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155 reviews for:

Troubles

J.G. Farrell

3.8 AVERAGE

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark funny informative reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A
dark emotional funny sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
funny reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark funny slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

That way the Irish have of writing wry wit - satire - or even flat-out humor that is so tragic you can hardly stand it? That’s this book. It takes place in a fictional town in County Wexford and the setting is a decaying, 300-room restore hotel on the cliffs above the ocean around 1920. Ireland is a mess, the hotel is a mess, the people are ridiculous, and the things that happen are either pure farce or stunning and horrifying.

I thought through most of it that it would make an excellent Wes Anderson movie because the visuals are so specific and quirky. And then Sinn Fein entered the picture, and I realized very specifically that the hotel is actually the central character in the novel as well as being a metaphor for one view of Ireland. Very good read.

“‘How incredibly Irish it all is!’ thought the Major wonderingly. ‘The family seems to be all mad!’” (P. 24).
funny reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated


A lighthearted and fun story written against the backdrop of the very serious and turbulent events following the 1916 Irish rebellion leading up to the signing of the Anglo-Irish agreement which was to bring an end to all “troubles” ....
challenging dark funny reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Many times during this I wanted to DNF it - I found the whimsical tone coupled with the dark subject matter quite weird. Rotting hotel, interesting cast of characters, insight into a period of Irish history I don't know much about...but still...not for me.