Reviews tagging 'Death'

Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan

49 reviews

rach's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

This is really two books in one. The first half is a story of friendship, chosen family, and the reckless fun of youth. The second half, while still focusing on friendship, is much more complicated and sad. Death of a parent, cancer, and assisted suicide are tough topics to read about, and I can’t say I enjoyed where this book went, but all the discussions were thoughtful and respectful. 
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annietaber's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I never cry at books but when I clicked to go to the next page and it was over, I let out a little sob. The heartbreak mundane-ness (mundanity?) of life and death and “the full brass of being” 
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annatroughton's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

3.75

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spicycronereads's review

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Thought this was going to be a coming of age novel with a good soundtrack. It wrecked me. I listened to the audio book which might have been a contributing factor. I was also driving while
listening so I was never fully focused, which might have affected my experience of the pacing, etc. I want a Spotify playlist and a restaurant menu based on the music references and the dinner at the end. Make that two playlists - one for all the music they trash talk too. 
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miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

‘It can take a whole lifetime to know how to thank a person.’

‘He was making room for death, while, all around him, people arrived with new furniture for a different room altogether, a place of honouring and cherishing, where comfort and light are believed to obliterate the dark.’

‘Earth is all the heaven we'll ever know.’

‘'He lost himself… because he forgot that time had to pass"

‘Go gently with people's pain. It's the same as yours’
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bernard_black's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

First part 3 ☆
Second part 5 ☆
Joy divison references 10000000 ☆
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tprsjr's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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callmeamelia's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

5.0

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pkc's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was an achingly sad book in how it ends and the inevitability of the ending but a really sweet story of a nontoxic male relationship growing up in Thatcher ravaged Britain. I love the protagonists, though I found their dialogue reminiscent of Renton and Sick Boy (though the plots of Trainspotting and Mayflies couldn’t be less comparable) and it annoyed me slightly in places. Tully’s wife Anna really bothered me in places too, but with the subject matter, O’Hagan does a really good job of the light and dark of such a complicated debate. I will also say it was gorgeously written despite my occasional gripes with the dialogue.
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strawberrymivvy's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Something about this book and the style of writing really spoke to me, despite it being (on the surface at least) about friendship amongst a group of teenage boys, a la SE Hinton.  Perhaps it was the Manchester music references, the time in Piccadilly Records and the GMEX, or maybe I am exactly the right age to relate to the story.

I had no idea of the direction the story would take, so was surprised when half way through we jumped forward in time many years.

An emotional, thought-provoking story of a terminal diagnosis, friendship and coming to terms with loss.

I will look for other work by this author now for sure
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