hätte.
Die irische 6-köpfige Familie Madigan lebt mitten im Nirgendwo auf dem Land. Die Mutter Rosaleen ist emotional instabil und verbringt die meiste Zeit im Bett oder hat gerade einen Ausbruch. Die Kinder fühlen sich vernachlässigt und wollen schnellstmöglich aus dem Haus. Ab 1980 sehen wir über die Jahre, was aus den Kindern geworden ist, wie sie sich komplett von der Familie distanziert haben und mit ihren eigenen Problemen zu kämpfen haben. Dan, der seine Homosexualität leugnet - Constance, die für andere lebt und sich selbst nicht kennt - Emmet, der bei seiner Arbeit mit Unicef jeden Tag mit Krankheit und Tod konfrontiert ist - und Hanna, die Jüngste mit einem Alkoholproblem und postnataler Depression.
Eine sehr traurige Geschichte über eine dysfunktionale Familie, die sich nicht mal über Zeit heilen lässt und die Probleme über die Generationen weiterzugeben scheint. Unfassbar, wie viele Probleme die Autorin mit all den Geschichten aufgegriffen hat und dass sie das alles in einem Buch verpacken konnte. Mit einem tollen Schreibstil, der einen mitten ins Geschehen zieht (auch wenn man das vielleicht gar nicht möchte bei all dem Leid…).
Ich muss sagen, Respekt 👏.
Die irische 6-köpfige Familie Madigan lebt mitten im Nirgendwo auf dem Land. Die Mutter Rosaleen ist emotional instabil und verbringt die meiste Zeit im Bett oder hat gerade einen Ausbruch. Die Kinder fühlen sich vernachlässigt und wollen schnellstmöglich aus dem Haus. Ab 1980 sehen wir über die Jahre, was aus den Kindern geworden ist, wie sie sich komplett von der Familie distanziert haben und mit ihren eigenen Problemen zu kämpfen haben. Dan, der seine Homosexualität leugnet - Constance, die für andere lebt und sich selbst nicht kennt - Emmet, der bei seiner Arbeit mit Unicef jeden Tag mit Krankheit und Tod konfrontiert ist - und Hanna, die Jüngste mit einem Alkoholproblem und postnataler Depression.
Eine sehr traurige Geschichte über eine dysfunktionale Familie, die sich nicht mal über Zeit heilen lässt und die Probleme über die Generationen weiterzugeben scheint. Unfassbar, wie viele Probleme die Autorin mit all den Geschichten aufgegriffen hat und dass sie das alles in einem Buch verpacken konnte. Mit einem tollen Schreibstil, der einen mitten ins Geschehen zieht (auch wenn man das vielleicht gar nicht möchte bei all dem Leid…).
Ich muss sagen, Respekt 👏.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, and Death of parent
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
3.0
Distinctive and accomplished writing style, but not a lot new on family dynamics.
lmp2020's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I barely made it through. It could not hold my interest.
patmcmanamon's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent book about family and the strains and stresses we put on it. Brilliantly written, this book touches on so many issues. Compassion. Understanding. Family. The sacrifices made by women, especially mothers. Aging. It also provides a stark and real portrait of the dysfunction family, and the challenges contained therein. It's not exactly uplifting, but its writing is excellent and its story is compelling. An honest, real page-turner that had me wishing every time I put it down that I could pick it up again right away and see what was next.